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Beans, peas, and lentils are all legumes, a group of plant-based foods that grow in pods. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), legumes are a vegetable subgroup packed with nutrients. Legumes offer a wealth of health benefits at a budget-friendly price, from folate and potassium to iron and zinc.
Legumes keep you feeling fuller for longer thanks to their protein and fiber content. The fiber also supports gut health. Plus, their complex carbs provide sustained energy. Legumes can even help regulate blood sugar and pressure.
However, there’s more to these nutritional powerhouses. Soaking beans, a common practice, offers additional advantages beyond quicker cooking times. Here are the benefits of soaking beans, how to soak beans properly, and helpful tips for incorporating these versatile legumes into your diet.
Do You Have To Soak Beans Before Cooking Them?
According to the USDA. dry beans and chickpeas should be cleaned and soaked before cooking. Because of their small size, dry peas and lentils typically do not require soaking. Nevertheless, you might want to soak them to reap additional health benefits. Canned beans, peas, and lentils do not require soaking as they’ve been pre-cooked during the canning process.
Soaking beans before cooking them helps them absorb water and cook evenly. It reduces cooking time.
Benefit of Soaking Beans
Beyond reducing cooking time, soaking beans unlocks additional benefits.
Reduce Digestive Issues
Beans contain oligosaccharides, a class of carbohydrates that can be challenging for your body to digest. This can potentially lead to digestive discomfort like gas, bloating, abdominal pain, distention, and diarrhea. Soaking beans can help reduce these side effects by releasing some oligosaccharides into the water.43
Reduce Antinutrients
Legumes contain compounds known as antinutrients that hinder nutrient absorption. Some examples are lectins, which can cause digestive problems if beans aren’t cooked right; phytic acid, which can grab onto iron, calcium, and zinc, making them tougher for the body to use; and tannins, which can make it harder for the body to digest protein and absorb vitamins and minerals.
Soaking or cooking beans can improve digestibility and boost nutritional quality by reducing antinutrients. The reduction varies depending on the legume type and soaking time.
Improve Texture and Softness
Soaking beans allows them to retain their shape while improving their texture and softness.4 The softer texture is especially desirable in dishes where a creamy consistency is key. Imagine smooth hummus, silky bean purees, or creamy bean soups.
Dry Beans vs. Canned Beans
Canned beans and dry beans have unique characteristics. Canned beans undergo a brief boiling process, are sealed in liquid, and cooked at high temperatures under steam pressure. In contrast, dry beans are harvested, dried, and packaged after being removed from their pods.3
Here are some other differences:
Prep time: Canned beans are pre-cooked and don’t require soaking—just draining and rinsing. Dry beans require inspection for debris and must be soaked before cooking, resulting in a longer meal prep time.
Sodium: Canned beans usually come packed in liquid that contains sodium, but you can find low-sodium or no-salt varieties. Draining and rinsing them reduces the sodium content. Dry beans contain no added salt.
Texture: Canned beans are typically softer than their dry counterparts, which can retain a firmer texture after cooking.
Taste: Some people prefer the flavor of dry beans over canned ones, as dried beans can absorb more flavor from seasonings and cooking liquids.
Canned and dry beans can last over a year at room temperature, but remember to check the best-if-used-by date before consuming them.3
While dry beans tend to be more cost-effective, canned beans offer convenience. Nutrient-wise, dry beans appear to offer more nutrients. For instance, dry kidney and black beans provide more protein, fiber, and nutrients like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, manganese, and folate than their canned bean counterparts.