Cooking dried legumes can be intimidating. For some reason, everybody seems to be thrown off by the whole idea of soaking and cooking legumes in the near future as opposed to making a dish instantaneously. But let me tell you – it doesn’t require more than a pot of water, some heat, and time. My hope is that by the end of this article, you’ll see that dried legumes are really not that difficult to prepare.
I personally default to dried legumes 99% of the time. I make a large batch and freeze the extras until I need them for a recipe. Fortunately everyone in my family loves beans so they’re a part of almost every main meal I make.
However, legumes (and the way people prepare them) can be kind of polarizing. There are soakers and there are non-soakers. There are soakers who toss the soaking water because of all the anti-nutrients, and there are soakers who keep it for all the nutrients and flavor. There are people who swear by the speed of their pressure cooker, and there are those who prefer a gentle bubbling of a slow cooker or the convenience of an oven. And then there are those who believe that canned beans are just fine.
What Are Legumes
The legume family includes dried beans, peas, and lentils. In the diet, the term “legumes” usually refers to pulses, which are the edible seeds of leguminous plants. Depending on the specie, legumes vary in shape, texture, color, and taste.
I could spend all day talking about why I love dried beans, but one of the main reasons is nutrition – dried beans contain up to 100 times less sodium than canned beans, and are higher in vitamins and minerals. Dried beans are also cheaper, taste better, and come in a ton of varieties. Oh, and you also get the bonus of a potful of delicious bean broth, which you can use to add flavor to soups and stews. So if you have the time, it’s really worth the effort to make your own beans at home.
How to Prepare Dried Legumes
Check for a Date
Freshness is really important when it comes to dried legumes. According to the Dry Bean Council, “beans that have been stored for over 12 months or in unfavorable conditions may never soften”. (1) Old beans will also have declining nutrient levels. (2) The best age for “fresh” dried beans is from harvest to four months old.
If you have some old legumes on hand, they will never become as soft as regular legumes. As a food scientist Harold McGee states, dried legumes “become resistant to softening when they’re stored for a long time – months – at warm temperatures and high humidities. This resistance results from a number of changes in bean cell walls and interiors, including the formation of woody lignin, the conversion of phenolic compounds into tannins that cross-link proteins to form a water-resistant coating around the starch granules. There’s no way to reverse these changes and make hard-to-cook beans as soft as regular beans.” (3)
Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to assess the age of dried legumes. Look for whole, firm, bright legumes with a slight sheen. Older legumes will look dull, appear darker in color, and have more cracked skins.
Soak (or not)
There’s so much conflicting information about soaking dried beans. Some say start a day ahead, some say soak overnight or for a couple of hours. Yet others maintain that you don’t have to soak at all. Really, it’s more of a personal preference since there are both pros and cons to soaking. Things you’ll need to consider are:
- Cooking time – the consensus is that soaking reduces cooking time, depending on the type of legume you use. Some smaller legumes, such as lentils and split peas, don’t need to be soaked at all. Other legumes, however, should be soaked following one of the two basic soaking methods:
- Overnight soaking – put the legumes in a pot, cover them with water by two inches and let them soak for eight hours or overnight.
- Quick soaking – put the legumes in a pot on the stove, cover with water, and boil them for two minutes. Turn off the heat and let the legumes soak for at least an hour.
- Flatulence – legumes are rich in fiber and complex sugars, which humans can’t digest. Bacteria in the intestines digest these complex sugars while releasing carbon dioxide. The good news is that soaking reduces flatulence-related substances. (4) So if you have intestinal issues from legumes, soaking will definitely help.
