Hallelujah, I have finally found a way to cook dry beans with NO SOAKING required.
I always prefer to cook beans from scratch when I can. Dry beans are so much cheaper than the canned stuff and have much less sodium as well. I am also of the opinion that they taste better. They are creamier and have more of an earthy taste to them.
For ages I followed my weekend routine of soaking black beans overnight on Saturday and cooking them in the pressure cooker on Sunday mornings. The beans lost so much of their beautiful black color overnight leaving them looking like a grape skittle that has been sucked on for a few minutes. Not very appetizing.
Cooking them in the pressure cooker was time-efficient, but the beans would burst and I could never guarantee the same texture twice.
Finally, I found this recipe from The Kitchn for cooking beans in the oven and it has changed my life. Simply dump your ingredients (without soaking the beans!) into a pot, put it in the oven, and an hour and fifteen minutes later you have perfectly cooked beans, every time.
We eat them with various meals throughout the week, or for a quick snack we’ll throw a few in a bowl, put cheese and scallions on top, and nuke it in the microwave for thirty seconds. Pintos and cheese, ole!
Here’s the recipe (I haven’t changed it one bit!):
Makes: 6 cups cooked beans (the equivalent of four 15 oz. cans), or 12 half cup servings.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. dried beans (any kind, but not lentils)
- Salt
- Seasonings (I usually toss in a bay leaf, some cumin, chili powder, minced garlic, and black pepper)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sort through your beans and remove any debris.
- Place the sorted dry beans in a 3-quart or larger Dutch Oven with a tight-fitting lid.
- Add 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Add enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch.
- Put on the lid and bake for one hour and fifteen minutes.
- Check the beans and stir them. If they are tender, take them out of the oven.
- If they aren’t done, put them back in the oven for 15-minute intervals. If they appear to be drying out, add a cup of hot water.
- Store in the fridge, covered. You can also divide the cooked beans and freeze them for later use.
Recipe: The Kitchn
Nutrition (per 1/2 cup serving):
114 calories, 0 g. fat, 8 g. protein, 20 g. carbs, 7.5 g. fiber. WW PointsPlus: 2
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