Along with Jacob's Cattle and Yellow Eye, Soldier beans are one of the traditional baking beans of New England. They are white plump kidney shaped beans with maroon eyes. Soldier's mild flavor is a good canvas for strongly flavored dishes. They work well for baked beans, as well as chili. Also a good stand-in for many white beans. The variety was named for its eye which resembles a soldier standing at attention and has been grown in New England since the 1800s.