Haricot beans, also commonly known as navy beans, are very popular in many dishes particularly French, Spanish, Portuguese and South American dishes. These beans have a smooth buttery texture and are very mild in flavour. They absorb the flavours and aromas of the other ingredients they are being cooked with. Because of this, they are very popular in bean salads, vegetable soups as well as many slow cooked dishes like casseroles. Haricot beans are a great source of protein, folate, iron, thiamine and magnesium, making them an excellent addition to any diet, particularly vegetarian and vegan diets.