Dried Beans Basics
In this long, detailed post I am going to teach you most anything you’ll need to know about how to properly store, prep and cook a variety of dried legumes/beans. Be sure to bookmark this for future reference, and please share with anyone you think would benefit from this information.
Beans are a type of legume (there are so many types!), but for the sake of this article I’m going to refer to all the dried legumes I cover as “beans.” This will cover cook times for the most common beans (or what I imagine to be the most common. If I forgot something, please let me know!). You won’t see lentils or dals on this list–but don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about them. A lentil how-to guide is also in the works!
I want to get this published quickly so that anyone who needs this information while they’re under quarantine and have limited access to fresh groceries can use it so it will be a work in progress.
Dried beans can be a bit intimidating (I get it! I remember being intimidated by them, too). But, trust me; there’s no reason to be intimidated. In fact, they are truly an amazing pantry staple. They’re inexpensive, nutritious AND can be DELICIOUS too…if you know how to properly cook them.
I hope this information will make the bags of dried beans sitting on the store shelves a little more approachable. I want people to feel confident to keep a stash in their pantry AND be assured that they can successfully cook and use them to nourish themselves and their families.
NOTE: I have included instructions for cooking 1 pound of beans at a time. I know that this is a lot! Fear not, they store really well and can even be frozen! (see section on storage, below)
Most recipes will call for cans of beans instead of giving exact measurements. If a recipe calls for 1 can of beans, you can confidently add 1.5 to 2 cups of your cooked dry beans.
Let’s get to it!
How Should I Store My Dried Beans:
Dried beans should be stored in a cool, dry place. Store opened packages in airtight bags or containers. They can be stored for around 6 months–any longer and they may not re-hydrate or cook properly (that being said, I definitely keep dried beans for much longer than 6 months and have rarely had problems!).
Sort Your Dried Beans Before Using:
Before cooking, rinse the dried legumes/beans in cold water. I find it easiest to put them in a sieve or colander (also called a strainer) and run your fingers through them. Pick out and discard any small pieces of stone, dirt or any beans that look bad/damaged.
Soak Your Dried Beans:
Most people choose to purchase canned beans rather than dried versions purely because of convenience. But with a little planning dried beans can easily be incorporated into your regular meals.
Soaking the beans before cooking not only helps to shorten the cook time, but also helps them to keep their shape during cooking. If the soaking water is discarded and the beans are rinsed well before cooking, digestibility usually will also improve.
The beans will expand about 2-3 times their dried size during soaking, so make sure you use a container that is large enough!
You can soak your beans one of two ways:
- REGULAR SOAK: For each pound of dried beans add 6 cups of water–feel free to add some salt (about 1.5-2 tbsp. is plenty.) It used to be thought that salting your beans while cooking would result in tough beans, I personally think it just results in unseasoned beans–add the salt and your beans will be more flavorful. Cover the beans and let sit at room temp (do not refrigerate!) for at least 6 hours–preferably overnight. This method may be used whether you are cooking the beans stovetop or in a pressure cooker.
- QUICK SOAK: In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add 1 pound of beans for two minutes. Turn off the heat and let the beans soak for one hour. (see the pressure cooker section, below, for how to do a quick soak in your electric pressure cooker).
How to Cook Dried Beans on The Stovetop:
Cooking beans on the stovetop takes a bit of time (well, not all that much more time than cooking a roast, i suppose), but luckily you don’t need to babysit them! Set a timer and do whatever you need to around the house while they’re cooking (please don’t leave your house while they’re cooking though–that’s dangerous!).
- Soak the beans according to the directions listed above. You may choose to do a regular soak or a quick soak.
After you’ve soaked your beans, it’s time to cook them:
- Drain the beans from the soaking liquid in either a sieve or a colander, and rinse with cool water.
- Add the beans to a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven. Add 8 cups of water and 1 tbsp. Oil (I like grapeseed! Or ghee!). At this point you can add any aromatics, if you’d like. Here are a few options, feel free to add whatever your taste tastebuds enjoy:
- ¼ onion (try to keep the root intact so it’s easy to remove)
- A few whole garlic cloves
- Bay leaves
- Bouillon powder/cubes
- Green chiles
- Dried chilies
- Fresh herbs
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook gently over a medium-high heat. Cook for 1.5 to 2 hours, depending what type of bean you are cooking. To know how long your dried beans should cook, check out this chart below. Know that the cook times are approximate.
- Check your pot occasionally and give the beans a quick stir. If needed, add additional HOT water to keep the them submerged.
