My basic recipe for cooking beans is perfect as a soup or as a base for appetizers, first courses or main dishes.
Fresh beans naturally do not require soaking.
Soaking
Remember that dried legumes need to be soaked for 12-24 hours, during which it is advisable to change the water a couple of times and then rinse them well before cooking.
Choosing beans
I prefer to buy locally sourced beans.
Cooking in a pressure cooker
Cooking beans in a pressure cooker reduces cooking time and makes them softer and more digestible.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- beans (2 servings, weight according to dietary plan)
- water (equal to twice the volume of the beans)
- to taste salt
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (for finishing (raw))
I usually prepare extra portions to have a convenient supply to freeze [meal prep].
Suggested tools
- 1 Colander fine mesh
- 1 Bowl or salad bowl
- Pressure cooker
Preparation
Cleaning fresh beans
Shell the beans, remove the legumes from the pods and rinse them thoroughly.Cleaning dried beans
Spread the dried beans on a work surface and check them carefully, removing any impurities or small stones.Fresh beans naturally do not require soaking.
Soaking helps make dried beans soft and allows anti-nutritional substances to be released into the water.
The soaking water should not be used for cooking.– wash and rinse the dried beans well until the water runs clear;
– soak for about 12 hours, changing the water a couple of times;
– rinse the rehydrated beans well before cooking.Waste-saving tips
Use a fine-mesh colander or fuscelle [the perforated baskets used for fresh ricotta] to drain the legumes and collect the soaking water to water plants; not for food use.The hydrated and cleaned beans are ready to be poured into the pot.
Before you start
– always consult the manual of your pressure cooker;
– check that valves and gaskets are clean;
– do not exceed the maximum fill line indicated inside the pot.In the pressure cooker, add:
– the fresh beans or the rehydrated dried beans;
– water equal to twice the volume of the beans.
Close the pot.
Always make sure the gasket is properly seated and the valve is free.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until the cooker reaches pressure and the valve emits the classic whistle.
Once at pressure, lower the heat and cook for:
– about 15 minutes for fresh beans;
– about 20 minutes for rehydrated dried beans.
Turn off the heat, allow the steam to release completely, then open the lid carefully and away from your face.
Add the salt: now and not at the beginning of cooking to avoid hardening the outer skin of the legumes, which would extend cooking time.If you use an electric pressure cooker [like an Instant Pot], the steps are similar but the controls differ.
Your digestible and light beans are ready.
In the basic recipe they are perfect as a soup or as a base for appetizers, first courses or main dishes.
Plate and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil raw to enjoy them at their best.
Enjoy your meal!
Pass the cooked beans through a food mill: this ensures separation from the skins without incorporating air bubbles.
This method works for all varieties of fresh and dried beans such as cannellini beans, black-eyed peas, Spanish white beans, black beans.
Cooking times vary slightly depending on the variety chosen.This method is also valid for chickpeas and broad beans.
For lentils, split lentils and split peas or mixed legumes I use an IMCO or a traditional pot instead.
Storage, tips and variations
Storage
Store cooked beans in airtight containers:
– in the fridge for up to 3-4 days;
– in the freezer for up to 3 months.
It is advisable to drain the legumes before freezing them: nutrient loss is minimal but, in the context of freezer storage, this is a useful choice:
– better preservation without ice crystals;
– faster thawing;
– versatility: drained legumes are more practical to use in different recipes.
The amount of nutrients lost is minimal: most nutrients remain in the legume itself and many of these substances would degrade anyway during freezing and subsequent reheating.
Let the legumes cool completely, drain and portion them.
If you want to retain everything, you can use the cooking liquid immediately or freeze it separately.
When you thaw them, you can reintegrate liquid by adding water or vegetable broth.
If you plan to use them in brothy dishes such as soups or purees you can freeze them with some of their cooking liquid ensuring the container is suitable and leaving space for expansion.
Tips and variations
Since this is a basic recipe I cook the beans simply.
If you prefer, you can add bay leaf.
With the heat off add a sprig of rosemary and a few sage leaves.
Beans can be used to make creams and even chocolate desserts in place of flour.
FAQ – Questions and Answers
Tips on how to combine legumes
In short:
– legumes + cereals [bread, pasta or rice preferably wholegrain] = correct combination;
– legumes + proteins = correct combination.
To explore this topic further read the article by clicking on the following link: combining legumes in the diet.
For brothy first courses, to avoid glycemic spikes, it is advisable to cook the pasta separately, then rinse it and add it to the prepared brothy sauce; this way the starch released by the pasta into the cooking water is removed.How can I be sure the legumes are of Italian origin?
Often legumes are grown abroad and packaged in Italy.
Carefully check that the packages indicate:
Origin: Italy; Grown in Italy; 100% Italian product.
The wording “EU” or “non-EU” means they come from different countries, for example Canada.When are fresh beans harvested?
Fresh beans are generally harvested from July to September.
Early varieties can be ready as early as June-July while late varieties mature around September-October.
