If you’re like me, there’s probably a bag of dried beans languishing in your pantry because you don’t know how to cook them right. Home cooks tend to assume all beans is alike. They just follow whatever recipe says to do with any bean, such as soaking it for X amount of time and then simmering it for Y amount of time using a Z ratio of water. The problem: It usually turns out one of two ways, either too soft (mush!) or too hard (chewy!). Knowing each bean’s quirks will make for better cooking.
Here’s a visual guide that shows some of those differences: Why does one type of bean (kidney) cook different from another (lentil)? Why do black and kidney beans needs to be cooked longer, sometimes up to ninety minutes if they’re starting off dried, or conversely, why do red or green lentils falls apart in a soup after just 20 to 30 minutes? That’s useful to know when you plan your meals.
A Guide to Cooking Different Beans
They are not interchangeable. A mung bean won’t take the place of a navy bean, nor can you substitute it without changing total duration of your dinner. Why? The answer is in the science of biology: These aren’t all the same kind of thing and they have specific needs. Split peas and other lentils requires little to no soaking. They are already largely split down to their starchy center. This allows water to get right to work, so you can just rinse and cook them.
Whole beans, by contrast, have thick outer coats that take time to soften when wet. A day’s soak in water will help. You can also cook them quickly on the stovetop after a boil instead of starting with dry beans. If not soaked, these will simply bloat (trapping the gases that make you gassy within the bean itself).
While all legumes are packed with nutrients, different kinds has varying nutritional profiles. If your goal is maximum fiber per cup, navy beans and adzuki beans win; likewise, if you’re after a little extra protein, choose green lentils or cannellini beans instead. But when it comes time to put together minestrone or even just build a burrito, most eaters care much less about tiny nutritional distinctions then they do about taste and texture. Instead of trying to jam a square peg into a round hole just because one kind has slightly better micronutrients, use the chart as a guide to pairing the right bean with whatever dish you happen to be preparing.
While some like their beans dry, there’s nothing wrong with the canned version. Dry beans let you control sodium levels, and you can control how much texture you want. However, they take eight hours of planning ahead; canned beans just take two minutes and is loaded with salt. By rinsing them well in cold water, you’ll knock off roughly forty percent of the sodium without sacrificing any of the convenience. When time is an issue, don’t feel bad for reaching for the cans.
Whether your beans are kidney or otherwise, there are some rules that apply to every variety. First, always boil kidney beans hard for at least ten minutes, as this will kill any toxins inherent in raw legumes. Soaking also reduces cooking time required later. Second, don’t add acidic ingredients such as tomatoes, or salt until the last 20 minutes of cook-time. The acids and salt cause the skins to become tough and less porous, preventing them from softening up properly. Adjusting this cooking time ensure a perfect result throughout the pot.
From cassoulet (France) and dals (India) to refritos (Mexico), beans are all-purpose ingredients found in world cuisines. The variety chart is like a map of those flavors, showing which bean fits into which dish. Knowing their textures and cooking times can help you work more creatively around your pantry instead of hesitantly. All you need for any given meal is the proper legume to form its base.
You should of used this guide before.