12 Excellent Lima Bean Substitutes (With Pictures)

If you can’t find lima beans at your local grocery store or don’t like the taste, you’ll need to find a replacement. In this post, I’ve compiled a list of the greatest lima bean substitutions that you’ll find really helpful.

Each alternative has a distinct taste profile, and they will all work in recipes that call for the principal ingredient.

If you need to replace dry lima beans in a dish, a common charred legume like as fava beans, soybeans, or chickpeas would suffice.

They’re smooth, filling, and easy to find in shops. Quinoa is a wonderful seed that may replace lima beans in salads or slow-cooked recipes for allergy sufferers.

What are Lima Beans?

After cooked, the lima bean, also known as the butter bean, is soft and nutty with a delicate composition. Its earthy, buttery flavor is ideal for soups, casseroles, stews, and any other vegetarian cuisine.

Lima beans’ taste and texture are not for everyone. Some people dislike lima beans because they have a gritty texture.

Some individuals are allergic to certain foods. They might be allergic to lima beans and looking for an alternative item that they would like.

Some people may want to reduce the starch. If you don’t like the starchy thickness of lima beans, fava beans or edamame may be a good substitute.

Let’s have a look at the greatest lima bean alternatives!

Best Lima Beans Substitutes

1. Fava Beans

Fava beans are straight, green legumes that may be eaten raw or cooked, but you must first remove their transparent skin. They are also known as horse or wide beans, and they make an excellent alternative for limas due to their similar shape and nutty taste.

It’s worth noting that fava has a punchier zest with a biting undertone and is also somewhat stodgy. Several people describe the taste as having a cheese flavor.

While they are delicious in salads and soups, they are typically served as a side dish. If you use them in any recipe, you may need to reduce the amount to avoid overpowering the other ingredients.

Fava beans are versatile in the kitchen; they are delicious when added to salads or cooked in a sauce and served as a side dish. Succotash with fava beans is a great raw springtime meal.

They’ll also take the place of lima beans in Gigantes plaki, a tasty Greek bean meal.

2. Red Kidney Beans

Even if the taste and color are not the same, red kidney beans are the best substitute for lima beans. Since the cooking procedure is equivalent, you will not need to make significant changes to your recipe.

Red kidney beans may be used in place of lima beans if your meal requires extra flavor. These reddish-brown beans have a nutty flavor and a firm texture, making them ideal for slow cooking.

They’re fantastic in Brunswick stew, chili beans, soups, and Creole dishes.

These beans will enhance the taste of your cuisine. Nonetheless, they are a good substitution for lima beans in chili, stews, and even salads.

3. Soybeans

Soybeans will be an excellent substitute for lima beans in your next supper. They are popular among vegans and vegetarians due to their adaptability and nutritional value.

Soybeans have a mild taste and a nutty scent, making them ideal for chowders, baked meals, braised foods, and hot pots.

If you’re boiling soybeans with their skins on, try grazing them off before serving. Their composition is challenging and unpleasant.

4. Chickpeas

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are similar to lima beans in that they lack a strong beany taste. For hundreds of years, they have been used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cookery.

One benefit of using chickpeas in cooking is that they hold their form quite well. Overcooking them will result in sour, unpleasant-tasting meals.

5. Edamame Beans

Edamame beans are the raw, uncooked form of the soybean. They are harvested early and are often fumed in their pods.

If you need to replace lima beans in a bean salad, edamame is a good backup option.

6. Cannellini Beans

Cannellini beans, often known as white kidney beans, are a common meaty and earthy foodstuff.

You may use them in any dish that calls for lima beans. They go nicely in salads, stews, and chili, and they’re widely used in minestrone in Italian cooking.

They are popular among individuals who follow a plant-based diet because they have a delicate flavor and soft flesh. They are a good source of protein and are high in fiber.

7. Pinto Beans

These beans are known as judas pintas in Spanish, which means speckled beans. Pinto beans are the most well-known beans in both Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States.

Pinto beans are an excellent replacement for lima beans since they are equal in taste and content. They are darker, but they may be simmered in the same manner.

