Canned beans are convenient, but in terms of affordability, taste, and texture, dried beans have them beat. Do not be afraid to cook dried beans if you have never done it before. My method is simple, hands-off, and very effective. They come out soft and creamy, with a rich, aromatic broth surrounding them. They’re tasty enough to eat on their own when they’re hot from the stove with a ladle of cooking liquid.
You can use dried beans in bowls, soups, tacos, and other dishes just like you would use canned beans. Cook a big batch and freeze them to have on hand. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!.
Cooking beans can be a tedious process. If not done properly, you may end up with crunchy, tough beans that are unappetizing and difficult to eat Fortunately, there are several tricks you can use to help make beans soft and tender as they cook
Why Do Some Beans Stay Hard During Cooking?
Beans contain complex sugars called oligosaccharides that cannot be digested by the human body. As these sugars cook, they break down and create gas, which leads to the tough, crunchy texture. Beans also have a protective outer layer that helps them retain their shape during cooking.
To get tender beans, this outer layer needs to be dissolved and the oligosaccharides broken down. That’s where these tips come in handy!
Tips for Making Beans Soft
1. Soak Them Beforehand
Soaking beans before cooking softens the outer skin and begins breaking down the indigestible sugars
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Cold Soak Soak beans in cold water for 8-12 hours or overnight, Use 3 cups water for every 1 cup beans
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Hot Soak: Boil beans for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat, and soak for 1 hour in the hot water.
Soaking decreases cooking time and helps beans cook evenly. Chickpeas, kidney beans, and other large beans benefit most from soaking.
2. Cook Them Low and Slow
Simmer beans gently over low heat. Rapid boiling can cause skins to split and get mushy.
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Keep the flame low, with just a few bubbles surfacing occasionally.
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Stir beans gently and infrequently to prevent bursting.
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Cook uncovered so gases can escape and beans don’t split.
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Check often and add water to keep beans submerged.
Slow cooking allows beans to absorb water and soften gradually without breaking down too much.
3. Get the Liquid Right
Use enough water to keep beans fully submerged as they swell up. Too little water prevents softening.
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Start with 3 cups water for every 1 cup dried beans.
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Add more liquid during cooking if needed to keep beans covered.
The cooking liquid plays a role too. Acidic ingredients like tomatoes can slow softening. Wait to add them until after beans have started softening.
4. Season Correctly
Don’t add salt or acidic ingredients like tomatoes too early when cooking beans.
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Salt can harden the bean skins and slow water absorption. Add it later in cooking.
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Acidic ingredients prevent softening. Add vinegar, lemon juice, tomatoes etc. towards the end.
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Sweeteners also interfere with softening. Add sugar or molasses only once beans are cooked.
Seasoning at the wrong time can inhibit the softening process.
5. Finish Them Right
Beans will continue to soften as they sit in the hot cooking liquid.
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Turn off heat when beans are almost done. Let sit, covered, for 15-30 minutes.
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Gently mash a few beans against the pot wall to check for desired softness.
The residual heat gently finishes cooking without risk of overcooking into mush.
6. Add Baking Soda
For an extra-soft texture, add a pinch of baking soda to the cooking water. The alkaline soda helps break down beans faster.
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Use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per 1 pound dried beans.
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Add it at the start with the water.
Baking soda is very effective but can cause beans to collapse fully if overused. Go easy on it!
Beans That Don’t Soften Easily
Some beans are naturally firmer and take longer to soften fully:
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Chickpeas and other garbanzo bean varieties. Soak overnight before cooking.
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Red kidney beans. Soak well and cook slowly with enough water.
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Cannellini and Great Northern beans. Hot soak and add baking soda while cooking.
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Beans past their prime. Old, dry beans won’t soften well. Buy beans from a supplier with good turnover.
How to Cook Beans
Cooking dried beans is easy! Here’s what you need to do:
- Pick them over. Many times, small rocks or other things get mixed in with dried beans. Sort the beans before you cook them. Discard this debris along with any shriveled or discolored beans.
