Quick Soak Beans Recipe

Soaking beans overnight in cool water is the standard for preparing dry beans before cooking them. However, this can be quite a chore for people like me who often forget to do it. There was this one time I was really craving a creamy bowl of Great Northern beans soup, but I didn’t get to make it because I forgot to prepare my dried beans the night before. I almost resorted to using canned beans for the dish, but decided against it. That’s why I came up with this quick soak beans recipe that lets me enjoy my beans in just an hour! This recipe is perfect for individuals who are forgetful like me, or simply rushing to make a delicious meal with their dried beans.

It’s important to soak beans before cooking them. Cooking dried beans without soaking them in water for a few hours will create undercooked and unevenly cooked beans with an unappetizing mushy appearance. It will also increase the cooking time of whatever bean dish you’re making. The purpose of soaking beans in water is to allow the beans to soften and break some of its complex sugars, which is difficult for some people to digest. Additionally, it also hydrates the beans and gives them a delicious creamy texture.

For this quick soak beans recipe, you don’t have to worry about getting a specific type of bean for it to work. This recipe applies for many types of beans such as large pinto beans, black beans, or red kidney beans. On the other hand, the kind of beans that don’t need pre-soaking are legumes like lentils, split peas, or black eyed peas. You can simply start cooking with them. So, once you have your beans, start washing and rinsing them first under running water using a colander. This is an essential step to getting rid of the unnecessary dirt or debris present on the dried beans.

After I washed my beans, I filled up the large pot (or saucepan) with water. You can also do this recipe using a pressure cooker or instant pot. I boiled it for a few minutes, and let it rest for an hour. Letting the beans rest and sit is the key to softening the beans fast. After this step, you’re ready to cook the beans! Honestly, I was so happy when my beans were soft and tender for cooking that I made some smoked baked beans immediately. I had some leftover soaked beans the next day so I made a bowl of red bean soup as well. Both dishes were so incredibly delicious thanks to the pre-soaked beans! If you did this quick soak with black beans, then you can also try making a black bean soup variation which is also really tasty.