Cannellini Beans

What are Cannellini Beans?

Also known as white kidney beans, the humble cannellini brings hearty substance to soups and stews - think Minestrone, White Bean and Cauliflower Soup or perhaps a White Bean Chili. For a crunchy salad topping, toss drained and rinsed cannellini in olive oil, choice seasonings and roast until crispy. Or simply add a few spoons to a salad, giving the beans time to soak up a herby vinaigrette spiked with lemon and black pepper. And don’t forget dips and spreads - cannellini cooked with finely chopped garlic, onion and olive oil until soft. Then blend smooth or mashed chunky and finish with lemon juice and chopped herbs - parsley, basil, oregano… Perfect for veggie stick snacks or scooped up with warm Whole Wheat Flatbread.

Cannellini beans are rooted to the Peruvian highlands and were eaten by Indigenous communities as far back as 2300 BC. Thousands of years later, heavy sacks of beans, along with many other New World seeds and produce were loaded onto massive ships destined for 16th century Europe. Cannellini beans travelled across the Western Mediterranean, finding their home in Italy where they’re a cornerstone of Italian culture, culinary history and prized in Tuscan peasant cuisine cucina povera.