- Nutrients – when you soak, some vitamins and minerals leach into the soaking water. The amount of nutrients lost during soaking is pretty negligible though. Interestingly, soaking actually increases the nutritional content of protein, fiber, and a few nutrients, such as thiamin and calcium. A study published in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition found these differences in nutrients of legumes (5):
Nutrient |
Cooked |
Soaked-Cooked |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20.80% | 20.18% |
| Fat | 1.50% | 1.17% |
| Ash | 2.70% | 2.45% |
| Carbohydrates | 66.13% | 66.49% |
| Crude Fiber | 3.91% | 4.13% |
| Soluble Fiber | 5.11% | 6.41% |
| Potassium | 1035% | 831.25% |
| Calcium | 107.50% | 110.83% |
| Magnesium | 165.00% | 145.00% |
| Iron | 6.60% | 5.80% |
| Copper | 1.00% | 1.01% |
| Zinc | 2.93% | 2.76% |
| Manganese | 1.60% | 1.60% |
| Thiamin | 0.15% | 0.64% |
| Riboflavin | 0.38% | 0.34% |
| Niacin | 1.06% | 0.81% |
- Anti-Nutrients – all legumes contain anti-nutrients (phytates and tannins), which reduce nutrient availability. Soaking – preferably in 113°F water – deactivates these anti-nutrients and significantly improves the amount of magnesium, zinc, and iron you absorb. (6) So keep in mind that while you might ingest more nutrients from unsoaked legumes, you might not necessarily absorb them.
- Flavor, Texture. Color – hands down, unsoaked beans are the most flavorful (with a rich, bean-y taste), cook more evenly (don’t fall apart during cooking), and come out deep-colored (as opposed to soaked legumes that come out rather pale). Clearly, for the best tasting and looking beans, do not soak.
Drain (or not)
Another “big” question is whether to discard the soaking water or not. Obviously, this won’t matter if you decide not to soak your legumes. However, if you do, you’ll be faced with conflicting opinions once again.
Personally, I prefer draining the soaking liquid and cooking legumes in fresh water. The question to ask yourself is why you’re soaking legumes in the first place. Since soaking water contains elements that you were trying to eliminate, it only makes sense that you also drain the soaking water. Essentially, all the points for soaking apply to discarding soaking water as well. Yes, you’ll lose some desirable nutrients. Yes, you’ll lose some dark pigment. But you’ll also decrease flatulence and the potency of anti-nutrients found in legumes.
To get the most flavor, consider cooking legumes in stock or broth instead of water.
To Salt (or not)
Yet another controversial issue – does adding salt to legumes affect cooking time? Some chefs advise not adding salt until the very end of cooking because salt keeps legumes from softening. Other chefs advise to add salt in the beginning of cooking for the best flavor. To add to the confusion, some suggest salting the soaking water, but not adding salt to the cooking water until close to the end of cooking.
As far as salting goes, I identify strongly with LA Times that note:
“Conventional wisdom dictates that dried beans should only be salted toward the end of cooking, because the salt draws moisture from the bean, producing an unpleasantly dry texture. But exhaustive tests done by Times columnist Russ Parsons showed that beans cooked with a teaspoon of salt per pound compared to beans cooked without salt cooked to exactly the same degree of softness in almost exactly the same time. Moreover, the beans salted during cooking required half as much salt.” (7)
Cook
You have soaked your legumes (or not), you have drained the soaking water and rinsed the legumes (or not), you have covered them with fresh water and salted them (or not) and now they are ready for some heat.
Some of the methods for cooking legumes include:
-
- Stove-top – put legumes in a pot and cover them with at least 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and remove any foam that forms. Reduce heat to a bare simmer and cook until tender (the cooking time will vary depending on the legume). Never let your legumes reach a strong boil; this could lead to unevenly cooked legumes with burst skins.
- Slow cooker – put legumes in a slow cooker and cover them with at least 2 inches of water. Add any herbs and spices you like into the pot. Set the slow cooker to the low setting and cook until the legumes are tender (the cooking time will vary depending on the legume). Note: if you’re cooking kidney beans, you need to boil them on the stove for 15 minutes first before adding them to the slow cooker. Kidney beans contain toxins on the outer skin when raw or undercooked.
- Pressure cooker – put legumes in a pressure cooker and cover them with at least 2 inches of water. Add any herbs and spices you like and a tablespoon of neutral oil to help keep the foam from clogging the vent. Cook at high pressure anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes for small legumes to up to 35 to 40 minutes for larger beans.
- Oven – put legumes in an oven-safe pot and cover them with at least 2 inches of water. Bring the pot to a boil on the stove. Place the pot in a 325°F oven, cover, and bake until tender.