- Once the beans are tender and are easily mashed with a fork–they’re done! Grab a tongs or a fork and pick out and discard the aromatics you added (if you added any).
Your beans are now ready to enjoy! I told you it was easy! You can use them right away or read the info below on how to properly store and preserve them.
How Long to Cook Common Dried Legumes/Beans on the Stovetop
| Legume | Soaked Stovetop Cook Time |
| Black Eyed Peas | *no need to soak* 1 hour |
| Lima Beans (baby and regular) | 1.5 hours |
| Navy Beans (small white beans) | 2 hours |
| Cannellini/Great Northern Beans (also called Italian/white Kidney) | 2 hours |
| Kidney Beans | 2 hours |
| Pinto Beans | 2 hours |
| Red Beans | 3 hours |
| Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans or chole) | 3 hours |
| Adzuki or Azuki, red and green (mung/moong) | 3 hours |
| Soy Beans | 3 – 4 hours |
| Black Beans | 1.5 – 2 hours |
[if using a pressure cooker, the times will be reduced and the methods will change, although some of the information will be repeated. Please see “How to Cook Dried Beans in an Electric Pressure Cooker,” below]
How to Cook Dried Beans in an Electric Pressure Cooker:
There are so many different electric pressure cookers on the market and unfortunately I have not tested them all. I own both a 6qt. InstantPot and an 8qt. Ninja Foodi. I’ve cooked dried beans in both, and these cook times have worked for me. Your cooker may be a bit different. Please familiarize yourself with your pressure cooker and be sure to read the manual before using.
If you’re planning ahead and not in a rush, soaking the beans overnight will give you better results even if you plan to cook them in a pressure cooker. The beans will be less likely to split and they’ll have a better texture than if you didn’t give them a good soak.
Soaking the beans overnight will also help minimize the unpleasant (gassiness!) side-effects beans can have. When they’re soaked, most of the gas producing sugars are left behind in the soaking liquid.
- For each pound of dried beans add 6 cups of water–feel free to add some salt (about 1.5-2 tbsp. is plenty.) It used to be thought that salting your beans while cooking would result in tough beans, I personally think it just results in unseasoned beans–add the salt and your beans will be more flavorful. Cover the beans and let sit at room temp (do not refrigerate!) for at least 6 hours–preferably overnight.
If time isn’t on your side and you’re in a rush to get your beans on the table, you can use your pressure cooker to mimic the overnight soak.
- Add the beans, 6 cups of water and salt to your pressure cooker.
- Using the cooker’s saute function, bring the beans and water to a boil. Once the water boils, place the lid on the cooker, seal and cook for 1 minute on high pressure.
- After 1 minute, release the pressure manually. Remove the lid from the cooker.
After you’ve soaked your beans, it’s time to cook them:
- Drain the beans from the soaking liquid in either a sieve or a colander (strainer), and rinse with cool water.
- Return the beans to the electric pressure cooker’s pot and add 8 cups of water and 1 tbsp. Oil (I like grapeseed! Or ghee!). At this point you can add any aromatics, if you’d like. Here are a few options, feel free to add whatever your taste tastebuds enjoy:
- ¼ onion (try to keep the root intact so it’s easy to remove)
- A few whole garlic cloves
- Bay leaves
- Bouillon powder/cubes
- Green chiles
- Dried chilies
- Fresh herbs
- Cover the pot with the lid and seal. Cook on high pressure for 5-40 minutes, depending what type of bean you are cooking. To know how long your legumes/beans should cook, check out thechart below. Know that the cook times are approximate. If you undercook your beans, no need to worry (we’ll get to that soon!)
- Once the legumes/beans have cooked for their designated amount of time, allow the cooker to naturally release pressure. If you’re like me, and you’re inpatient, you can manually release the pressure–just be aware that your beans may need additional time to simmer (use the saute feature) until they are fully cooked through.
IMPORTANT: Follow your pressure cookers instruction manual and recommendations on how to naturally/manually release the pressure in your pot.
- When the pressure has fully released (following your manufacturer’s instructions), remove the lid (keep your face away from the machine–hot steam and condensation may cause accidents). Once the lid is removed, grab a tongs or a fork and pick out and discard the aromatics you added (if you added any).
Your pressure cooked beans are now ready to use! You can use them right away or read the info below on how to properly store and preserve them.
