Natural form

Dried cannellini white beans showing their oval shape, smooth ivory skin, and uniform size.

Shows the raw ingredient in its most common purchased form so readers can identify white beans before cooking.

Legumes & Beans

White Beans

Creamy, mild beans for soups, stews, and silky purées

Soft and mild, white beans like cannellini melt into a creamy soup or purée and soak up garlic and herbs beautifully. Dried store airtight; canned are an easy swap.

White beans are a family of mild, creamy beans — cannellini, navy, great northern, and butter (lima) among them — united by a pale color, soft texture, and an easygoing flavor that takes on whatever it's cooked with. Their creaminess is the selling point: simmered until tender they turn lush and velvety, perfect for blending into dips and soups, or mashing into a silky purée under fish or sausage. They hold up well enough in salads and stews while collapsing willingly when you want body, which makes them one of the most adaptable beans in the pantry. Italian, French, and Spanish cooking lean on them heavily — minestrone, cassoulet, fabada, ribollita. Like all beans, they're a frugal, fiber- and protein-rich staple, equally good from a can or simmered slowly from dried.

Measured in: g
Storage: Airtight

Find it in

Canned Goods

Types & varieties

Cannellini

Large, kidney-shaped, fluffy-creamy — the Italian favorite for soups and salads.

Navy (haricot)

Small and very soft; the classic for baked beans and thick soups.

Great northern

Medium, mild, holds shape a touch better; all-purpose.

Butter beans (lima)

Large, flat, exceptionally creamy and buttery.

How to cook

Soak dried white beans, then simmer gently until creamy — a slow, low bubble keeps the skins intact rather than blowing them out. They're done when a bean crushes effortlessly against the roof of your mouth.

Soak overnight, drain, simmer in fresh water with aromatics
Keep a bare simmer — boiling hard splits the delicate skins
Cook with garlic, sage, rosemary, and a glug of olive oil
Add salt partway and acid only once tender

How to use the creaminess

White beans shine when you lean into their lush texture — blended into a dip or soup, or mashed into a purée. Save the silky cooking liquid; it's a natural thickener.

Blend into a white-bean hummus or a creamy soup
Mash with olive oil and garlic for a purée under fish or greens
Use the starchy cooking liquid to thicken soups and stews
Toss whole into salads with tuna, herbs, and lemon

Common uses

Minestrone and ribollitaWhite bean dips and puréesTuscan beans with sage and oilCassoulet and fabadaBean and tuna saladsCreamy white bean soupsBaked beans (navy)Pasta e fagioli

Tips & pitfalls

Simmer gently — a rolling boil bursts white beans' thin skins.
Blend them for an ultra-creamy, dairy-free soup or dip base.
Cook with rosemary, sage, garlic, and good olive oil for the classic Tuscan flavor.
Save the creamy cooking broth to thicken soups instead of flour or cream.
Add a Parmesan rind to the pot for savory depth.

Nutrition

333kcal

Energy

1393 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 27%Carbs 70%Fat 2%

Protein

23.4g

47% DV

Carbs

60.3g

22% DV

Fat

0.9g

1% DV

Fiber

15.2g

54% DV

Sugars

2.1g

of which

Sodium

16mg

1% DV

Notable micronutrients

Folate97% DV

Iron58% DV

Magnesium45% DV

Potassium38% DV

Thiamin (B1)36% DV

Zinc33% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Beans, white, mature seeds, raw

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In the shops

Matched grocery products

White Beans
BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu
€1.25
White Beans
LUENGO · kg · Bonpreu
€2.04
White Beans
BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu
€2.45
White Beans
Hacendado · 1 kg · Mercadona
€2.45
Cooked White Beans
Hacendado · 295 g · Mercadona
€0.70
Cooked White Beans
Hacendado · 570 g · Mercadona
€0.80

Good to know

Flavor & texture: Mild, slightly nutty; soft and notably creamy
Cook ratio & time: Dried: soak, then simmer 45–90 min depending on type and size
Soak?: Recommended for dried — overnight or quick-soak; canned ready to use
Nutrition: ~140 kcal/100g cooked; ~9.7g protein, ~6.3g fiber; rich in folate & iron
How to store: Dried airtight ~1–2 years; cooked refrigerate ≤5 days or freeze

Substitutes