Cooking Dried Beans
Hands off cooking, nutrient dense, and practically free, beans are the perfect food.
Beans really are a magical food. They are low in calories, high in fiber, high in plant-based protein, rich in vitamins. And they are cheap. A pound of most dried beans can be purchased for as little as 99 cents per pound. Taking into account that they swell during cooking, you’re looking at a nutrient dense protein source for about 30-50 cents per pound. Who says eating well has to be expensive?
Before we go any further, let’s talk about gas. Yes, beans may cause gas but it can be alleviated. Soaking beans and cooking them thoroughly are great ways to ensure a lot of the digestible sugars are broken down before you introduce them to your gut. The gas and bloating formed in your digestive system is caused by gut bacteria breaking down your food (or by swallowing air when you eat or drink). Those bacteria are fed by the foods you eat on a regular basis. Gut bacteria food is called prebiotic fiber and beans have a lot of it! If you eat beans regularly, you probably don’t have any trouble digesting them because your body has built up a healthy colony of bacteria that love to eat and break down beans. If you don’t eat beans regularly and experience gas, try gradually adding them into your diet, little bits at a time over a few weeks. You should notice your symptoms diminish. If you don’t, you might want to talk to your doctor about natural ways to improve your digestion.
Cooking beans from scratch is a ritual for me. I try to do this at least every week so that I have cooked beans handy for hummus, soups, and curries. This recipe is the easiest thing to prepare. The hardest part is remembering to start at least a day before you want to eat beans. As always, life can get in the way, so I also keep a variety of canned beans stocked in the pantry too. They are usually firmer in texture than I prefer, so I cook my own beans as often as I can.
Most of the time when I cook beans, it’s garbanzo beans or chickpeas for hummus. Hands-down one of the most delicious and crowd-pleasing ways to eat beans. Get my recipe for hummus here.
Cooking Dried Beans
Makes approximately 5-6 cups beans
2 cups dried beans; any kind works except for lentils and split peas
12 cups filtered water, divided in half
2 teaspoons salt
Aromatics, if desired; bay leaf, chile de arbol, crushed garlic, kombu leaf. Avoid acidic ingredients as these can interfere with the softening of the beans
Slow cooker
Add beans and 6 cups of water to the crock of the slow cooker. Do not plug in or turn on at this time. Allow beans to soak for 12-24 hours. Small white bubbles may form, that’s okay. It is evidence of the beans beginning to ferment. It is harmless and will be rinsed off.
After soaking, drain water from beans. Rinse with cool water. Add salt, aromatics, if using, and 6 cups of water to the beans. Turn the slow cooker on to low for 5-8 hours. At five hours the beans should be tender but still retain a pleasant toothsomeness. At eight hours the beans are very soft and tender and are perfect for blending into hummus or refried beans. Test at least three beans to determine if they are cooked to your liking. Beans can be cooked on high for 3-5 hours but I find that they don’t get quite as soft and cook a little unevenly. Beans can also be cooked unsoaked but, again, they can cook a little unevenly and won’t get as creamy as soaked beans.
Once beans reach the desired texture, remove crock from the slow cooker, allow to mostly cool with the lid off, and then refrigerate. If I have the space, I put the whole crock into the refrigerator. Cooling the beans in their cooking liquid helps them retain their creamy texture. The beans may also be used hot but lose some of their moisture and become dry if used in applications like hummus or chilled bean salads. Hot beans are best used in soups, curries, stews, and other liquidy applications. You can make a larger batch of beans and freeze some for later. Chilled beans freeze and defrost well in their liquid. I recommend using 16oz or 32oz size deli containers filled to 80% capacity.
To use, drain beans in a metal sieve or colander, rinsing if desired. The bean liquid gives a wonderful texture to soups, so please save it and put it to use. Garbanzo bean liquid is particularly fascinating. It’s called aquafaba and can be used as an egg white substitute for many recipes such as mayonnaise and meringues.
Beans can also be cooked in a pot on the stove but require a bit more babysitting. Soak and rinse as specified above. Bring the beans, salt, and 8 cups (more than you need for the slow cooker because some will evaporate on the stove) of water to a boil, reduce to low, cover and cook for 4-8 hours. Check every hour or so to see if the beans need more water. The liquid should be one inch above the beans. Follow the rest of the recipe as directed.
If you followed these directions and your beans are still hard, it probably means your beans are old. It might be time to live with that texture or discard and replace with fresher beans.
