12 Types of Legumes You Should Be Cooking & Eating Year-Round

You might be surprised to learn that peanuts are not actually nuts but rather legumes. They’re also seriously good for you, boasting more than 30 different vitamins and minerals and an impressive seven grams of protein per serving. In fact, this 2022 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition is one of several to suggest that eating peanuts on the regular can lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Peanuts are ideal for snacking when roasted and salted, and can shine in a wide variety of cooked dishes, too.

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• Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce
• Aran Goyoaga’s Peanut Butter–Banana Cookies
• Overnight Oats with Peanut Butter and Banana

Chickpeas, garbanzo beans…call them what you will, but these creamy, starchy gems are powerhouses of protein and dietary fiber, clocking in at 14.5 and 12.5 grams per cup, according to the USDA’s FoodData Central. They also boast a mild and buttery flavor profile that plays well with other ingredients and spices and make for an extra hearty meal when added to stews and salads alike.

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• Chickpea and Vegetable Coconut Curry
• Chickpea Burgers
• Easy Homemade Hummus with Za’atar Pita Chips

Kidney beans, named for their resemblance to said organ, have a mild, slightly sweet taste and a meaty texture that holds up well in soups, stews and other recipes that call for long cooking times. This type of bean is also particularly versatile as it tends to absorb the flavors of other ingredients. In terms of nutrition, kidney beans are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fiber, and provide a whopping 15 grams of protein per cup.

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• Kale Minestrone
• Kitchen Sink Chili
• Pasta e Fagioli

The flavor profile of green peas is sweet, fresh and, well, green. Toss ‘em into pasta and rice pilaf, puree them to make spring pea soup or add them to a panzanella salad. Indeed, there are plenty of ways to eat green peas, and a few compelling reasons for doing so—namely that they are high in many antioxidants and nutrients (vitamins A, C, and E, to name a few) and low in calories, to boot.

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• Spring Pea Soup with Mint
• Seared Scallops with Green Peas, Mint and Shallots
• Instant Pot Spaghetti with Goat Cheese, Mint and Peas

Lima beans, also called butter beans, are a mild and creamy bean with a flat, slightly curved shape. Like other beans on the list, limas are protein-packed (15 grams per cup) and nutrient dense. When it comes to putting lima beans on your plate, we recommend using them for succotash or preparing them the Southern way for a decadent side dish—just be sure not to overcook them, lest their delicate flavor turn bitter.

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• Lima Bean Butternut Succotash
• Southern Butter Beans
• Southern Succotash with Okra, Corn and Tomatoes

A staple of Latin American cuisine, black beans are a legume you’re likely to find cozying up to a pile of rice or hiding out in a burrito. You can count on getting a sizable dose of folate and dietary fiber from every serving of black beans you put away and, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, they are a fantastic source of plant-based protein, too.

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• Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Blue Cheese Crema
• Black Bean Burgers
• Quick and Easy Spicy Coconut Black Bean Soup

Native to East Asia, the soybean is full of protein-rich fiber (i.e., digestible energy). Although most commonly used to make soymilk and tofu, this mild bean can be lightly roasted and enjoyed on its own as a snack, or added to curries and stews, where it will lend creamy texture whilst soaking up the surrounding flavors.

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• Kongjang (Sweet and Savory Korean Simmered Soybeans)
• Instant Pot Soybean Curry
• Salted Roasted Soybeans

Red, green, brown, black, French Puy—there are many varieties of lentils, and each one has its own unique texture and cooking requirements. That said, all the different types boast an impressive nutritional profile. For starters, lentils are an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium and folate; additionally, this legume is a go-to for staying regular, as it provides plenty of fiber.

Cooking recommendations for lentils differ depending on the particular variety you’re working with. Red, green and brown lentils are quick-cooking and soft, making them an ideal base for soups, stews and curries; Puy and black lentils, on the other hand, have an al dente texture that’s well-suited for salads and stand-alone side dishes.

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• Creamy Vegan Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Bake
• Radicchio, Lentil and Apple Salad with Vegan Cashew Dressing
• Easy One-Pot Lentil Kielbasa Soup

Commonly found in Mexican and Tex-Mex fare, these cholesterol-free and protein-rich beans are high in fiber and folate, which is a winning combination for both digestive and heart health. We enjoy them swimming in broth, mashed and refried (with a side of rice, of course).

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• Homestyle Rice and Beans
• Southern Pinto Beans with Ham Hocks
• Crock-Pot Pinto Beans

Cannellini beans, Great Northern and (oddly) Navy beans are the most common types of white beans. Cannellini, the largest of the bunch, keep their shape, but cook up quite tender; Great Northern beans are medium-sized with firmer flesh, and navy beans are petite, quick-cooking and extra creamy. These distinctions are important when considering which kind to use in a particular recipe. (Hint: Cannellini can star in everything from salads and pastas to stews, Great Northern are best in soups and stews, and Navy beans are destined to be pureed into a dip.)

Culinary applications aside, all the white bean varieties serve up a serious amount of protein (17 grams per cup, cooked) and a healthy dose of minerals and nutrients, like folate, iron and potassium.

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• Braised Cannellini Beans with Prosciutto and Herbs
• Roasted Squash Salad with White Beans, Breadcrumbs and Preserved Lemon
• One-Pan Sausage with Broccoli Rabe and White Beans

Don’t be fooled by the name—black eyed peas are beans, not peas. They’re also dense and creamy with a mild, earthy flavor that’s downright delicious. Nutrient-rich and packed with both fiber and protein, these beans are a popular choice in the South, where they’re used in summer salads, casseroles, mashes and more.

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• Southern Black-Eyed Peas
• Black-Eyed Pea Soup
• Black-Eyed Pea Masala with Kale

Fava beans are a sweet and tender springtime gem that should be spread on bruschetta, tossed in pastas and salads and added to pretty much everything else you can think of while they’re in season. Bonus: These guys are chock full of fiber, potassium and (you guessed it) protein, too.

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• Foul Mudammas (Egyptian Fava Beans)
• Fava Asparagus Pea Spring Panzanella Salad
• Spring Minestrone Soup with Pistachio Parsley Gremolata