Have dried beans but don’t know how to use them? This guide will show you how to cook with dried beans and even shares a recipe for slow cooker spicy black bean soup!
Today’s post is a continuation from my previous post on how to use more whole foods in your diet and less processed foods. In this post we are talking about beans, folks. Yep, you know the things that some people hate because of the oh-so-dreaded side effects. We will talk about these nutrient packed little nuggets, including how to soak them, what to do if your recipe calls for canned and you want to use dried, and I’ll even give you a bonus recipe to kick off your cooking with dried beans adventures!
I get people in my office who have never cooked with dried beans – they have only ever seen beans being used from a can. This is actually more common than you might think in today’s fast paced world. We want convenience and canned beans give us just that because there is no waiting for the beans to be soaked – they’ve already done that for you.
The tradeoff is usually high sodium content in the canned version, a more mushy texture and a little more pricey than what you would be paying if you did the soaking yourself. Learning how to cook with dried beans takes more than simply opening a can, but the end result is certainly worth the effort.
What are the Health Benefits of Beans?
How to Soak Dried Beans
- Before soaking, sort through the beans to remove any tiny stones, dirt or debris.
- Place the beans in a colander and rinse well, combing through the beans to uncover any bits of dirt.
- Move the beans to a bowl large enough to hold them when they’ve rehydrated and doubled in size. Add enough cold water to cover the beans by about 2 inches.
- In hot weather, prevent the beans from fermenting by refrigerating them while they soak.
- Soak the beans overnight or until they’ve swelled to about double their size. This usually takes around 4 hours, but they can be soaked for up to 24 hours.
- If you want to reduce soaking time by about half, cover the beans with boiling water.
- Prior to cooking, drain the soaked beans and rinse them again. Discard the soaking water and cook the beans in fresh water.
Short on time?
Try the quick-soak technique: Combine the beans and water in a pot and heat it to boiling, then cook the beans for 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover tightly, and set aside for 1 hour, then drain and rinse the beans.
Cooking Facts
- Slow soaking ensures that the final product is fully cooked, not crunchy or underdone.
- In a chili or bean stew, a few broken beans are not a problem, but if you want the beans to remain pretty and whole for a recipe like bean salad, use the long-soak method.
- Dry beans should always be cooked in soft water or they will be tough (you can remedy this by adding a pinch of baking soda to the pot if you have hard water).
- Adding salt to beans at the beginning of cooking toughens the skins and lengthens cooking time.
Other Tid-Bits
- Dry beans have a shelf life of one year
- Store dry beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry place
- Store leftover soaked or cooked beans in their own liquid and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months
How do I know how much dried beans to use in place of canned beans?
If your recipe calls for canned beans and you want to use dried beans instead, have no fear! Below I have created a conversion chart to help you make the switch! Cans of beans are usually 15-ounce cans, while most small bags of dried beans are about 1 pound. All numbers are approximate, of course, but seem to work well.
*Bonus Recipe*
Have I convinced you to cook with dried beans yet? Take a look at this bonus recipe!
I wouldn’t leave you hanging with all this newfound knowledge on how to cook with dried beans and not provide you with anything to use them in! As promised, below is a great recipe using dried beans. I first made this recipe back in my dietetic student days at USU for a health fair. I cooked it up with a few of my dietitian-to-be classmates and served it to our fellow Aggies. I don’t want to brag or anything, but it was kind of DELICIOUS! It is so simple yet results in a great flavor. Go ahead and give it a try!
Spicy Black Bean Soup (in the slow cooker)
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Spicy Black Bean Soup
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 14 hours
- Yield: 12 / 6 oz. portions 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow cooker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Prep may take a while, but it is easy because you are soaking the beans overnight (all the work is done while you are sleeping). The cooking is done in a slow cooker, so you don’t have to do much work for that either! Just plan ahead for the soaking and the time it takes to cook, then throw it all together and go about your daily business while it cooks to perfection!
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry black beans, soaked overnight
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4 teaspoons diced Guajillo Chile pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
Instructions
- Once the beans have soaked overnight, place in crock-pot and add remaining ingredients (adjust the seasonings and/or spices to desired spiciness).
- Cook on high for 4 hours, reduce heat and continue to cook for 2 hours or until beans are soft.
- Garnish with low fat sour cream and cilantro.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz.
- Calories: 146
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 65 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Still wanting to learn more about beans? You can find more information here.
Have a question for Brittany? Go ahead and ask her now!
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