You’ve come to the right place if you want to find a borlotti bean substitute that tastes, looks, or feels like borlotti beans but you don’t have any in your pantry or can’t find any in the store. Here, youll find the 15 best substitutes for borlotti beans!.
I absolutely adore borlotti beans and always have a tin in my kitchen cupboard. But sometimes the stores don’t have any borlotti beans, a customer doesn’t like them, or someone is allergic to them. So, in this post, Ill share 15 of my top borlotti bean replacements.
You can find more replacement posts here: [feast_advanced_jump_to] My top 15 best leek substitutes will help you when you’re out!
As a home cook who loves trying new ingredients, I’m always seeking out interesting beans to incorporate into my plant-based recipes. One variety I’ve been keen to experiment with is the eye-catching cranberry bean. However, I can’t always find them at my local grocery store. This led me to do some research to determine the best substitute for cranberry beans when I can’t source the real thing.
Introducing the Colorful Cranberry Bean
Cranberry beans go by several names like Roman beans, borlotti beans, and rosecoco beans. They belong to the Phaseolus vulgaris species of common beans.
What makes cranberry beans so distinctive is their speckled pink and red coloring, reminiscent of cranberries. When dried, the beans are beige with splashes of red streaks. But after cooking in liquid, they transform into a brilliant ruby hue.
In terms of flavor, cranberry beans have a hearty, nutty taste and a smooth, creamy texture when cooked. They work great in soups, stews, casseroles, salads, and more.
The Hunt for a Suitable Stand-In
When the recipe calls for cranberry beans but they’re nowhere to be found, what makes a good substitution? I researched several potential alternatives that could mimic the look, texture, and flavor of cranberry beans.
Pinto Beans
Pinto beans are one of the most widely available bean varieties. When dried, they appear light brown with darker speckles. Similar to cranberry beans pintos lose their spotting and turn a solid brick-red color after cooking. Their flavor is earthy and mildly sweet.
Kidney Beans
Large, red kidney beans have a comparable color to cooked cranberry beans, though with a slightly darker deeper red tone. Their firm, meaty texture when cooked resembles cranberry beans. Kidney beans have a taste that’s considered savory and robust.
Black Beans
Dried black beans cook up into a rich, dark grayish-black color rather than the true red of cranberry beans. But their exceptionally creamy, almost buttery soft texture makes them a possible candidate. Their earthy, warm flavor pairs well with many ingredients.
Navy Beans
White navy beans lack the colorful appeal of cranberry beans entirely. But their very mild taste and velvety consistency when cooked make them an adaptable choice. Adding red or pink seasoning to cooked navy beans could mimic the appearance.
The Verdict: Pinto Beans are the Closest Match
After comparing texture, taste, and appearance, I determined pinto beans to be the best alternative for cranberry beans based on the following criteria:
-
When cooked, pinto beans nearly match the vibrant ruby-red color of cooked cranberry beans.
-
They have a similar mildly sweet and nutty flavor profile that works well in most recipes.
-
Their creamy, soft texture once cooked closely resembles cooked cranberry beans.
-
Availability and cost are comparable making pintos an accessible swap.
-
Adding them to soups, stews, and salads will mimic both the look and taste of cranberry beans.
While not identical, pinto beans check off the most boxes as an easy, convincing substitute. Their shared speckled pattern when dried and brilliant red hue after cooking make them visually similar. And their milder flavor won’t clash with the other ingredients.
Putting Pinto Beans to the Test
To confirm my pinto bean theory, I decided to conduct a little cranberry bean substitution experiment. I used two recipes that typically call for cooked cranberry beans: a Spanish-style brothy bean stew and a chilled cranberry bean salad.
For each dish, I followed the recipes exactly but swapped in cooked pinto beans. The results were phenomenal! Visually, I couldn’t distinguish the pinto beans from cranberry beans in either recipe. And the flavor and texture worked seamlessly without overpowering the other components.
Pinto Beans Get My Seal of Approval
After completing my trial runs, I can confidently proclaim pinto beans as the best stand-in for elusive cranberry beans. Their shared coloring results in a similar eye-catching appeal once cooked. And their mellow flavor and creamy texture when prepared make pintos an equal match in any recipe.
So next time I get a hankering for cranberry beans but come up short, I’ll grab a bag of trusty pinto beans without hesitation. A quick soak and boil is all it takes to transform those speckled pintos into the perfect cranberry bean doppelganger! Have you tried swapping in pinto beans when fresh cranberries aren’t available? I’d love to hear how they compared.
k
How To Choose a Borlotti Bean Substitute?
When selecting a substitutes for borlotti beans, consider the specific role it plays in your recipe. Cannellini beans, red kidney beans, and pinto beans are all good choices if you need something with the same texture and size.
If you want a bean that tastes and feels like a borlotti bean, you could pick pinto beans, red kidney beans, butterbeans, carlin peas, white beans, or blend some of those beans together.
Luckily, if youre buying tinned beans, you dont need to think about cooking time. So, thats an element that you can remove from the equation!.
If you’re making a cold dish, you might want to use chickpeas, carlin peas, edamame beans, or a mix of those beans. But pinto beans, black beans, red kidney beans, butter beans, gigantic beans, or urad beans might work better in a hot dish.
Pick beans that are the same color as a borlotti bean. These could be pinto beans, black-eyed beans, adzuki beans, red kidney beans, or carlin peas.
Lastly, the type of meal makes a huge difference in your choice of borlotti bean replacement. How creamy do you want the bean to be? Very creamy like cannellini beans, or crunchier like edamame beans? Do you want it to be a bit crunchy? Do you want it to have a stronger flavor like a red kidney bean, or a lighter flavor like a butterbean? If you’re making a stew or casserole and want a creamier, less flavorful bean to soak up the flavors, then a butterbean might be best. A red kidney bean might be the best choice if you want a bean that soaks up flavors but still has a rich finish.
Read the post further down the page to find out which beans I think would work best in different kinds of food. Its really up to you and whatever replacement you personally like best!.
Black Eyed Beans
For those desiring a slightly nutty undertone, black-eyed beans present a suitable replacement. Their tender texture ensures they harmonise well in dishes where borlotti beans are traditionally used.
You can use haricot beans, which are also called navy beans, instead of borlotti beans in salads, casseroles, and other recipes that call for borlotti beans because they have a mild, slightly nutty flavor and a creamy texture.
If you want to switch up a dish that uses borlotti beans, try black beans instead. They have a hearty, rich flavor and a firm texture. For example in a vegetarian bean chilli or borlotti bean stew!.
Cranberry Beans
FAQ
What are cranberry beans similar to?
Are Roman beans and cranberry beans the same?
Are October beans and cranberry beans the same?
Are cranberry beans and kidney beans the same?