What Are The Best Dishes To Make With My Heirloom Beans?

Emma Christensen
Emma Christensen
Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories
updated May 2, 2019
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Q: I’ve recently gone down the dangerous road of buying lots of different dried beans, mostly because they’re pretty. I have probably four pounds of cranberry beans and Jacob’s cattle beans, and some flageolet beans. While I can definitely just stick them in soup and chili, I’m hoping for some advice on what each bean is really best for.

Sent by Cait

Editor: I tend to pair the flavor and texture of the bean with the dish. I love rich, hearty cranberry beans in rich, hearty winter stews — I actually just used cranberry beans to make this Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup. Flageolets have a more delicate flavor and tender texture, so I like them better in more dishes that show-case that character, like summer bean salads or as a side dish on its own with fish.

Also, the Rancho Gordo cookbook is a great place to look for recipes that use heirloom beans:

→ Heirloom Beans by Steve Sando and Rancho Gordo

Readers, do you have any particular bean-and-dish pairings that you like or recommend?

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