Beans are an inexpensive and readily accessible ingredient that is hearty and packed with protein, making them a great option for vegetarian dishes or for adding bulk to meaty meals alike. While canned beans are convenient, you shouldn’t overlook cooking with dried beans. When they’re handled correctly, dried beans can be even more flavorful and have a better texture than canned beans. On top of that, dried beans are also more economical than their canned counterparts. The one downside of cooking with dried beans is that they need a lot of time to soak—as in, hours and hours and hours. Who has the time for that on a busy weeknight?
Fortunately, there’s a quick way to soak dried beans that gives you the convenience of canned beans with all the flavorful properties of the dried product. Read on to learn how to effectively soak dried beans in just one hour.
How Long Do You Let Dried Beans Soak?
There are so many benefits to soaking beans. While it helps make them tender, it also brings out their flavor and helps break down some of their starches, the latter of which makes them easier to digest. You just need to factor in enough time to properly soak them.
Most dried beans take between 4 and 12 hours to soften into a workable texture when soaked in water. If you plan ahead, soaking them overnight is a great idea. Once they’re soaked, you’ll need to simmer them in liquid on the stovetop for another hour or two until they’re tender. The process is worth it for the most flavorful beans with the best texture—but it is a process. The good news is there’s a quicker method that works just as well.
The fastest way to soak dried beans is by boiling them briefly on the stovetop, then letting them sit in the warm water for a fraction of the time. Here’s the method that Ree Drummond swears by: rinse the beans, then place them in a pot and cover them with about two inches of water. Bring the beans to a boil, then turn off the heat and let them sit in the liquid for 1 hour. Drain the beans and continue with your recipe
“Soaking the beans—no matter which method you choose—gives them a head start on softening, which means a shorter cooking time and more evenly cooked, tender beans in the finished soup,” says Ree.
Follow this advice next time you make a pot of Ree’s spicy beans, creamy black bean soup, or bean with bacon soup.