- To soak or not to soak? I strongly advise that you soak your beans before cooking them. Not only will they be ready faster, but they’ll also be much easier to digest. Put the dried beans in a large bowl and add enough water to cover them by 2 to 3 inches. Discard any beans that float. After that, let the beans soak for at least eight hours or overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse the soaked beans.
- It’s time to cook! Put the soaked beans in a big pot and add two inches of water to cover them. If the beans haven’t been soaked yet, rinse them in a fine mesh strainer before putting them in the pot. Bring the water to a slow boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Remove any foam that forms on top and throw it away.
- Add seasonings & continue cooking. Add salt to the beans after they’ve been cooking for 30 minutes. Keep cooking the beans until they are soft. If they start to look dry, add more water. Depending on how big and fresh your beans are, the cooking time could go up by 30 minutes to two hours. I recommend checking them every 30 minutes.
When the beans are tender, season to taste and remove them from the heat. Put the beans in a container that won’t let air in and put it in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze them for several months. For the full recipe, see below.
Cooking Dried Beans – Exceptions
My favorite way to cook dried beans is with this method. It works for black beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, kidney beans, cranberry beans, and more. However, there are a few exceptions to the rule:
- Lentils. You don’t have to soak these beans before cooking them. Each type has a different texture and a short cooking time. Here’s how to cook black, green, brown, and red lentils.
- Split peas. Also, green and yellow split peas cook quickly and don’t need to be soaked. It takes about 25 minutes to cook green split peas and 30 to 40 minutes to cook yellow split peas. Both are great for soups because they cook down into a smooth, creamy puree.
- Adzuki beans. If you can find these little red beans, I really think you should try them. They taste great when cooked for 35 to 40 minutes with salt and any aromatics you like (read more about these below!).
To make dried beans taste even better, cook them with sea salt and water. Then, add an onion, garlic, or other aromatics to the pot. These simple additions turn the starchy bean cooking liquid into a fragrant broth that tastes just as good as the beans themselves. Here are a few of my favorite aromatics:
- A strip of kombu: You don’t have to use this, but it makes the beans easier to digest.
- You can use quartered onions, halves of shallots, or smashed garlic cloves for onions and garlic.
- Herbs: A fresh sprig of thyme or rosemary, or the leaves or stems of sage, parsley, or cilantro I often add frozen herbs to my home cooked beans.
- Ground black pepper, bay leaves, dried chiles, or black peppercorns are all spices.
- Fruit and vegetable scraps, like celery leaves, onion ends, fennel fronds, and more! I freeze these to use when I cook beans or make vegetable stock.
Add one or more aromatics when you add the salt, 30 minutes into the bean cooking process. When the beans are tender, remove and discard any add-ins before you eat. Let me know what variations you try!.
Loved learning how to cook beans? Try cooking one of these pantry staples next:
Then, find 30+ pantry-friendly recipes here!
How to Cook Dried Beans – The Right Way – For Maximum Nutrition
FAQ
How to soften beans while cooking?
How do you cook beans so they are not mushy?
How do you fix beans that are too hard?
How to soften beans quickly?
Instead of the traditional overnight soak, try the hot soak method to soften beans quickly. Place the rinsed beans in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, then remove the pot from the heat. Allow the beans to soak in the hot water for 1 to 2 hours. 3. Quick Boil Method
How do you cook soft beans?
Place your beans in a large pot and cover with water. The water should be at least 2 inches above the level of the beans. Bring your beans to a boil and let them boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove your beans from the heat and let them soak for 1 hour. Let’s dive into some tips and tricks that will help you achieve perfectly soft beans every time.
How do you soften dried beans?
Add salt to your soaking water – Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt when you soak your dried beans overnight. The salt essentially allows the starch in the beans to absorb water more effectively ( 1 ). Add baking soda – While cooking your beans, add 1/4-1/2 teaspoons of baking soda to encourage softening.
How do you soften black beans in a crock pot?
Simply place the sorted and rinsed beans in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Let the beans boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove them from the heat, cover, and let them sit for about an hour. 4. Use Baking Soda Adding a pinch of baking soda to the soaking or cooking water can help soften beans more quickly.