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Red kidney beans

What are red kidney beans? About the ingredient red kidney beans. Including 514 recipes with red kidney beans, nutrition data, photos, and where to find it.

About

Red Kidney beans, the world's second most important bean, with a bright red-purple color and distinctive flavor, are popular in the United States for use in chili con carne, soups and salads. They are also a favorite in Scadanavian countries, France and Britian. Grown in the US in Michigan, New York and California.

Also check out our in depth articles on  Dried Beans - A low-cost and healthy addition to your diet and  Hill of Beans.

dried red kidney beans

Purchasing Guide

Dried beans should be clean, uniform in size and quality. Today dried beans are usually sold pre-packaged and a reliable brand will guarentee clean, uniformly sized beans.

1 pound, raw = approximately 2 1/3 cups

1 pound, cooked = approximately 6 cups

Storage

After opening the package place the unused beans in a clean, tightly covered container and store on the pantry shelf.

Kitchen shelf: 1 year

Refrigerator shelf, cooked, covered: 3 to 4 days

Refrigerator freezer, cooked beans and cooked bean dishes, prepare for freezing: 1 month

Deep Freezer, cooked beans and cooked bean dishes, prepared for freezing: 4 to 6 months

Basic Preparation

Packaged beans are usually sorted and washed before packaging, so need only be rinsed.

Bean bought in bulk should be sorted carefully, discarding broken and defective beans, and washed until the water runs clear.

It's a good idea to soak the beans to replace some of the water lost during the drying process.

In general, if directions are not given on the package, use the amount of water called for in the recipe; save the nutritious soaking water to use in cooking the beans.

dried red kidney beans

There are two ways of soaking dried beans:

  1. Quick method: Measure the soaking water into a large, heavy pot. Add the washed beans and bring to the boil. Cover the pot and cook for 2 minutes; remove from heat and let stand for one hour, then cook according to recipe directions.

  2. Overnight method: Measure the soaking water into a large pot; add washed beans; cover pot, and let stand for 6 to 8 hours. To prevent souring and hard skins the two minute boil above is recommended even when the beans are soaked overnight.

Add one teaspoon of salt per cup of soaked beans. If ham, bacon or salt pork is to be added use a smaller amount of salt.

Always try to cook in the soaking water. Cover the pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer according to the recipe.

Stir carefully but not too often to avoid breaking apart the beans. When done they should hold their shape as well as be tender. Cooking time can range from 20 minutes to 1 ½ hours depending on the type of bean and how long they have been stored.

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Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cup (256g)
Amount per Serving
Calories 217Calories from Fat 7
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.9g 1%
Saturated Fat 0.1g 1%
Trans Fat ~
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 872mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 39.9g 13%
Dietary Fiber 16g 66%
Sugars 0.6
Protein 13.4g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 5%
Calcium 6% Iron 18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

Where found

Red kidney beans are usually found in the canned goods section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group

Red kidney beans are a member of the Legumes and Legume Products USDA nutritional food group.

How much do red kidney beans weigh?

measure grams
1 cup 256
1 tbsp 16

In Chinese:红芸豆
British (UK) term: Red kidney beans
en français:haricots rouge
en español:frijoles rojo

Recipes using red kidney beans

There are 519 recipes that contain this ingredient.

30 Minute Chili
5 Alarm Chili
6 Bean Soup
A Very Tasty Chili
A Working Woman's Chili
Amazing Cincinnati Chili
Amigos Chili
Arcadian Eight Bean Chili
Aunt Em's Hearty Soup
Beefy Chunk and Cheese Chili
Beer Chili Con Carne
Bert Greene's Peppered Chili

All 519 recipes

References

Usda nutrition data over 8 years ago

Created: Last updated:

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