Soaking and Cooking Dried Legumes

Dried chickpeas, beans and lentils are far cheaper and often tastier than tinned - they just require planning ahead. Soaking reduces cooking time, improves digestibility by starting to break down oligosaccharides, and produces a more evenly cooked, better-textured result than pressure-cooking dry legumes.

Step-by-Step: Soaking and Cooking Dried Legumes

1. Pick over dried legumes for any stones or damaged ones. Rinse well.
2. Cover with at least triple their volume of cold water and leave to soak: chickpeas and kidney beans 8 - 12 hours; black beans 6 - 8 hours; lentils and split peas do not need soaking.
3. Drain and rinse. Transfer to a large pot and cover with fresh cold water by at least 5cm.
4. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes (critical for kidney beans to neutralise lectins). Skim any foam.
5. Reduce to a firm simmer and cook until completely tender: chickpeas 45 - 75 minutes, kidney beans 45 - 60 minutes, black beans 45 - 60 minutes.
6. Do not add salt until the last 10 minutes of cooking - it toughens the skins if added early.

Chef's Tips

• Add a piece of kombu seaweed to the cooking water - it helps break down the oligosaccharides that cause gas.
• A pinch of bicarbonate of soda in the soaking water speeds up cooking but can make the skins slip off - use sparingly.
• Cool in their cooking liquid, then freeze in 400g portions (equivalent to one tin) for convenient use.

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