How Long to Cook Common Dried Legumes/Beans in an Electric Pressure Cooker
| Legume | No Soak (Dry) Cook Time | Soaked Cook Time | Pressure Level | Pressure Release |
| Adzuki or Azuki, red and green (mung/moong) | 20 | 9 | High | Natural |
| Black Beans | 24 | 6 | High | Natural |
| Black-eyed Peas | 7 | 5 | High | Natural |
| Cannellini/Great Northern Beans (also called Italian/white Kidney) | 30 | 8 | High | Natural |
| Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans or chole) | 40 | 15 | High | Natural |
| Fava Beans | 30 | 12 | High | Natural |
| Lima Beans | 15 | 7 | High | Natural |
| Navy Beans | 20 | 8 | High | Natural |
| Green or Yellow Peas (whole) | 18 | 10 | High | Natural |
| Pinto Beans (or Borlotti) | 25 | 10 | High | Natural |
| Red Kidney Beans | 24 | 8 | High | Natural |
| Black Urad (also called black gram or Vigna mungo) | 40 | 15 | High | Natural |
Source:Hip Pressure Cooking https://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooking-times/
But wait…you’ve followed all my directions, you let the pressure naturally release from your cooker but YOUR BEANS ARE STILL NOT DONE! What do you do now?!
Unfortunately this will occasionally happen. The cook times listed in the chart aren’t absolutely perfect and don’t take into consideration environmental factors (altitude). The age of your dried beans matters (older beans take longer to cook!) as does the brand of electric pressure cooker you are using (My 8qt. Ninja Foodi takes longer to come to pressure than my 6qt. Instant Pot).
There are two things you can do:
- If your beans are close to being done but not quite as tender as you’d prefer, simply turn on your electric pressure cooker’s saute function and let the beans simmer, with the lid off, until they’re cooked to your liking. You may need to add additional HOT water to the pot during this time, depending on how much liquid you have and how long you need to let them simmer.
- If your beans are still pretty hard (what the heck?!?!?!) you can bring the beans back up to pressure for a few minutes–no longer than 5 (I recommend starting with 3 minutes) and then doing a manual pressure release (again, follow your manufacturer’s directions). Be sure to check how much liquid is in your pot before bringing the beans back to pressure! if it doesn’t look to be very much or the liquid does not cover the beans, toss in a cup or so of water before securing the lid.
Oh Shoot! YOUR BEANS ARE OVERCOOKED! What do you do now?!
Well, dang. I’m sorry. This, unfortunately, happens once in a while. Again, the cook times listed in the chart aren’t absolutely perfect. If you open your pot to find a pile of mush, your best bet is to make a soup, a puree, “refried” beans or hummus (There are no mistakes in the kitchen…only lessons. Didn’t Julia Child say that? I don’t know, but it sounds like something she’d say, so we’ll go with it.). If none of those things sound appealing and you had a certain recipe in mind that you REALLY wanted to make, sadly, you will have to start over. Take note of how long you had cooked the beans and be sure to cook them for less time. Depending how mushy they turned out, I’d probably start by reducing the cook time by 5 minutes or so.
Your legumes/beans are now ready to use immediately or store for later!
How To Store Your Cooked Beans For Later Use:
Your beans can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days if you don’t plan to use them right away. You can also freeze cooked beans!
I like to freeze the beans in small, usable amounts rather than tossing them all in a big container. To do this, measure out between 1.5 and 2 cups of bean (approximately the same amount you’d get in a packaged can) into a freezer-safe container. Add the cooking liquid to cover–leaving at least ½” of headspace (liquid expands!). Seal and LABEL the containers with the contents and the date. They’ll keep nicely for 1 year (I’ve definitely used them past this point, though! Use your judgement).
Now that you know how to prepare and cook your dried legumes/beans, we’ve got to find some recipes to use them in, right?
I have a ton of easy recipes coming. (There will be much more than just Indian inspired recipes!)
Most will not have photos (yet) as they’re tried and tested, but honestly I just haven’t made them recently so haven’t taken photos.
Follow along and stay tuned!
I’m most active on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. You can also choose to enter your email in my sidebar and have any updates sent straight to your inbox!
In the meantime, you can check out some of these past recipes I’ve shared that use legumes/beans:
Black Beans and Rice (with shredded chicken and apple salsa) – I plan to make a whole post devoted to just the beans recipe (which I made on MasterChef!) but for now, you’ll have to use this old post and follow the instructions for the beans)
This is FANTASTIC! What an awesome resource and THANK YOU for putting it together. I love dried beans – something I do is cook them in a slow cooker. (My Instant Pot scared me, so it went to a friend. 🙂 ) So many thanks!
Thank you, Shelley! YES, I forgot to add a section about cooking them in a slow cooker so I think I’ll add a separate post on that. Dried beans are really an excellent food source, so I hope this guide will make them a bit more approachable 🙂