List of Legumes

If you're looking to expand your vegetarian cuisine, start with a list of legumes. This versatile and nutritious food can provide your diet with much-needed protein, fiber, folate, and potassium. A step into the world of legumes uncovers thousands of possibilities to help further your vegetarian pursuits.

Colorful, fun, and nutritious: Legumes.

The term "legume" refers to a plant from the Fabaceae (or Leguminosae) family, the third largest flowering family in the world. Trailing only orchids and sunflowers in number, there are nearly 20,000 species of legumes.

The fruit of such plants is also commonly called a legume and by definition is a dehiscent pod that splits along its seam when ripe; inside, it contains seeds attached to one side of the wall. Common legumes are beans, lentils, peas, soybeans, and peanuts.

With a vegetarian diet, certain nutrients may be consequently deficient, such as calcium, vitamin B-12, iron, zinc, and protein. For the latter, legumes can help greatly, substituting for meat intake. In general, mature legume pods contain 20 percent protein and unlike animal-derived protein, the protein found in legumes contains no cholesterol and is low in fat. Compared to grains, legumes contain about twice as much protein.

Legumes are:

• High in protein
• High in iron
• High in folate
• High in potassium
• High in magnesium
• Low in fat/calories
• A source of B vitamins

If you desire to vary your vegetarian choices, then the legume will quickly prove a wonderful ingredient. From meatless patties to soups, salads, noodles, and chips, legumes can easily be incorporated into your diet in fun and delicious ways.

Innovative cooking has taken full advantage of legumes. For instance, from soybeans alone you have tofu, soy milk, soy sauce, even ice cream. Legumes can be enjoyed raw (snap peas), sprouted (alfalfa) or cooked. When shopping, you will likely come across the following varieties most often:

• Adzuki beans: Small, dark-red beans used in Asian cooking, such as in bean paste.
• Anasazi beans: A blend of red and white, the anaszai bean is popular for southwestern recipes.
• Black-eyed peas: Small and white, these peas are defined by their black spot and are often eaten with rice or as a side dish.
• Garbanzo beans: Also known as the chickpea, the bean is light tan and square. It's often used in soups and salads and is the main ingredient of hummus and falafel.
• Green beans: Also called snap beans and string beans, the green bean is a main ingredient for stews, casseroles, and stir-fry dishes.
• Kidney beans: Named for its color and shape, the kidney bean is also known as the "Mexican red bean." It's often used in salads, soups, chili, and dips.
• Lentils: Found in a variety of colors and sizes, lentils are small, flat, and shaped like a lens. They are commonly used to make hearty soups and meatless patties.
• Licorice: Used to flavor or sweeten products, such as candies, beverages, and medicine.
• Mung beans: Small, green, and round, the mung bean is the most common sprouted bean. It can also be made into noodles.
• Navy beans: Originated from Italy, the navy bean is small, white, and oval in appearance. It's used for baked beans, soups, and stews.
• Pinto beans: The most common bean in the United States, the pinto bean gets its name from its "painted" appearance. It's a main ingredient in Mexican dishes, as well as chili, dips, and soups.
• Soybeans: An important source of vegetable oil and protein, the soybean has been used in countless ways, and no list of legumes would be complete without it. In fact in most grocery stores, an entire section is now devoted to soy-based products, from tofu to smoothies to spreads.

How do you prepare legumes? As said, there are a number of ways and browsing through recipes is a good introduction to their possibilities. As you'll find, the versatility of legumes is a true inspiration. Start with over 60 recipes, including lentil soup, mashed beans, and chowder.

Also try:

1. MayoClinic: Find appetizers, breads, soups, and main dishes, such as chili, sesame-crusted tofu, and veggie wraps. (Also, check out its slideshow on common legumes.)
2. VegWeb.com: Over 200 recipes categorized by legume type.
3. AllRecipes: Inspired ideas by cooks like you, including veggie burgers and spicy bean salsa.
4. Wellsphere: Ideas for side dishes and main courses featuring beans, peas, and lentils.

Peanuts are food that is often thought of as a "nut," but are actually legumes. Though its casing is not dehiscent, its structure of a split pod and seeds most resembles that of the Leguminosae family. Its name alone (pea-nut) indicates the confusion that arises when trying to classify it, but in the end, its flowering plant wins out. As the Peanut Institute explains it: "While their physical structure and nutritional benefits more closely resemble that of other legumes, their use in diets and cuisines more closely resembles that of nuts."

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