You may also use the same spice as you would for lima beans. Pinto beans are a good substitute for lima beans in stews, stir-fries, salads, and baked meals.

8. Navy Beans

Navy beans are an excellent replacement for lima beans. These beans, sometimes known as Boston beans, are popular in baked meals.

Because of their low cholesterol, they are sufficient for your heart. They’re also high in fiber. Instead of lima beans, use navy beans.

Its creamy taste shines out, making them an important element to utilize in a soup recipe that calls for lima beans. Navy beans are also known as haricot, pearl haricot bean, pea bean, or white pea bean due to its petite size.

They have a smooth, distinct flavor and may be used in salads and soups instead of lima beans. Navy beans are high in fiber and low in cholesterol, making them an excellent addition to your dishes.

9. Marrow Beans

Marrow beans are intriguing and maybe amusing to explore with.

They’re little white beans with a silky texture, similar to a large northern bean. Their texture has been described as meaty.

Yet, unlike other beans, marrow beans are said to have a bacon-like taste. Marrow beans are often consumed on their own or in recipes.

Marrow beans are a common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine. These beans would also make an excellent addition to vegan or vegetarian recipes.

10. Borlotti Beans

Those are the best lima bean selections for Brunswick stew.

Many nicknames have been given to this bean. It is known as the cranberry bean, the Roman bean, the rosecoco bean, the saluggia bean, and a variety of other names. It has a magenta and brown tone with hints of crimson and black.

These beans are well-known in Mexico and Italy. They are similar to pinto and red kidney beans, but they also offer a potential substitute for lima beans. They’re fantastic in stews.

11. Great Northern Bean

Despite what the name suggests, they are just medium-sized beans, smaller than cannellini but larger than the closely related navy beans. They originated in South America and are popular in American cooking, although they may be difficult to get outside of the United States.

Great Northern beans develop to take on the flavor of whatever they’re boiled with and have a really attractive taste and pale skin. This makes them an excellent complement to stews and soups, where they provide a full composition.

You’ll find them in recipes like baked beans, ham and beans, and French cassoulets.

12. Quinoa

It’s an excellent gluten-free substitute for lima beans.

Quinoa, unlike the other lima bean replacements, is not a bean. It is commonly mistaken for a grain, however it is really a seed.

Quinoa is a popular rice alternative, but it may also be used in recipes that call for lima beans. This superseed is great for salads, but I wouldn’t recommend using it in soups.

Related Questions

What do lima beans taste like?

Lima beans have a royal flavor that is unlike that of other legumes, with a silky and buttery zest.

What can replace lima beans in succotash?

Fava beans are the finest lima bean alternative in succotash! Fava beans have the same flavor and composition as lima beans, and they cook in the same way.

Are lima beans and pinto beans the same?

No, lima beans are not the same as pinto beans! The pinto bean is a kind of common bean. It is the most well-known bean in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States, and it is usually eaten whole or mashed and then refried.

The lima bean, on the other hand, is a kind of legume known for its soft taste, smooth texture, and striking color, which ranges from beige to green.

Can you substitute cannellini beans for lima beans?

Cannellini beans may be used in place of lima beans in salads, stews, and chili; they are widely used in minestrone in Italian cookery.

Is there a difference between butter beans and lima beans?

The size difference between butter beans and lima beans is significant. Lima beans are predominantly green and are related to the smaller, premature bean. Butter beans are the more mature, white, flat beans that are often seen in shops.

Are Lima And Kidney Beans The Same?

No, kidney beans are not the same as lima beans! Kidney beans are often dark red to reddish-brown in color. They are shaped like little kidneys, which is how the word originated.

Lima beans are often white or green in hue. Nonetheless, it is common to come across lima beans that are white, purple, red, orange, brown, or black.

They are often twisted, flat, and oblong in shape.

Conclusion

To get the greatest results from any bean modification, attempt to adopt a comparable format.

Any of the thirteen lima bean alternatives mentioned above may be used in lieu of lima beans, and some techniques may even taste better. Some options may be healthier, or you may just have more beans on hand than the recipe calls for.