What Are White kidney beans, canned and How Can I Use Them?

Here's everything worth knowing about white kidney beans, canned and how to pick them, what they is, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 77 recipes to cook tonight.

What is white kidney beans, canned?

Canned white kidney beans are cannellini beans, the large, creamy white beans of Italian cooking, already cooked and ready in the tin. They are simply the canned form of the bean, so for the full story on the variety, flavor, and cooking it from dried, see white beans.

The "kidney" name throws people. These are the white cousins of the red kidney bean, with the same long, curved shape but a milder, nuttier taste and a softer, creamier texture.

Canned is how most cooks buy them, since they are tender enough to use straight from the can.

Using Canned White Kidney Beans

The big advantage of the can is speed. Drain and rinse the beans, then add them near the end of cooking, since they are already soft and only need warming through.

Italian dishes are their home turf. They are the bean in Cannellini Beans with Italian Sausage and bring body to an Escarole, Beans, & Pork Ribs Soup, where they soak up the pork and greens.

Their soft texture also makes them a natural for salads and purees. A cold Three Bean Salad with Sweet Bell Peppers uses them straight from the can, and they mash into a smooth white bean dip with garlic and olive oil.

Do not boil them hard. The skins split and the beans turn to mush, so a gentle simmer or a quick toss in a hot pan is all they want.

Substitutes and Storage

Great northern or navy beans are the easy swap, a little smaller and just as mild. Canned chickpeas work in a salad if you want more bite. For a soup, see white beans for how the whole white-bean family compares.

An unopened can keeps for years in the pantry. Once opened, move any leftover beans and their liquid to a covered container and refrigerate, where they last three to four days, or freeze them for up to three months.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Food group: White kidney beans, canned is a member of the Legumes and Legume Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

白芸豆罐头

British (UK) term

White kidney beans, canned

en français

haricots blancs en conserve,

en español

frijoles blancos, enlatados

How much does white kidney beans, canned weigh?

Related

Legumes and Legume Products

Recipes using white kidney beans, canned

There are 77 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Always Loved Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili with bulgur and vegetables--Vegetarian chili: hot satisfying dish for fans of meatless mains.

Five Bean, Artichoke & Sundried Tomato Salad with Greens & Toasted Almonds

This filling yet delicious bean salad is very easy to make. Put the salad in the frige for a couple of hours or overnight, the flavor will be even better. Of course you can always have some right after you make it to satisfy your caving before it grows too big :)

Algerian Chicken with Beans & Sausage

Perfect for feeding a crowd and easily scaled to feed a larger crowd. No spices to disagree with anyone, just solid belly warming filling goodness.

Bon Appetit Vegetarian Chili with Chipotle Chilies

Bon Appetit Vegetarian Chili with Chipotle Chilies recipe

Three Bean Salad with Sweet Bell Peppers & Artichoke Hearts

Easy to make, and it's loaded with yumminess and packed with goodness.

Fresh Tomato White Chili

White chicken chili with fresh tomatoes, white kidney beans, and mild green chiles, simmered with cumin and a pinch of clove. A bright 30-minute hybrid landing between red and white chili.

Potato-Bean Soup

Potato-bean soup is the dump-and-simmer one-pot supper: potatoes, cannellini beans, carrots, celery, garlic, and dill in chicken broth. Two hours, eight ingredients, weeknight gold.

Cannellini Beans with Italian Sausage

A hearty, delicious stew and very filling as well. Served it with a homemade whole wheat bun, comfy and tasty.

Three Bean Salad with Sweet Bell Peppers

Simply delicious. If you use canned beans, it only takes you about 10 minutes, a tasty and flavorful salad is ready. Have it as a side dish or a nutritious main dish.

Cabbage Bean Soup

Made this cabbage and bean soup for dinner last night. Loved the soup, it was flavorful, tasty and very light. Browning all the veggies in the pot was a must, which developed tons of flavors and made the soup taste delicious.

Wide Noodle Pasta with Red Sauce & Cannellini

Pappardelle smothered in a chunky red sauce with artichokes, roasted peppers, cannellini beans, and sun-dried tomato pesto. Hearty, rustic Italian comfort in 40 minutes.

