Dried beans are a great source of protein and take very little effort to cook. This is a basic guide on how to prepare and cook dried beans, but with a little creativity you can transform them into a delicious dish!
1. To prepare beans for cooking, soak them overnight in cold water, salt, and baking soda (if using). Adding baking soda helps to tenderize the dried beans, which then shortens the cooking time and produces a softer texture.
2. Drain the beans. They are now ready to be cooked by any method, just follow your favorite recipe that calls for dried beans or see our recipe for refried beans below. Beans will take about one hour to cook on the stove, about 3-4 hours to cook in a crockpot set on high, and about 15-30 minutes to cook in a pressure cooker.
3. If you do not have time to soak overnight, you can try this quick cooking method. Place your beans, salt, and baking soda in a pot and cover with three times the amount of water as beans. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and let beans sit for one hour.
Refried Bean Ingredients
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 tsp spices, we like using 1 tsp ground cumin and 1/2 tsp smoked salt
• 1 quart of stock, plus more, low sodium preferred
• salt and pepper, to taste
Refried Bean Recipe
1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil of your choice in a large pot and add chopped onions. Cook onion until it is translucent.
2. Add spices and stir together.
3. Next, add soaked beans and 1 full quart of stock. Cook beans until they are very soft and tender, adding extra stock as liquid evaporates from the pot.
4. Turn off the heat and mash beans well with a potato masher inside the pot. The starch from the beans will thicken the mixture, so it does not have to be too thick before the mashing step. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm. Enjoy!