Other Legumes

Lima beans, also called butter beans, are flat, broad beans ranging from creamy white to pale pastel green in color, in a range of sizes from large to small. They have a starchy texture and a distinctive flavor unlike that of any of the kidney beans. Like peas, they are often harvested when they are immature and moist and eaten as a fresh vegetable.

Chickpeas, also called garbanzos or, in Italian, ceci (chay chee), are round, hard, yellow-brown beans about twice the size of peas and best known as the main ingredient in hummus. They stay firm and whole when cooked and have a nutty flavor. Dried chickpeas are also ground into flour.