Soaking or not, simmering times for dried beans and lentils, salting, and swapping in canned beans.
To soak or not
Soaking dried beans overnight in plenty of water shortens cooking and helps them cook evenly; drain and rinse before cooking. No time? A quick soak: cover with water, boil for 2 minutes, then let them stand covered off the heat for an hour. Unsoaked beans work too, they just take longer. Lentils and split peas never need soaking.
Cooking
Cover soaked beans with 2 inches (5 cm) of fresh water, add a pinch of salt and any aromatics (onion, garlic, bay leaf), bring to a boil, then simmer gently, partly covered, until creamy all the way through. Taste several beans: they don't all finish at once.
Black beans
- Simmer (soaked):
- 1–1 ½ hours
- Notes:
- Hold their shape well
Chickpeas
- Simmer (soaked):
- 1 ½–2 hours
- Notes:
- Longer if old; great for hummus when very soft
Kidney beans
- Simmer (soaked):
- 1–1 ½ hours
- Notes:
- Must boil hard for 10 minutes first (see below)
Pinto beans
- Simmer (soaked):
- 1–1 ½ hours
- Notes:
- Creamy; good for refried beans
Cannellini, navy beans
- Simmer (soaked):
- 1–1 ½ hours
- Notes:
- Soups, stews, salads
Brown or green lentils
- Simmer (soaked):
- 20–30 minutes
- Notes:
- No soaking; hold their shape
Red lentils
- Simmer (soaked):
- 15–20 minutes
- Notes:
- No soaking; fall apart into soups and dal
Split peas
- Simmer (soaked):
- 40–60 minutes
- Notes:
- No soaking; for soup
| Bean | Simmer (soaked) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Black beans | 1–1 ½ hours | Hold their shape well |
| Chickpeas | 1 ½–2 hours | Longer if old; great for hummus when very soft |
| Kidney beans | 1–1 ½ hours | Must boil hard for 10 minutes first (see below) |
| Pinto beans | 1–1 ½ hours | Creamy; good for refried beans |
| Cannellini, navy beans | 1–1 ½ hours | Soups, stews, salads |
| Brown or green lentils | 20–30 minutes | No soaking; hold their shape |
| Red lentils | 15–20 minutes | No soaking; fall apart into soups and dal |
| Split peas | 40–60 minutes | No soaking; for soup |
Canned beans
One 15-ounce (425 g) can holds about 1 ½ cups of drained beans, about the same as ½ cup (90–100 g) of dried beans after cooking. Rinse canned beans to remove extra salt and the starchy liquid, unless a recipe uses it (chickpea liquid, aquafaba, whips like egg whites).