This is our universal recipe for cooking dried beans, including the quick soak. It is intentionally lightly seasoned, both in terms of sodium and with regard to other flavorings. This lets the cooked beans be eaten as-is or used in other dishes, with sodium budget to spare and without conflicting with other flavors.
This recipe was developed using pintos (far and away the most common bean in New Mexico), but should work equally well for any other small-to-medium bean.
Nutrition
Per serving (1/2 cup, cooked)
- 250mg sodium
- 1.1g fat (0.2g saturated)
- 22.5g carbs, 7.5g fiber (15 net carbs)
- 7.5g protein
- 122 calories
Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Quick soak
- Measure out the dry beans
- Add beans to pot, then cover with plenty of water
- Bring to a boil
- Hold at a rolling boil for two minutes
- Turn off heat, cover pot, and let the beans soak for one hour
- Pour off water and rinse beans in colander
Cook
- Return beans to pot and add the measured water
- Return to a boil and skim off any scum
- Reduce heat to a simmer, stir in seasonings, and chiles
- Return to a simmer if needed. Cover and cook for one hour.
- After the first hour, test beans. If not yet done, cook for 15 minutes more and check again. Repeat as needed, cooking and testing in 15 minute increments.
- Remove chile pods
- Serve immediately, or cool and retain for use in other recipes
Notes
A serving is 1/2 cup of cooked beans. One serving (with broth) will contain approximately 250mg of sodium, allowing this recipe to be used as a side or as part of another dish.