Cooking Chart
Legumes (1 cup) |
Soaking Time |
Cooking Time |
Yields |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adzuki Beans | 8-12 hours | 45-55 minutes | 3 cups |
| Anasazi Beans | 8-12 hours | 45-55 minutes | 2 1/4 cups |
| Black (Beluga) Lentils | — | 20-25 minutes | 2 cups |
| Black Eyed Peas | 8-12 hours | 1 hour | 2 cups |
| Black Turtle Beans | 8-12 hours | 60-90 minutes | 2 1/4 cups |
| Brown Lentils | — | 20-25 minutes | 2 1/4 cups |
| Cannellini Beans | 8-12 hours | 45 minutes | 2 1/2 cups |
| Cranberry (Roman) Beans | 8-12 hours | 40-45 minutes | 3 cups |
| Fava Beans | 8-12 hours | 40-45 minutes | 1 2/3 cups |
| French (Puy) Lentils | — | 25-30 minutes | 2 cups |
| Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) | 19-12 hours | 1-3 hours | 2 cups |
| Great Northern Beans | 8-12 hours | 1 1/2 hours | 2 2/3 cups |
| Green Lentils | — | 20-25 minutes | 2 cups |
| Green Split Peas | — | 45 minutes | 2 cups |
| Green Whole (Marrowfat) Peas | 10-12 hours | 1-2 hours | 2 cups |
| Kidney Beans | 8-12 hours | 1 hour | 2 1/4 cups |
| Lima (Butter) Beans | 8-12 hours | 60-90 minutes | 2 cups |
| Mung Beans | 8-12 hours | 1 hour | 2 cups |
| Navy Beans | 8-12 hours | 45-60 minutes | 2 2/3 cups |
| Pink Beans | — | 1 hour | 2 3/4 cups |
| Pinto Beans | — | 60-90 minutes | 2 2/3 cups |
| Red Lentils | — | 15-20 minutes | 2 cups |
| Soy Beans | 10-12 hours | 3-4 hours | 3 cups |
| Yellow Lentils | — | 15-20 minutes | 2 cups |
| Yellow Split Peas | — | 60-90 minutes | 2 cups |
How to Use Dried Cooked Legumes
You can use dried cooked legumes just like you would the canned variety. Here are some of my favorite ways to incorporate legumes into my meals:
- Lentils – I love lentils for their short cooking time. I use them in stews, dals, and soups because they are nicely soft after cooking.
- Beans – I use beans in so many different ways. Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) make not only delicious hummus, but they are also great as a crunchy snack or a salad topping after being roasted in the oven. My black beans and kidney beans are used primarily for chili or simply served over steamed rice with sour salsa and avocado.
- Split peas – I adore split pea soup. The peas thicken themselves as they cook and break down a bit, creating a lovely silky consistency.
this article is helpful yes but not really what i was looking for
what i wanted to know was the appropriate cooking method for dried beans and legumes whuch was not staed in this article.
Hi Angelie – I am sorry you didn’t find the information you were looking for. Do you have any specific question? I am not sure what information I left out … just to recap some of the things I mentioned in the article, soak dried legumes in cold water overnight (you can also do a quick soak in hot water for about an hour). Drain the soaking liquid and give the legumes a good rinse under cold running water (if you’d like more flavor, you can actually cook the legumes in the soaking water – just make sure you rinse the legumes before you soak them if you’re planning on using the soaking liquid). If you’re using a stovetop, add the legumes into a pot and cover them with at least 2 inches of fresh water. Bring it to a boil, remove any foam that forms, and add a little bit of salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the legumes cook until fully tender. That’s it. Let me know if you have any questions.
I want to know whether cooking of legumes increase protein,fat, minerals or vitamins content?
Hi Amjad – cooking actually decreases the nutritional value of beans. About 70% of bean nutrients are retained during cooking, including 86% of the protein, 83% of the iron, 96% of the zinc, 66% of the niacin, and 70% of the thiamine. About 53% of the calcium content, however, is lost. These numbers take into account that nutrient concentration diminishes during cooking because the beans take on moisture. For instance, one cup of dry kidney beans containing 44 grams of protein expands during soaking and cooking to two and one-half cups containing 38 grams of protein. Cooking does increase the bioavailability of some minerals and phytochemicals as well as protein digestibility. What does significantly increase the nutritional value of beans is sprouting. Sprouting increases vitamin content, especially vitamin A, B’s, C and E, along with boosting calcium, iron, selenium, and zinc. The quality of protein and carbohydrates improves, as the sprouting process begins to break down the complex proteins and starches into amino acids, peptides, and simple carbohydrates needed by the seed to grow. At the same time, anti-nutrients such as phytic acid, protease and amylase inhibitors are neutralized. This makes a sprout very easy to digest with highly absorbable nutrients.
