Legumes

The family Fabaceae, also known as Leguminosae, includes over 20,000 plants, all of which are recognized as legumes. Many of these plants produce edible fruits and seeds, which are eaten both fresh as vegetables and dried as staples. Additionally, the seeds and pods of numerous legume plants serve as valuable animal fodder. In culinary terms, the legume category spans a wide range, including familiar items like peas and green beans, as well as staples like soy and navy beans.

List of the Most Familiar and Commonly Consumed Varieties of Legumes

Most of the legumes in the table below are easily available in supermarkets and online stores, with a few exceptions, like horse gram and ice cream beans, that might need a trip to a specialty store or farmers market.

Name	Protein/100g (Cooked)	Carbs/100g (Cooked)	Fiber/100g (Cooked)	Iron/100g (Cooked)	Common Ways to Prepare
Pea	5.4g	14g	5.1g	2.5mg	Steamed or boiled, used in salads, soups, or as a side vegetable
Peanut	25.8g	16.1g	8.5g	1mg	Roasted and eaten as a snack, peanut butter in sandwiches
Lentil	9g	20g	8g	3.3mg	Boiled and used in soups, stews, salads etc.
Chickpea (Garbanzo Beans)	8.9g	27.4g	7.6g	2.9mg	Boiled or canned, used in salads, hummus, and various Mediterranean dishes
Mung Beans	7g	19g	7.6g	1.4mg	Sprouted in salads, cooked in soups, stir-fried, or curries
Soybean	16.6g	9.9g	6g	5.4mg	Used for making tofu, soy milk, edamame, and soy-based products
Green Beans (French Beans)	1.8g	7.1g	3.4g	1mg	Steamed, sautéed, or blanched, often used as a side vegetable
Black-Eyed Peas	7.6g	25.7g	6.7g	2.5mg	Boiled, used in Southern dishes like Hoppin’ John
Lima Beans	7.8g	19.7g	7g	2.4mg	Boiled or steamed, added to casseroles or succotash
Pinto Beans	8.2g	21g	9g	2.4mg	Boiled or refried, used in burritos, soups, and stews
Kidney Beans	8.7g	22.8g	6.4g	2.1mg	Boiled or canned, used in chili, salads, or rice dishes
Snow Pea	2.6g	7.6g	2.6g	2.1mg	Eaten whole, often used in stir-fries and salads
Split Pea	8.3g	41.4g	16.3g	2.5mg	Boiled, used in soups, stews, or mixed with rice
Pigeon Pea	7.2g	25g	4g	1.5mg	Boiled, used in Indian, Caribbean, and African cuisines
Navy Beans	8g	23.9g	9.7g	2.6mg	Baked or boiled, used in soups, stews, and casseroles
Adzuki Beans	7.5g	29.6g	7.3g	4.7mg	Boiled, sweetened, and used in desserts or red bean paste
Snap Pea	2g	7.6g	2.6g	2.1mg	Eaten whole, often used in salads and stir-fries
Horse Gram	22.3g	57.6g	24.5g	6.7mg	Boiled, used in soups, stews, or sprouted in salads
Broad Beans	7.6g	19.6g	7.6g	2.7mg	Boiled or pureed, used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine
Lupin Beans	36g	42g	15g	9.8mg	Soaked and boiled, used in salads or ground into flour
Black Gram	25.2g	63.3g	18.1g	7.6mg	Used in Indian cuisine, particularly in dosas and idlis
Field Pea	5.4g	20.6g	5.7g	2.5mg	Boiled, used in soups, stews, or mixed with rice
Winged Beans	4g	25g	4g	3.7mg	Stir-fried or cooked, used in various Asian dishes
Black Turtle Beans	8.7g	23.7g	16.5g	8.2mg	Boiled, used in Latin American and Caribbean cuisines
Ice-cream Beans	15g	1g	1.5g	N/A	Seeds eaten raw or roasted, sometimes used in desserts

Some More Types of Legumes

• Honey Locust
• Carob
• Jack Beans
• Pacay
• Sword Beans
• Dragon Tongue Beans
• Runner Beans
• Tepary Beans
• Siberian Peashrub
• Bambara Groundnut
• Chipilín
• Asparagus Beans
• Wattleseed
• Prairie Turnip
• Blue Fenugreek
• Bitter Beans (Stink Beans)
• Grass Pea
• Moth Beans
• Cicer
• Flageolet Beans
• Shucky Beans
• Ricebeans
• Water Mimosa
• Flat Beans
• Madras Thorn
• Lablab Beans (Hyacinth Beans)
• Dixie Lee Pea
• Sea Island Red Pea
• Yellow Paloverde
• Bolita Beans
• Tahitian Chestnut
• African Locust Beans
• Catjang
• Alb-Leisa
• Black Adzuki Beans
• Sorana Beans
• Tarbais Beans
• Zig-Zag Vine Fruit
• Sweet Detar
• Appaloosa Beans
• Namu-Namu
• Strap Wattle
• Geocarpa Groundnut
• Buffalo Pea

Fun fact: Even though licorice also belongs to the legume family, it is not included in lists of legumes because we don't eat its fruits or seeds.

Legumes vs. Pulses vs. Beans

These three terms are often used interchangeably, but some distinct differences exist between their meaning. As mentioned above, ‘legumes’ is an umbrella term for all plants from the Fabaceae family and their edible parts.

Next comes pulses, comprising only those legumes that yield edible seeds deemed dry food grains for human consumption, as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It does not include legumes consumed as vegetables like snap peas and green beans, oilseeds like soybeans, or forage crops.

Defining beans can be challenging, given the term’s subjective and somewhat arbitrary nature. Generally, most dried legumes in the pulses category are classified as beans. However, there are exceptions, like lentils, which are not classified as beans despite being pulses.

The meaning of the term extends further to encompass legumes with edible pods, such as green beans, consumed as vegetables. Still, pod vegetables like peas are not counted as beans. Among oilseeds, soybeans are beans, but peanuts are not.

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