French Beans (Flageolet, Dried)
French Beans (Flageolet): Nutrition and Complete Guide
The term "French beans" in the context of dried pulses refers primarily to the flageolet bean — a small, pale green to white, kidney-shaped bean that is harvested before full maturity and dried, giving it a distinctive delicate flavour and green-tinged colour. Flageolet beans are considered one of the most refined dried pulses in French gastronomy, the classic accompaniment to roast leg of lamb in French cooking — their delicate, creamy character complementing the richness of the meat without competition. They are also used in cassoulet and other long-braised preparations in the Languedoc and Provence regions. In everyday British usage, "French beans" or "French-style beans" can also refer to haricot-type beans more generally. The fibre content recorded here — 25.2 g per 100 g dry — is among the highest of any pulse.
Nutritional Value and Cooking
Dried French beans (flageolet type) provide 343 kcal and 18.8 g of protein per 100 g, with 60.4 g of carbohydrates and 25.2 g of fibre. They provide excellent folate, thiamine, iron, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium. Cooked: approximately 115 kcal and 7.5 g protein per 100 g. Soak overnight, simmer forty to sixty minutes until just tender but still holding their shape. For the classic French preparation with lamb: simmer flageolets in aromatic stock, then dress with parsley and a little of the lamb's cooking juices. Their delicate flavour suits light preparations — do not overwhelm with strong spices.
The name is a trap. “French beans” in a British greengrocer means the fresh green pods eaten whole, and it is a vegetable. This entry is something else: the dried mature seed — the flageolet — harvested from the same species, Phaseolus vulgaris, and eaten as a pulse. At 343 kcal and 18.81 g of protein per 100 g dried, it is a completely different food from the 30-odd calories of a handful of green beans. Flageolets are picked young, before the seed fully matures, which is why they stay pale green rather than turning white or brown. They are the traditional French accompaniment to roast lamb, and they hold their shape and their skins better than most beans in long slow cooking — which is exactly what a cassoulet or a slow-braised gigot needs. The 25.2 g of fibre per 100 g dried on this page is among the highest figures anywhere in this encyclopedia. Remember it is a dry weight: beans roughly double or triple in weight on cooking. The important safety point applies to all Phaseolus vulgaris beans and is genuinely worth knowing. Raw and undercooked kidney-type beans contain phytohaemagglutinin, a lectin that causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea. The FSA advice is specific: soak dried beans for at least 12 hours, discard the soaking water, then boil hard for at least 10 minutes before reducing to a simmer. Slow cookers on a low setting may not reach a high enough temperature to destroy the lectin, and undercooked beans are actually more toxic than raw ones. Tinned beans are already cooked and are safe. Per 100 g dried, this page shows 343 kcal, 18.81 g protein, 64.11 g carbohydrate, 2.02 g fat and 25.2 g fibre. Beans of this type supply Vitamin B9 (Folate / Folic acid), Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Manganese and Zinc. Folate is the standout: pulses are among the best natural sources in the diet. The iron is non-haem and absorbs better alongside Vitamin C. Soaking and thorough cooking reduce phytate as well as the lectin, so the safety step and the nutrition step are the same step. Data note: this page does not currently display a micronutrient panel, because the source-database match has not been verified.French Beans (Flageolet, Dried) in more detail
Nutrients worth knowing about
Other beans