Roasted Vegetable Chili

Roasted vegetable chili broils bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and tomatoes for char-deep flavor, then simmers with cumin-spiced beans and vegetable juice. Vegetarian chili with serious depth.

White Chili Con Caucasian- American

Slow cooker white chicken chili with cannellini beans, green chiles, stewed tomatoes, and a bright kick of lime. Sear it on the stove, then let the crockpot do the rest.

Pasta Bean Potage

Hearty pasta bean potage with cannellini beans, ham, pasta spirals, fresh tomatoes, and herbs in chicken broth. An Italian-style bean and pasta soup that eats like a meal.

Chicken & Chili Stew

Chicken and chili stew with browned drumsticks, white beans, cherry tomatoes, and chili powder, finished with fresh cilantro. A make-ahead one-pot stew loaded with garnish options.

Beans with Rare Steak & Pesto

Beans with rare steak and pesto: grilled steak sliced rare over mashed cannellini beans with fresh basil-parsley pesto. A Tuscan-style dinner that's lean, protein-heavy, and deeply savory.

Chilicon-Caucasian

White chicken chili with tomatillos, Ro-Tel, green chilies, and cannellini beans. A lighter twist on classic red chili with a bright lime finish.

White Chili Con Caucasian - American

White chicken chili slow-cooked with cannellini beans, green chili peppers, and lime juice. Seared chicken simmers all day in the crockpot and gets topped with sharp cheddar.

Spicy Bean Patties

Baked white bean and brown rice patties with Mexican seasoning, chili peppers, and garlic. A high-protein vegetarian burger alternative with serious spice and crunch.

Tuscan Bean Topping

Tuscan white bean topping with cannellini beans, rosemary, carrots, and celery simmered in broth. Spooned over baked Idaho potatoes with Parmesan.

L.J's Chili Con Carne Y Judia

Big-batch beef and pork chili con carne with four kinds of beans, plantain (or banana), molasses, and a deep spice blend. An overnight-marinated chili built for slow simmering and serving a crowd.

Vegetable Bean & Pasta Soup

A thick, rustic Italian-style soup loaded with penne, cannellini beans, fennel, zucchini, and summer squash simmered in vegetable broth spiked with dry vermouth. Low-fat, naturally vegetarian, and feeds 8 from one big pot in about an hour.

Pork Chili with Artichoke

Pork chili with artichoke hearts and white beans: a Mediterranean-leaning chili with cumin, oregano, white wine, and roma tomatoes. Lemon juice and cilantro hit at the end for brightness.

Creamy Minestrone Soup

Creamy minestrone soup blends puréed white beans into a hearty vegetable broth packed with cranberry beans, kale, zucchini, potatoes, and carrots. A vegan minestrone that gets its silky body from beans instead of cream.

Skillet Beans & Rice

Four-bean skillet with black, kidney, pinto, and cannellini beans simmered in barbecue sauce and tomatoes with bell peppers and onions. Hearty, plant-based, and budget-friendly.

Southwestern White Chicken Chili

Southwestern white chicken chili with cannellini beans, green chiles, cumin, and oregano. A lighter no-tomato chili topped with melted Monterey Jack.

Pasta Mexicali

Pasta Mexicali is a cold penne salad loaded with black beans, cannellini, corn, red pepper, and cilantro in a cumin-cayenne vinaigrette. Vegetarian, protein-packed potluck stunner.

South West Baked Beans

Southwest baked beans with three types of beans, Roma tomatoes, molasses, honey, cumin, and apple cider vinegar. A smoky-sweet, slow-baked side dish that feeds a crowd.

Spinach & Bean Gratin

Cannellini beans, spinach, and tomatoes seasoned with cumin and thyme, baked under a golden breadcrumb crust. A hearty vegetarian gratin that's simple, cozy, and budget-friendly.

Mexican Chili Mole

Meatless chili mole with cocoa powder, two kinds of kidney beans, corn, and melted Jarlsberg cheese. The cocoa adds rich depth without any chocolate sweetness.

