By Justine Sterling |
So, you want the best canned white beans. Well, which ones, exactly? The best canned navy beans? The best great northern beans? The best cannellini beans? Not so simple, is it? Lucky for you, we tasted 14 different canned white beans to find the best white beans for chili, the best white beans for soup, and more.
I love white beans—creamy cannellini, tiny navy beans, mysteriously named great northern beans. Give me all of ‘em. I’ll simmer them in a pot with some rosemary and parmesan and eat like a dang king for barely any money. I’ll also rinse them and throw them in a salad or cook them into a quick chili. I’ll mush ‘em up to make a dip! I think they are the best, most versatile beans out there.
We’ve tried a lot of canned beans. We’ve tried kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, baked beans—even canned bean dip. And, overall, I can tell you that it’s harder to go wrong with canned white beans than it is with, say, pinto beans (there are some bad pinto beans out there). But even so, some canned white beans are much better than others. Read on for the best white beans for chili, the best white beans for soup, the best canned navy beans, and more.
- S&W Low Sodium White Beans
These low sodium canned white beans (technically navy beans) contain just 140 mg of sodium per serving, but they’re still flavorful, which makes them the best white beans for soup. They won’t overload your soup with salt, so you can season it to your liking. Plus, they’re small and creamy, without being gloopy. Perfect for blending into a creamy soup or keeping whole. Was this an entertaining blurb about S&W’s low sodium canned navy beans? Nope. But I don’t joke around when it comes to the best white beans for soup. That’s serious business.
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Eden Organic Butter Beans
These canned butter beans are made without any added salt and they don’t need it. They pack a ton of bean-y flavor. They taste like fresh butter beans. They’re flat like the ideal skipping stone, but creamy and vegetal. Drained and rinsed, they would be great in a bean salad, perhaps tossed with our pick for the best canned kidney beans, a few chunks of feta, and some Italian dressing.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- SunVista Peruvian / Mayocoba Beans
I’d never had Peruvian beans before (also known as mayocoba beans, canary beans, and peruano beans), but I love them now. They are big and fat—almost like boiled peanuts. And they kind of taste like boiled peanuts, too. They are creamy but firm and perfectly seasoned. These are extremely hearty canned white beans that would be the best white beans for chili, hands down. They’ll hold up to some simmering and fill you up, even if you keep your white bean chili totally meat-free.
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Sprouts Organic Great Northern Beans
Great northern beans are a lot like cannellini beans—they’re about the same size and fairly similar in texture and flavor. The main difference is that cannellini beans are tougher and more hearty than great northern beans, which have a more delicate texture and subtle flavor. Sprouts’ makes the best great northern beans we tasted due to the sweet bean flavor and perfect amout salt. Plus, you get a lot of these in a can. Use them as the base for a white bean dip or spread, or just gently cook them as a side dish.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- S&W White Beans
S&W’s canned white beans are navy beans. And navy beans are the tiniest of the canned white beans. But these ones still have more flavor than most of the other canned white beans on this list. (Of course, you’ll see that flavor reflected in the sodium level, coming in at 460 mg of sodium per serving, oof.) Warm these up and eat them as is, no extra seasoning needed. They’re petite, buttery, and delightful as long as you’re not watching your sodium intake.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- O Organics Cannellini Beans
The best white bean is the cannellini bean—it’s just so incredibly versatile thanks to its sturdy skin, cream texture, and neutral but slightly sweet flavor. And O Organics (an Albertsons brand) makes the best canned cannellini beans. They are meaty. They taste perfectly bean-y. They finish clean—no muddy, tinny aftertaste. Stock up on these canned white beans for all your canned white bean needs.
Credit: Liv Averett / Albertsons
Best White Beans for Soup
Rating:
7/10
Sporks
Best White Beans for Salad
Rating:
7.5/10
Sporks
Best White Beans for Chili
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Best Great Northern Beans
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Canned Navy Beans
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Best of the Best
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
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About the Author
Justine Sterling
Justine Sterling is the editor-in-chief of Sporked. She has been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and is an avid at-home cook and snacker. Don’t worry, she’s not a food snob. Sure, she loves a fresh-shucked oyster. But she also will leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and loves a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
