Are Raw Soybeans and Broad Beans Edible?

Soybeans cannot be eaten raw. They contain lectins, plant toxins that cause red blood cells to clump together and can lead to headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach and intestinal problems. In extreme cases, consumption can even be fatal. For children in particular, a few raw soybeans are enough. Therefore, soybeans must always be boiled or fried before consumption, since heat inactivates lectins, i.e. renders them harmless. Dried soybeans should be soaked before cooking to loosen the lectins.

The Asian snack beans edamame (green unripe soybeans) must also be boiled in salt water for 5 minutes before consumption.

Soybeans are traded in large quantities worldwide and processed into animal feed and food. Depending on the variety, they contain a high proportion of high-quality protein and fat. In food production, they are processed into oil or into meat or milk substitutes.

The broad bean is also called horse bean, wild bean or field bean and is a very old cultivated plant. It is not related to green beans, actually belongs to the vetch family and, like soybeans, to the legume family. They should also be boiled before consumption because of the lectin content; blanching is sufficient for young, immature seeds. The bean kernels are in a shell and first have to be peeled out. The taste of the kernels is reminiscent of fresh peas. The edible seeds contain about 90 kcal and 7 grams of protein per 100 grams. In addition, noteworthy levels of calcium and iron, as well as B vitamins, provitamin A and vitamin C.