Pasta & Fagioli

Pasta e fagioli with cannellini beans, fresh tomatoes, rotelle pasta, and Italian herbs finished with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan. A classic Italian bean and pasta dish that's hearty, healthy, and quick.

Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce

Vegetarian spaghetti sauce loaded with red and white kidney beans, mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes. Hearty, protein-rich, and diabetic-friendly.

White-Bean Chili with Five Spices

White bean chili with five spices: cumin, coriander, oregano, cloves, and cayenne, simmered in chicken broth with green chiles. A quick, light chili ready in 30 minutes.

Pasta Fagiole

Pasta fagiole with cannellini beans, tomato, and aromatics. The classic Italian pasta and bean one-pot dinner for eight, budget-friendly and filling.

Barley & Bean with Fresh Mint (Vegan)

Vegan pearl barley and white kidney bean side dish brightened with fresh mint. Just 4 ingredients, high in fiber and protein, ready in under an hour.

Cozy Turkey White Chili

White turkey chili with cannellini beans, leeks, green chiles, and a flour-thickened broth seasoned with cumin, coriander, and chili powder. Big-batch chili for crowds.

Low Fat Vegetarian Chili

This savory and succulent chili is made with beef, white kidney beans and chickpeas.

Ribollita (Tuscan Vegetable & Bread Soup)

Ribollita is a Tuscan bread soup layered with vegetables, chicken, kidney beans, spinach, stale bread, and Parmesan, then baked until thick and crusty. A hearty Italian peasant soup that improves overnight.

Grandma's Greek Garbanzo Soup

Greek garbanzo bean soup with kidney beans, tomato sauce, and vegetables sauteed in broth instead of oil. Half-pureed for a thick, hearty texture that's naturally low in fat.

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Italian pasta fagioli soup with cannellini and kidney beans, bacon, ditalini pasta, and aromatic vegetables. The classic Italian peasant pasta-and-bean soup ready in 40 minutes.

Southwest White Chili

Fans of Southwestern cuisine will enjoy this version of white chili, flavored with chopped green chiles and onion, and simmered in a broth blended with garlic, oregano, cilantro and ground red pepper.

Jamaican Vegetables Beans & Rice

This is an amazing recipe, you can use all kinds of leftovers, they mix with rice, very tasty!

Pasta with Beans

Pasta with beans, the Italian-American take on pasta e fagioli, with elbow macaroni tossed into a brothy tomato base loaded with cannellini beans, garlic, and Parmesan. Rustic one-pot comfort food.

Amazing Vegetarian Lasagna

A vegetable-packed white lasagna layered with a creamy pesto sauce, mashed white beans, mushrooms, peppers, eggplant, and spinach-ricotta. No tomato in sight, finished with a parmesan-breadcrumb crust.

Chili Con-Causasian (White Chili)

White chicken chili with tomatillos, Rotel tomatoes, cannellini beans, green chiles, and lime juice. Stovetop or crockpot, topped with sharp cheddar.

Best Vegetable Lasagna Roll-Ups

Vegetable lasagna roll-ups: noodles wrapped around a three-cheese, spinach, eggplant, and white bean filling, baked in a robust red wine tomato sauce. Individual vegetarian lasagna portions, no layering.

Rustic Italian Pasta & Bean Soup

Rustic Italian pasta and bean soup doubles up cannellini and red kidney beans with crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs, and pasta. A hearty 45-minute dinner topped with fresh Parmesan.

Chunky Minestrone

A chunky vegetarian minestrone loaded with cannellini beans, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, and spinach, thickened with rice instead of pasta. A hearty, one-pot Italian soup finished with Parmesan.

Red & White Pasta, Tomatoes & Beans

This simple side dish is a good source of fiber. Increase the portion size and it doubles as a meatless main dish.

Herbed White-Bean Dip

Quick herbed white bean dip with cannellini beans, garlic, lemon, olive oil, cumin, and oregano. The 10-minute Mediterranean appetizer that's lighter than hummus and just as versatile.

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