Staples: Dried Beans

One thing I keep around at all times is a stash of dried beans. I switch up varieties, but I always have black and kidney in the house. Here is the basics of how to rehydrate and cook the beans.

Using dried beans takes two basic steps– soaking and cooking.

Soaking

Before you soak the beans, be sure to rinse them and pick out any that are shriveled or sickly looking.

Place the beans in a glass bowl on the counter overnight or place them in a class jar with a lid. The key is to add approximately three times as much water as you have beans (i.e. 1 cup of beans, 3 cups of water). Set aside and soak overnight.

Cooking

How long cooking dried beans will take depends on the variety of bean. In any case, this is how I do it.

Place beans in a pot with at least an inch of water above the beans. I tend to error on the side of caution and add extra water. I also add a quartered medium sized onion for flavor.

Heat to boiling.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer until beans are tender.

A few tips and ideas

Some people skim off the foam (it’s bean protein), but I usually leave it.

While cooking the beans, you can add onions and/or seasoning to flavor your beans. Stay away from acidic items though (tomato, etc), as it will toughen the bean and not allow it to cook properly. Salt is also something to avoid until the beans are soft. Of course, if you are cooking a soft-shelled bean, you might want to add a little salt to prevent them from getting too mushy!

Whole Foods Blog has a quick soak method, if you forget to soak the beans overnight, but still want to make beans for dinner.

Often times, if I know I am going to make a dish with beans (thank you meal plan!), I cook the beans on Saturday or Sunday for use during the week. This makes dry beans easier to use for quick meals as well.