Cooking with Beans and Lentils: A Cheap, Healthy Staple

Beans and lentils are among the most affordable, filling and versatile foods in the world. Nearly every cuisine has a signature dish built on them: Indian dal, Ethiopian stews, Brazilian black beans, Turkish soups, Middle Eastern hummus. They are rich in fiber and protein, keep for years and cost very little. This guide shows you how to cook them well, and how to decide between dried and canned.

Dried versus canned

Canned beans are cooked and ready, saving time. Drain and rinse them to remove excess sodium. Two 15-ounce (425 g) cans equal about 3 cups of cooked beans. Dried beans cost less per serving, taste fresher and let you control salt and texture. They take more planning. A pound (450 g) of dried beans yields about 6 cups cooked.

Lentils are the easy ones

Lentils do not need soaking. Rinse and pick through them for small stones, then simmer.

• Red lentils cook in about 15 to 25 minutes and break down into a creamy texture, ideal for Turkish red lentil soup and misir wot.
• Brown or green lentils take 20 to 30 minutes and hold their shape, good for salads and stews.
• Black (beluga) and French green lentils stay firm and take about 20 to 25 minutes.

How to cook dried beans

1. Sort and rinse: check for debris and wash.
2. Soak (optional but helpful): cover with water by 2 inches (5 cm) and soak 8 hours or overnight, then drain. For a quick soak, boil for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and let them stand for 1 hour.
3. Simmer: cover with fresh water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook partially covered. Most beans take 1 to 2 hours, depending on type and age.
4. Season: add salt once the beans begin to soften, or at the start. Modern testing shows salting early does not toughen beans and improves flavor.
5. Test: beans are done when creamy inside, with no chalky center. Taste several.

Add aromatics to the pot: a bay leaf, a halved onion, a few garlic cloves. Keep acidic ingredients such as tomatoes and vinegar until after the beans are tender, because acid can slow softening.

Important safety note on kidney beans

Raw or undercooked red kidney beans contain a natural toxin, phytohaemagglutinin, that can cause severe stomach upset. Soak them, discard the water and boil them vigorously for at least 10 minutes before simmering until tender. Do not cook raw kidney beans in a slow cooker without boiling them first, because the low temperature may not destroy the toxin. See also food safety basics at home.

Why are my beans still hard?

• Old beans: beans stored for years may never soften. Buy from a store with good turnover.
• Hard water or acid: both can slow cooking.
• Not enough time: keep simmering and add water as needed.
• Altitude: longer cooking times are necessary.

Flavor ideas around the world

• India: simmer chickpeas in spiced tomato gravy for chana masala.
• Ethiopia: cook red lentils with berbere for misir wot.
• Brazil: simmer black beans with garlic, bay and cumin, as in Brazilian black bean stew.
• Lebanon: blend chickpeas with tahini and lemon for hummus.
• New England: bake navy beans with maple in slow-cooker baked beans.
• Texas and the Southwest: simmer white beans in white chicken chili.

Digestion tips

Beans can cause gas because of complex sugars. Soaking and discarding the water, cooking thoroughly, rinsing canned beans and introducing them gradually into your diet can all help. Spices such as cumin, ginger and fennel are traditionally used with beans, too.

Storage

Store dried beans in airtight containers in a cool, dark place. Cooked beans keep 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator in their cooking liquid, and 3 months in the freezer. Freeze in portions to make future meals easier.

Nutrition notes

Beans and lentils are good sources of protein and fiber, and many of our recipes in the vegan and high-protein hubs rely on them. Figures on our site are estimates only, and individual needs vary. See our Nutrition & Allergy Disclaimer.

Where to start

If you are new, begin with red lentil soup, which takes 30 minutes and no soaking. Then try a pot of beans on a weekend and use them all week. Stock up using our pantry staples list and stretch your food budget with the budget grocery list.