What Are Great northern beans and How Can I Use Them?
If great northern beans have turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use them with confidence and how to choose them, cook them, store them, what to substitute, and 58 recipes to try them in.
What are great northern beans?
Great Northern Beans are a delicately flavored white bean related to the kidney bean and the pinto bean. They are typically grown in the Midwestern US, though some people may grow and harvest them elsewhere.
Depending upon where you live, you may find them available canned or dried. Though called a white bean, the color of Great Northern Beans tends toward cream and some say they look similar in shape, albeit smaller, to lima beans.
Beans are certainly one of the best foods available. A cup of Great Northern Beans contains 14.7 grams of protein, and 12.4 grams of dietary fiber. These beans are also excellent sources of iron,magnesium and folate, and they have a scant 200 calories per cup.
They can really bulk up the nutritional value of anything to which they’re added, and when they are combined with brown rice, they form a complete protein.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (262g)Where found
Great northern beans are usually found in the canned goods section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group
Great northern beans are a member of the Legumes and Legume Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
How much do great northern beans weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 262 grams |
Related
Legumes and Legume Products
| In Chinese: | 大北豆 | |
| British (UK) term: | ||
| en français: | haricots Great Northern | |
| en español: | frijoles grandes del norte |
Recipes using great northern beans
There are 58 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Quick Bacon Baked Beans
A "quick" kicked-up slow cooker or CrockPot baked beans recipe. Starting with canned baked beans and augmented with two more kinds of beans, bacon, and onions, get this recipe on the table in record time.
5 Bean Soup
5 bean soup simmers pinto, navy, red, great northern, and black-eyed peas with a smoky ham bone, tomatoes, and chili powder. Hearty, high-fiber, freezer-friendly bowl.
Two Bean Salad
Simple two-bean salad with great northern beans, red kidney beans, fresh tomatoes, and Swiss chard made in a pressure cooker. A wholesome plant-based meal served over rice or pasta.
Boston Chicken Baked Beans
A copycat Boston Market baked beans recipe loaded with great northern beans, pork and beans, ketchup, BBQ sauce, softened onions, and sliced ham. Thick, saucy, and ready in about an hour. Cookout essential.
Hearty Ribs & Beans
Hearty ribs and beans bakes country-style pork ribs over Great Northern and kidney beans in a tangy tomato-mustard sauce. A two-stage casserole that feeds six.
McCormick's Minestrone
Classic Italian minestrone loaded with great northern beans, spinach, cabbage, zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, and elbow macaroni in a herb-scented broth. The ultimate hearty vegetable soup.
Italian Pasta & Bean Soup
Italian pasta and bean soup (pasta e fagioli) simmers Great Northern beans with onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, and tomato paste, then finishes with al dente pasta. A rustic, hearty peasant-style bowl.
White Bean Soup with Sage
White bean soup with sage: creamy great northern beans simmered with onion, carrot, tomato and fragrant sage in chicken broth. A quick, low-fat soup that's on the table in about 30 minutes using canned beans.
Illiria Bean Soup
Rustic white bean soup with great northern beans, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and vegetable broth finished with extra-virgin olive oil. A hearty, naturally vegan bean soup.
Pasta O'Doole
Pasta O'Doole is a three-ingredient pantry dinner: elbow macaroni tossed with great northern beans and tomato sauce. Cheap, filling, vegan, and ready in minutes from cans and a box.
White Chili#1
Creamy white chicken chili with fresh jalapeños, ginger, corn, and great northern beans in a buttery roux-based sauce. Top with Monterey Jack and serve with cornbread.
Soup Au Pistou
Provencal soup au pistou loaded with kidney beans, white beans, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, and macaroni. A hearty, rustic French vegetable soup.
Northern White Beans
Northern white beans slow-simmered with pancetta, bratwurst, and chicken in chicken stock with thyme and bay leaves. A hearty one-pot bean stew with real depth.
Soundstage Great Northern Bean Soup
Great northern bean soup with smoked ham, minced celery, carrots, onions and tomato in a savory chicken broth. Thickened with cornstarch for body. A cold-weather Sunday supper classic.
Most Delicious White Chili
White chicken chili with great northern beans, poached chicken, green chiles, cumin, and a full pound of melted Monterey Jack. Served with sour cream and jalapenos for a hearty Southwest crowd-feeder.
Tuna & Bean Salad in Pita Pockets
A quick no-cook lunch: canned tuna, white beans, and peppery arugula tossed in a lemon-garlic dressing, stuffed into whole wheat pitas with red onion. Ready in 15 minutes.
Bean & Eggplant Stew
Rustic white bean and eggplant stew with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and Italian herbs. Slow-simmered, naturally vegan, and rich with Mediterranean flavor.
Savory Baked Beans
Savory baked beans with great northern beans, curry powder, lemon juice, and soy sauce. An oil-free, vegan-friendly baked bean casserole with Indian-inspired spicing and no added sugar.
White Bean Chili#1
Cozy white bean chicken chili spiced with ground red chile, basil, and a warm hint of cloves. Simmers for an hour and serves 6 with tortilla chips on the side.
Vegan Eggplant Parm Stew
This would probably be really good with cauliflower or zucchini instead of eggplant.
Black & White Bean Vegetable Chili
Black and white bean vegetable chili simmers black beans, great northern beans, corn, potato, and green chiles in a quick cumin broth. A 45-minute meatless chili finished with cilantro and lime.
Easy Low-Fat Chili
If you're looking for a healthy alternative to chili, this simple and easy to understand recipe is for you!
Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli
Olive Garden-style pasta fagioli with great northern beans, stewed tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, and spiral pasta. A one-pot Italian soup that simmers in a Dutch oven.
Jalapeño Chicken White Chili
Jalapeno chicken white chili goes creamy, built on a roux-and-cream base loaded with chicken, great northern beans, and corn. Fresh and pickled jalapenos bring double the heat. Top with Jack cheese.
