Kidney beans are a type of legume that commonly comes in two varieties: light red and dark red. Both kinds tend to be firmer than most other kinds of beans, but the light-colored ones are a little softer in texture than their darker cousins.

People who generally dislike most beans because of their soft texture will often still eat kidney beans due to their firmer texture. Because they are colorful and easy to pick up, they also make a healthy finger food for toddlers.

Kidney beans make a great addition to hot and cold salads, side dishes, soups, and even pastas. Here are some different ways you can add kidney beans to your diet:

Toss with green beans and wax beans to create a classic three-bean salad.

Combine with chili powder, seasonings, and other beans to make a vegetarian chili.

Try the classic Italian soup pasta e fagioli that includes kidney beans.

Mix kidney beans with rice and seasonings for a side dish with a Caribbean flair.

Add to a pasta salad for a protein boost.

Image for illustrative purposes only.

Disclaimer: Even though every effort is made to ensure the image depicts the product accurately in color, size, and appearance, lighting and photography performance among other factors cannot guarantee you will receive the product as pictured.

Due to the sensitive nature of our products, it is possible that content some may be damaged or broken during transportation. In addition, we cannot guarantee that each pack contains 100% whole/unbroken products, but we make every effort to ensure our packaging is as secure and strong as possible. The nuts or other products may also be damaged or broken during transit from our manufacturers, so it is sometimes impossible to guarantee 100% whole contents without some broken pieces.