Do you drain them before freezing them?
Yes! I cook the legumes first, then drain the cooking liquid, and freeze the legumes in a sealed container/bag.
I find this article very helpful! What is involved in sprouting? After soaking how long do I leave the beans in a nut bog or sprouting jar? I have heard to leave them just until the length of the little sprout is as long as the bean is wide (except for mung beans which can grow long like one sees in Asian food.) If I cook the beans after I sprout them, how many nutrients do I loose? I would think that it would be good to consume the cooking liquid after the beans have sprouted; correct? The only legume that I like sprouted and eaten raw is red lentils. Do I get more nutrients eating red lentils sprouted and raw, or do I get more sprouted and cooked? Also: Is there benefit in soaking legumes with baking soda in the soak water to remove more gas-producing enzymes? One more question: I have heard that one should skim off the “foam” that forms while cooking, but what about it I’m cooking them in an Instant pot (pressure cooker)?
Thank you so much for the kind comment, Nancy! If you’re interested in sprouting, I wrote an article here: https://nutritionrefined.com/guide-to-soaking-and-sprouting/ If you have any questions about sprouting after you read this, please, feel free to ask.
To address your other questions:
I always save the bean cooking water. I use it as a broth for soups, stews, etc.
Personally, I don’t add baking soda when soaking legumes. Adding baking soda to beans as they soak is believed by some to help aid in sugar-shedding, but the evidence is far from convincing. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. In theory, the molecules in baking soda could bind to the oligosaccharides present in the beans, helping them to detach faster than they otherwise would. So, baking soda can reduce flatulence, but it’s unlikely to work for everyone. There are definitely downsides to adding baking soda. According to some studies, baking soda can actually strip beans of vital nutrients like vitamin B if left in contact for long periods of time. Baking soda can also impart soapy flavor to foods.
Yes, I do skim off the foam, but only for aesthetic reasons, to be honest.The foam is just excess starch and denatured protein from the beans. It’s not harmful, and can be eaten without concern. (That being said, some people claim that the foam may have a bitter taste, but I have never noticed this). If you soak dried beans for a few hours, change the water midway through, and then thoroughly rinse the beans before you cook them, you’ll reduce the amount of foam you have to skim of by up to 80%.
Once again, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions.
I want to add some Moroccan spice to my blackeyed peas. When should I add them?
Hi Shirley – what are you going to be using the beans for? I make Moroccan stew with chickpeas, for example, but don’t add the Moroccan spices directly into the bean-cooking liquid. I cook the chickpeas first (with aromatics, a bay leaf, and a few peppercorns). While the chickpeas are cooking, I saute aromatics (onions and garlic) in a little bit of olive oil until translucent. Then I add the Moroccan spices and saute until fragrant … then tomatoes, other vegetables, and finally the chickpeas with the chickpea-cooking liquid. Obviously, if you were using the beans for a salad, the process would be different. Again, if you can tell me a little more about what you are going to be using the beans for, I should be able to help out more.
My compliments to you on a well presented and thorough presentation. Still left with deciding on the either ors ( drain or not, salt or not….), but beans are a win whichever method is chosen!
Thank you so much, Katherine!
I have heard that is one waits to salt beans until after cooking, the beans soften better during the cooking process.
Hi Nancy, I addressed this issue in the article, so I’m just gonna copy and paste it here for your convenience: “Some chefs advise not adding salt until the very end of cooking because salt keeps legumes from softening. Other chefs advise to add salt in the beginning of cooking for the best flavor. To add to the confusion, some suggest salting the soaking water, but not adding salt to the cooking water until close to the end of cooking. As far as salting goes, I identify strongly with LA Times that note:
‘Conventional wisdom dictates that dried beans should only be salted toward the end of cooking, because the salt draws moisture from the bean, producing an unpleasantly dry texture. But exhaustive tests done by Times columnist Russ Parsons showed that beans cooked with a teaspoon of salt per pound compared to beans cooked without salt cooked to exactly the same degree of softness in almost exactly the same time. Moreover, the beans salted during cooking required half as much salt.’ “
Thank you for this comprehensive and easy to read article. I also just enjoyed your ‘how to sprout’-article and got a lot of information from it. I love your website, your YouTube-Channel and your style in general. You seem like such a nice, good-hearted person. To read (in the comment-section of the sprouting article) that your a mother as well, made me appreciate your clean and well-structured work and all your knowledge even more. All the best to you, your equally likeable husband and your children. A fan (and mother of a 10-month-old little lady) from Vienna/Austria/Europe
Aw, thank you so much for such kind words! ❤️ I have two children – a 4-year old girl and a 10-month old boy 🙂 I always try to come up with new recipes particularly because of my daughter (she is such a picky eater!!! 🙂 Wow -you’re from Vienna. I was born in the Czech Republic and spent a lot of time in Vienna. It’s a beautiful city! Thank you once again for stopping by.
