Have you ever wondered, what’s the difference between beans and legumes? Are legumes and beans the same thing? If you have, you’re not alone. Many people get confused on this subject.
In this article, we will do our best to clarify what a bean is, what a legume is, and how they are different. Let’s start by defining them.
Legumes
Legumes are the edible seeds of any member of the plant family Fabaceae. These include asparagus, tamarind, soybeans, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
Beans
Beans are the seeds from any of these varieties of plants. We commonly call the entire plant a bean, but that is technically incorrect.
Are Beans and Legumes the Same Thing?
No beans and legumes are not the same things. In simple terms, beans fall under the legume umbrella, but not all legumes are beans.
You can divide legumes into four categories:
- Beans
- Lentils
- Peas
- Peanuts
Think of legumes as fish. A bass (bean) is a fish, and a guppy (lentil) is a fish. Both are fish (legume), but you would not confuse a bass for a guppy. They are very different types of fish with unique features.
Which beans are legumes?
All edible beans are legumes. These include:
- Runner beans
- Green beans
- Soybeans
- Pinto beans
- Butter beans
What are examples of legumes?
The legume branch of the Fabaceae family includes approximately 18,000 different varieties.
Just a few examples are:
- Chickpeas
- Fava beans
- Lentils of all types
- Mung beans
- Peanuts
- Snap beans
- Snow peas
- Split peas
Are any beans not legumes?
Several plant seeds that we commonly refer to as beans are not edible and so not considered legumes. The best known of these include:
- Castor beans
- Coffee beans
- Cocoa beans
- Vanilla beans
We hope this has spread a little light on how beans and legumes are related. Regardless of how you classify them, legumes and edible beans are excellent protein sources offering many essential nutrients. The fact that they are very versatile and delicious is just icing on the cake.
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
