How to Soak Dried Beans

Here at Coined Cuisine, we like to operate in the intersection between food and finance. And dried legumes are the ultimate cheat code for cheap, filling protein and fiber. Keep scrolling for lots of information about How to Soak Dried Beans, what's the benefits of soaking, and what to do if you need to cook beans in a pinch.

A photo of 4 varieties of dry beans in bowls with a wooden spoon next to them.

Beans are filling and nutritious, and cooking from dry instead of using canned helps to lower your sodium consumption! Most recipes that call for dried beans instruct you to use some that have been soaked overnight - but luckily it's a super easy process.

Jump to:

Wait - Why Do We Soak Beans?
How Do You Soak Dry Beans Overnight?
I Forgot to Soak My Beans - What Now?
Cooking Pro Tips
Cooking FAQs
Recipes That Call for Soaked Beans:
How to Soak Dried Beans

Wait - Why Do We Soak Beans?

Soaking dried beans in water gently rehydrates them. There's three main benefits to this process: time, consistency, and digestion. While cooking dried beans as is will take about 2 hours to soften, soaked beans take 30 - 45 minutes to fully cook. Using soaked legumes allows for a more even cook, plus fewer split beans. And finally, soaked beans are easier to digest! The soaking process gets rid of naturally occurring complex sugars that cause a lot of gas and indigestion.

How Do You Soak Dry Beans Overnight?

It's a pretty simple process. For most dried beans, it's best to soak them before cooking.

If you're using a thin-skinned bean like lentils, you can actually skip this process. However, I still recommend soaking before cooking if you historically have digestive reactions to lentils.

A split photo of a bowl of soaked black eyed peas, the left side at the start of the process, the right side after soaking.

Pick out/discard any debris or impurities from the dried beans.
Add them to a large bowl, then cover with water. You want at least 2 inches of water covering the beans, so they are all completely submerged.
Leave them out on the counter (you can loosely top with a lid if you prefer) for at least 8 hours, but preferably overnight.
When you're ready to cook them, drain the soaking water and you're good to go!

I Forgot to Soak My Beans - What Now?

We've all been there. Luckily, there's a quick-soak method to get your beans ready to cook in about an hour.

A photo of a pot of red beans boiling in water.

Step 1: Rinse the beans in water and pick out/discard any debris or impurities. Strain the water from the beans.

Step 2: Boil the rinsed beans in a large pot of water, uncovered, for 5 minutes. You want the pot to be at a rolling boil.

A spoon scooping up red beans from their red soaking liquid.

Step 3: Cut the heat off, cover the pot, then let the beans soak in that hot water for an hour.

Step 4: Drain the water once more, then the beans are ready to use!

Cooking Pro Tips

Hold off on the salt. I've found that adding salt too early in the cooking process can prevent the beans from getting soft - especially using older dried beans. Don't add any salt during your soaking process.
Watch out for red beans. Red beans have a natural protein that, when undercooked, can act as a toxin. Be sure to properly soak red beans before cooking and consuming!

Cooking FAQs

How much water is needed to cook soaked beans?

I recommend a ratio of 3 cups of water to every 1 cup of dried beans that you're cooking.

Also, keep in mind when preparing meals that 1 cup of dried beans usually swells up to about 3 cups of cooked beans.

Can I add my beans straight to the slow cooker?

Most dried beans are fine to add to the slow cooker, except for red beans or red kidney beans. Unfortunately, a slow cooker doesn't get hot enough to properly cook red beans from dry.

For red beans, always soak for at least 8 hours and discard the soaking liquid before cooking (or use the quick-soak method).

Boil the drained, soaked beans in fresh water for at least 20 minutes.

Do you need to soak dried lentils?

Actually, no! Lentils are really small and cook in 30-45 minutes anyway.

However, some people have bad digestive reactions to lentils - for those, it may help to soak for 10-20 minutes before cooking.

Should I add baking soda to my dried beans?

Baking soda creates an alkaline environment when cooking beans that helps break down the skins to create softer, creamier beans.

I recommend adding baking soda during the cooking process for certain recipes, especially for creamy bean-forward dishes like hummus!

Recipes That Call for Soaked Beans:

The soaking method works with all sorts of dried legumes! Try some of the following beans and recipes:

Black Beans - Used in my Spicy Shrimp Burrito Bowls or Southwest Chicken Salad.
Black Eyed Peas - Tastes amazing on their own in Soul Food Black-Eyed Peas or in Guyanese Cook Up Rice.
Cannellini Beans - A mild bean that adds creaminess and protein to Roasted Red Pepper Soup.
Chickpeas - These can be roasted after cooking for a great snack, or add them to my High Protein Mediterranean Pasta Salad.
Kidney Beans - A staple in hearty dishes like Savory Pumpkin Chili.
Lentils - Fun fact, these small legumes don't need to be soaked! They cook in about 30-45 minutes anyway; but, if you have a bad digestive reaction to lentils, soaking may help. These can be used in Lentil & Potato Soup or Indian dishes like Dal Tadka.
Navy Beans - The traditional bean for Southern Baked Beans.
Pinto Beans - These are perfect for making Refried Beans right at home.
Red Beans - The star in Creole Red Beans & Rice.

If you learned How to Soak Dried Beans and used my tips in the kitchen, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!