What Are Navy beans, dried and How Can I Use Them?
Navy beans, dried rewards a little know-how: how to choose them, cook them, store them, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 26 recipes to cook with them.
Key Points
- Dried navy beans are cheap, cook-from-scratch navy beans; see navy beans for the full guide.
- Soak them, then simmer gently 1 to 1½ hours until tender for baked beans and thick soups.
- Keep the simmer lazy and salt late, since a hard boil shreds their thin skins.
What is navy beans, dried?
Dried navy beans are the small white beans you buy by the bag for baked beans and thick soups. They are the same bean as canned navy, just before the soak and simmer, so for the full story on the variety and what it pairs with, see navy beans.
Cooking them yourself is cheap and gives you control. You decide how soft they get and how much salt and smoke goes in, which matters a lot in a long, slow bean pot.
These are the smallest of the common white beans, and they cook down soft while still holding their shape.
Cooking Dried Navy Beans
Navy beans need a soak and a gentle simmer. Cover them with a few inches of water, soak overnight or do a quick boil-and-rest, then simmer for about 1 to 1½ hours until tender. See beans for the full soaking and cooking method.
Their small size means some of them dissolve as they cook, thickening the pot on their own. That is the whole point in a Creamy Navy Bean Soup or a Thick Vegetable Soup, where you want body without flour.
Keep the simmer lazy and salt only once the beans have softened. A hard boil splits the thin skins, and early salt or acid can keep the beans firm.
For baked beans, dried navy beans are the classic choice, simmered slow with molasses and pork as in a Crockpot Boston Baked Beans or a Maple-Rum Baked Beans.
Substitutes and Storage
Great northern beans are the closest swap, a touch larger with the same mild flavor. Other white beans like cannellini also work, reading creamier and a little less firm. They all fold into a French Country Cassoulet alongside the navy bean itself.
Canned navy beans are the fast substitute when you skip the soak. One drained 15-ounce (425 g) can equals roughly ⅔ cup of dried beans once cooked.
Store dried navy beans in an airtight jar somewhere cool and dark. They keep for a year or more, but older beans take longer to soften and may never get fully tender, so use them within the year.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (208g)Quick facts
Food group: Navy beans, dried is a member of the Legumes and Legume Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 菜豆，干
- British (UK) term
- Navy beans, dried
- en français
- les haricots secs, la marine
- en español
- frijoles blancos, secos
How much does navy beans, dried weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 208 grams |
Related
Legumes and Legume Products
Recipes using navy beans, dried
There are 26 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Country Cassoulet
A rustic American cassoulet with navy beans, browned chicken legs, crispy bacon, and smoked sausage baked in a tomato and herb broth. Hearty French-inspired comfort food for 4 to 6.
Crockpot Baked Beans
Nearly any kind of dried beans works in this class sweet yet savory vegetarian two-day version of baked beans.
Crockpot Boston Baked Beans
Introduce a new flavor to your crockpot with this delicious dish made with bacon and dried navy beans.
Ma's Baked Beans
Old-fashioned baked beans made from scratch with dried navy beans, molasses, brown sugar and salt pork, slow-baked all day until thick and deeply savory-sweet. The real Boston-style deal, no can required.
Frankfuter Bohnensuppe(Bean Soup with Frankfurters)
Frankfurter Bohnensuppe, a hearty German bean soup with navy beans, beef broth, bacon, and sliced frankfurters. Pureed smooth with a smoky, meaty base.
Chili with White Beans
Beef chili with dried white navy beans, slow-simmered 4 hours with cumin, paprika, cayenne, and oregano. A no-tomato chili with deep, smoky spice and hearty texture.
Navy Beat Stew
Hearty navy bean stew with browned Italian sausage, carrots, corn, and chicken broth, oven-baked in a Dutch oven until thick and bubbly. A cold-weather crowd-pleaser.
Picnic Baked Beans
Picnic Baked Beans made from scratch with dried navy beans, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, and crumbled bacon. Classic slow-baked New England beans for a crowd - serves 16.
Navy Bean Borsch
Navy bean borscht with beef, bacon, kielbasa, beets, cabbage, and potatoes in a sweet-sour broth. A hearty Polish-style beet soup thickened with a butter-flour paste and topped with sour cream.
Creole Beans
Creole-style navy beans simmered with tomatoes, celery, onion, and green pepper in a garlic-seasoned sauce. A simple, hearty Southern side dish ready in under an hour.
New England Style Baked Beans
New England baked beans from dried navy beans, slow-cooked with smoked ham, maple syrup, brown sugar, and dry mustard. The all-day crock pot cook builds deep, sweet-smoky flavor no canned beans can touch.
Crock-Style Beans
Slow cooker baked beans with navy beans, salt pork, molasses, and brown sugar. Cooked low and slow for up to 14 hours, these old-fashioned crockpot beans are thick, smoky, and deeply sweet.
Senate Bean Soup
Senate bean soup with navy beans, smoked ham hock, potatoes, and an onion pique, half-pureed for a creamy-chunky texture. The famous US Capitol dining room recipe.
Helen's Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce
Old-fashioned baked beans with navy beans, smoky bacon, molasses, and brown sugar in a tomato sauce base. The classic New England Sunday-supper bean pot baked low and slow until thick and rich.
Old-Fashioned Baked Beans
Old-fashioned baked beans slow-cooked for 6 hours with salt pork, molasses, brown sugar, and dry mustard. Soaked overnight and baked low until thick, smoky, and caramelized.
Classic Navy Bean Soup
This is a classic bean soup made with smoked ham hock or with a left over ham bone - inexpensive and serves up a crowd.
Baked Beans(Usda)
Classic USDA-style baked beans with navy beans, salt pork, molasses, brown sugar, and dry mustard. A big-batch recipe built for freezing and feeding a crowd.
Traditional Maple Baked Beans
Old-fashioned baked beans made from dried navy beans with salt pork, molasses, brown sugar, and pure maple syrup. Slow-baked for 5-7 hours until the sauce turns thick and the pork rind crisps up.
Bean Soup with Ham & Veggies
Old-fashioned navy bean soup with smoky ham, celery, carrots, onion, and thyme simmered low and slow into a thick, satisfying pot. Pantry-friendly comfort that thrives on cold winter nights.
Creamy Navy Bean Soup
Creamy navy bean soup simmers soaked navy beans with carrots, celery, tomato puree, and thyme, then finishes with cream and milk for a silky high-fiber bowl. A vegetarian, gluten-free comfort soup.
Thick Vegetable Soup
A rustic, slow-simmered vegetable soup packed with navy beans, zucchini, carrots, turnips, and tomatoes, finished with fresh basil and Parmesan. Feeds a crowd with just 10 minutes of prep.
Awesome Texas White Lightning Chili
Texas white chicken chili with navy beans, jalapeños, cumin, and hot chiles, ladled into tortilla-lined bowls with Monterey Jack and salsa. A spicy white-bean chili with edible bowl bonus.
Booyah for 100 people
Booya or booyah is popular the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota, and in Northeast Wisconsin. The dish is said to have originally consisted of mostly turtle meat and cabbage, although such things as chicken and oxtails and rutabagas and potatoes have always had a prominent role. The term seems to have first appeared in print in the 1880s.
Bulgarian Red Pepper Stew
A hearty Bulgarian stew of lentils and navy beans simmered with sweet red peppers, paprika, and herbs in a rich broth deepened with prune juice and tomato paste. Vegan-friendly and high in fiber.
