Flageolet beans aren’t exactly an ingredient which most of the people reading this will be entirely familiar with. They’re a type of bean that can range from complete white to a light green colour and they’re usually very delicate in terms of flavour.
These beans seemingly originated from France a couple of centuries ago and ever since then they have been associated with the country. While most users won’t be familiar with it, a majority of French ones will be because of how popular these beans are in French cuisine specifically.
While they were very difficult to find all around the world thanks to their apparent exclusivity to France, they have started becoming more and more common in other areas as well. Still they aren’t something that can be found in just about any store which is why it can sometimes be difficult for users to follow along with the recipes which call for their inclusion.
If you’re trying to follow said recipes but can’t find flageolet beans anywhere, there are some good substitutes which are worth trying out. These are all listed below with further details.
Some Great Flageolet Bean Substitutes
- Haricot Beans
One of the most obvious alternatives for flageolet beans are haricot beans. The reason why this is such an obvious alternative is one that some might not know about. Flageolet beans aren’t entirely ready when they’re plucked away and added to food.
They’re actually immature beans which are haricot beans before they’re fully ripe. They’re harvested and dried away haricot beans which haven’t been prepared yet, which is why haricot beans themselves can act as a good option for an alternative.
There are some very noticeable differences between both the ingredients, but there are certainly many noticeable similarities between them too. They have a somewhat similar texture, while the taste is also similar in some regards.
However, it must be mentioned that the taste in the haricot beans is a little stronger, so keep that in mind before using it as an alternative. Haricot beans are also found much more commonly, so getting them shouldn’t be as much of a hassle as with flageolet beans.
- Cannellini Beans
Cannellini beans are usually quite similar to flageolet beans in terms of appearance, being small white kidney beans themselves. That’s not the only aspect in which their likenesses lie either as there’s lot more to it than just that.
They have a delicate enough taste and they share a texture which is quite similar as well. They’re a decent alternative which most use for a number of different recipes that include flageolet beans as a key ingredient.
More specifically, they’re especially good substitutes for the ingredient in recipes revolving around stews, soups, and especially salads. These beans are available all year round and will likely be in stores near you.
Even if they aren’t, ordering a pack of them online shouldn’t be any problem in most cases depending on where you live. Choose dried cannellini beans over other types of this bean for the most similar option to flageolet beans.
- Great Northern Beans
Great Northern beans are similar to the previously discussed option and of course flageolet beans themselves in the sense that they have are white kidney beans, albeit a bit larger than both.
They are good substitutes for flageolet beans for many reasons with one of the main ones of them all being their delicate taste which is inarguably quite alike. In fact, they’re directly related to haricot beans in a sense and offer many likenesses as a result which make them good alternatives worth trying out.
They can be used as substitutes in most recipes meaning that there is no need to worry about any particular restrictions to worry about. Great Northern beans are very easy to find online and in local stores depending on where you live, so that’s yet another thing which makes them a good option to try.
Just like the couple of other options which were discussed above, this is a good choice for alternatives that we recommend trying out if you’re unable to get some flageolet beans.