<3
Hi Petra
I have been searching for high protein beans. Want to use more of the high protein beans
as i am not using any dairy or eggs. My search so far has left me confused as it seams that
the info keeps changing from one site to the next. Can you help me with this info. I also find that
the soaking of the beans change from season to season as it takes longer to sprout in the winter
than summer.. Thanks for an amazing sight.
Hi Geraldine – great questions! You’re right, the information changes a bit depending on the source. Even my textbooks have sometimes conflicting nutritional values (so take the values with a grain of salt). Soybeans are definitely highest in protein (28.6 g protein per 1 cup cooked mature soybeans). Second are lentils (17.9 g protein per 1 cup cooked), third are cranberry beans (16.5 g protein per 1 cup cooked), and fourth are split peas (16.3 g protein per 1 cup cooked). Would you like me to share values for all most common legumes or did you just want to know the varieties highest in protein? Also, keep in mind that the nutritional info changes based on how you prepare the beans. Soaking, sprouting, cooking, etc. all influence the protein content. Hope it helps 🙂
Hi Petra
Thanks for the info. I would like the ones highest in protein. Do you know the Moth bean.?
I am trying to make a chart for Protein, starch, fat, and veggies to follow for my vegan lifestyle.
I have come to realize that certain foods have very little nutritional value and do not fill me up.
Thanks.
Yes, I do know moth beans. I checked both my textbooks and also an app I use to calculate nutritional info and both say that moth beans have only 13.8 g (the app says 14.0 g) protein per 1 cup cooked. So not higher in protein compared to the other legumes I mentioned in my previous comment. Feel free to keep asking questions if you have any 🙂
Hi Petra
Thanks for all the info. Some if the beans take longer to sprout. Is there a reason for this.
I tried to work with a variety of beans to make the meals more interesting. Can you give me an idea of which beans will be more favorable with less sugar to plan with.
Thanks for all your amazing assistants.
Yes, beans do vary. It’s the same with cooking – some take longer to cook than others. For sure! The best low-carb option are soybeans. Boiled soybeans (edamame) have only 4.1 g of net carbs per cup. Other beans are pretty high in carbs and sugar (some of the highest are chickpeas with 32.5 g net carbs and pinto beans with 30 g of net carbs). Even lentils are high in carbs with 24 g of net carbs. People following low-carb diets, such as the keto diet, usually avoid legumes (except for soybeans).
Hi Petra
Thanks for the info. The reason i am so interested in this is that i have been cooking a lot of Indian
style food and beans are very prominent in them. I perceive Indian style cooking to be the best place for
me to learn vegetarian style cooking. Thanks for all your help.
You’re very welcome, Geraldine. I should make a chart with nutritional info for all legumes. I am sure more people have questions just like you.
Nice post Petra!
The chart shows that some of the lentils don’t require soaking, what is the reason and does soaking lentils compromise the nutritional value of them? I’ve been soaking lentils so far.
Also, can you soak pre-roasted nuts?
Best,
Rose
Hi there Petra
That sounds amazing. Are there beans to avoid if you are a diabetic, wanting to loose wight, etc.
Was amazed at how the Asian people use it in there cooking and cake. Black bean paste they use
in cake decorating.
Thanks
Geraldine
Hi, Thank you for the enjoyable and informative article, I note you recommend not over boiling the beans as it can cause the skins to come off, is it mainly just Red and White Kidney beans that require the 10 minute brisk boil at the beginning of cooking?
Hi Gav – I will note it in the article – thank you for the feedback! Yes, it does apply only to kidney beans.