French Bean Seeds

French bean seeds — also known as haricot beans or navy beans depending on the variety — are the fully mature, dried seeds of the common bean plant. They have a mild, creamy flavour and a smooth texture when cooked, making them one of the most adaptable pulses in the kitchen.

These beans are a foundation ingredient in dishes like cassoulet, minestrone, and baked beans. They hold their shape well in slow-cooked dishes and absorb surrounding flavours readily. They can also be puréed into dips or blended into soups for body.

Dried French bean seeds keep almost indefinitely in a cool, dry pantry and are an economical source of protein and fibre. They require soaking before cooking, typically overnight, followed by simmering until tender.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

French beans are grown as a warm-season crop, planted in spring and cultivated through summer. For dried bean production, the pods are left on the plant well past the green eating stage, allowing the seeds to mature and dry inside the pod. Once the pods are brown and brittle, the plants are harvested and threshed to separate the hard, dried seeds. The seeds are then cleaned, sorted, and packaged.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 344kcal
Protein 18.8g
Carbs 38.9g
Fat 2g
Fibre 25.2g Sugar 0g
Mass Distribution

1 cup is about 184 g — roughly 630 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈1.8kg
Freshwater ≈400L
Land ≈3.4m²

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

simmered dried legume

Goes well with
lamb garlic thyme tomato carrot
Classic dishes
  • Cassoulet
  • Gigot with Flageolets
  • Soupe au Pistou

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromFrench Bean, seeds goes well withlamb goes well withgarlic goes well withthyme goes well withtomato goes well withcarrot
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