Asparagus bean

Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalisAlso called Yard-long bean, yardlong bean, long-podded cowpea and Chinese long bean

Asparagus bean is a kind of cowpea that cooks treat as a vegetable. Its pods and seeds are eaten, and its texture is crisp and tender. It can be eaten raw or used in stews and stir-fries with soy sauce, garlic, or chili pepper.

Plant-based
Gluten-free
No listed allergens

About the plain ingredient, not packaged products; general information, not medical advice. Details

Category: Vegetables
Variety of: Cowpea
Part used: Pod, seed
Family: Fabaceae
Texture: Crisp, tender
Cooked most in: Asia
Top country: Indonesia
Dishes: 21 in the catalogue

Photo: Vis M · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In the kitchen

How to use asparagus bean

Typical ways to cook or use it

Raw
Stew
Stir fry

Preparing it

Cut the pods into short pieces before cooking if desired.

Goes well with

Flavour

Taste and texture

Texture

Crisp
Tender

Shopping

Choosing and storing asparagus bean

Choosing a good one

Choose young, slender pods.

Nutrition

What 100 g of asparagus bean holds

Per 100 g, raw. Averages from USDA; real values vary by variety, season and growing conditions.

Protein 24%Fat 3%Carbohydrate 72%of the macronutrients by weight

Nutrition per 100 g of asparagus bean, raw
Energy	47 kcal · 197 kJ
Protein	2.8 g
Fat	0.4 g
of which saturated	0.11 g
Carbohydrate	8.4 g
Sodium	4 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg

Nutrition per 100 g of asparagus bean, raw: minerals and vitamins
Potassium	240 mg
Calcium	50 mg
Iron	0.47 mg
Magnesium	44 mg
Zinc	0.37 mg
Vitamin C	19 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)	43 µg
Folate	62 µg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (food 169222), public domain. Minerals and vitamins are listed only where USDA measured a non-zero amount.

Around the world

Where asparagus bean is cooked

21 dishes in the catalogue use asparagus bean. Here is where they come from.

Dishes by continent

Asia21

Countries whose dishes use it most

Indonesia 21

Counts are catalogued dishes from each country that list asparagus bean among their ingredients.

On the table

Dishes made with asparagus bean

18 of the 21 catalogued dishes that use it, spread across the countries they come from.

Kuwah Pliëk U
Indonesia
Arsik
Indonesia
Ketupat gulai kapau
Indonesia
Spicy porridge
Indonesia
Karedok
Indonesia
Sayur asem
Indonesia
Urap
Indonesia
Beberuk terong
Indonesia
Ketupat betumis
Indonesia
Kohu-kohu
Indonesia
Lawar
Indonesia
Jruek Drien
Indonesia
Gulai Kapau
Indonesia
Tetal
Indonesia
Anyang
Indonesia
Pecel
Indonesia
Pedis panas
Indonesia
Kapurung
Indonesia

Dish lists come from Wikidata; a dish counts when its recorded ingredients include asparagus bean.

Good to know

Diet and allergens: asparagus bean in detail

These notes describe the plain ingredient. Packaged and prepared products vary, so read the label; for allergies and medical diets ask a doctor or dietitian.

Allergens: None of the 15 listed allergens foundChecked and not found: soy, eggs, fish, milk, lupin, wheat, celery, sesame, mustard, peanuts, molluscs, sulphites, tree nuts, crustaceans, gluten cereals.
Animal origin: No animal ingredients foundChecked and not found: egg, fish, meat, dairy, honey, insect, gelatin, poultry, bone char, shellfish, other animal, animal fining, animal rennet.
Gluten: None
Alcohol: None
Caffeine: None
Pork: None

Family

Related forms

A kind of: cowpea
A variety of: cowpea