How to Cook Dried Beans and Lentils
It's easier than you think, and way cheaper than canned.
Dried beans and lentils show up in food pantry bags all the time, and a lot of people leave them sitting in the cupboard because they seem like too much work. Soaking overnight? Cook times measured in hours? It sounds like a project.
Here's the truth: lentils don't need soaking at all and cook in about 25 minutes. Beans need a little more planning, but the actual hands-on time is minimal. And a single bag of dried beans produces the equivalent of about 3 cans of beans for a fraction of the cost.
Lentils: the easiest one
If you've never cooked dried legumes before, start with lentils. They require no soaking and cook faster than rice.
How to cook them: Rinse lentils in a strainer and pick out any tiny stones (this takes 30 seconds). Put them in a pot with water, using about 3 cups of water per 1 cup of lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender. Drain any extra water.
Brown/green lentils hold their shape and work great in soups, chili, and anywhere you'd use ground beef. They take 20-25 minutes.
Red lentils break down completely and get soft and mushy. They're perfect for thickening soups or making dal. They take 15-20 minutes.
What to make with lentils
Lentil Sloppy Joes use brown lentils as a ground beef replacement. Nobody will complain.
Lentil Pasta Sauce is a thick, meaty sauce without any meat.
One-Pot Lentil and Rice cooks everything in one pot for a complete meal.
Beef and Lentil Chili stretches half a pound of ground beef into a full pot of chili.
Easy Lentil Soup is one of the cheapest meals on the entire site.
Dried beans: two ways to soak
Unlike lentils, most dried beans need to be soaked before cooking. Soaking softens them so they cook evenly and in a reasonable amount of time. There are two methods:
Overnight soak (easiest)
Put beans in a large bowl, cover with several inches of water (they'll expand), and leave them on the counter overnight or for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse in the morning. That's it.
Quick soak (when you forgot to plan ahead)
Put beans in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let them sit for 1 hour. Drain and rinse. They're ready to cook.
Cooking soaked beans
Once beans are soaked, the cooking is simple. Put them in a pot with fresh water (about 3 cups of water per 1 cup of soaked beans). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender. Here are the approximate cook times:
Black beans: 60-90 minutes
Kidney beans: 60-90 minutes
Pinto beans: 60-90 minutes
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas): 90-120 minutes
Beans are done when you can easily squish one between your fingers. If they're still a little hard in the center, keep cooking. Add more water if the pot gets low.
Important: Don't add salt until the last 10 minutes of cooking. Salt added too early can make the skins tough.
Why bother with dried?
Canned beans are convenient and there's nothing wrong with using them. But dried beans have some real advantages:
Cost. A 1-pound bag of dried beans costs about $1-2 and yields the equivalent of roughly 3 cans. At $1 per can, that's a savings of $1-2 per batch.
Quantity. When you cook dried beans, you end up with a lot. One pound of dried beans makes about 6 cups of cooked beans. That's enough for multiple meals.
Less sodium. Canned beans come packed in salty liquid. Dried beans cooked at home have virtually no sodium unless you add it yourself.
Taste. This is subjective, but a lot of people find that home-cooked beans have a better texture and cleaner flavor than canned.
Store the extras
Cooked beans keep in the fridge for about 5 days. If you made more than you need (and you probably will), put the extras in a container or bag and refrigerate them. Use them throughout the week in burritos, soups, rice bowls, tacos, or salads.
You can also freeze cooked beans. Spread them on a plate to cool, then put them in a bag and freeze. They'll keep for months and thaw quickly in a pot of soup or chili.
The short version
Lentils: Rinse, boil, simmer 20-25 minutes. No soaking needed.
Beans: Soak overnight (or quick soak for 1 hour), then simmer 60-90 minutes.
Both: Use 3 cups water per 1 cup dried. Don't add salt until the end. Start checking for doneness 10 minutes before the estimated time.
That's it. Once you've done it once, you'll realize it's mostly waiting, not cooking. And the amount of food you get from a single bag makes it one of the best deals in your kitchen.
Ready to cook? Check off your ingredients and we'll show you what meals you can make.