A Proper Pot of Beans — Photo:
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

1 hr

Yield:

6 cups

Dried beans are little powerhouses and culinary gems that don’t always get their chance to shine. But they’re affordable, versatile, and packed with flavor, and they offer better textures than their canned counterparts.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to soak dried beans?

The notion that dried beans need an overnight soak to reduce cooking time has, in the past, immediately eliminated them as an option for Monday-to-Friday cooking for many home cooks. But while soaking dried beans does have some benefits (namely, it aids digestion by breaking down complex sugars and also helps to reduce phytic acid, which makes it easier for your body to absorb nutrients), it’s not a necessary step. The time that soaking beans in advance shaves off the overall cook time can be so minuscule that the extra effort is pretty much pointless. (Sometimes the difference is as little as 15 to 30 minutes.) In fact, many bean aficionados argue that dried beans retain more of their flavor, have improved texture, and yield better pot liquor if you skip the soak. But if the dried beans are old (or if you don’t know how old they are), a soak of 6 to 8 hours (or overnight) may help ensure even cooking.

What about brining?

Brining, which involves soaking the dried beans in a saltwater solution, enhances flavor and helps to soften the beans’ skins, improving the final texture. Brining is optional and can be as short as 2 hours or up to overnight. To brine dried beans, cover the beans with 3 to 4 inches of water, and stir in 1 tablespoon kosher salt.

Should you add salt when cooking dried beans?

For ages, it’s been said that adding salt to beans at any point before the last bit of cooking will result in tough, inedible beans. The truth is that toughness is more likely the result of low-quality beans than the addition of salt. Happily, higher-quality dried beans are increasingly easy to find, which has helped debunk the salt myth. As with brining, salting the beans from the get-go can enhance flavor and texture and create a tastier pot liquor.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

The cooking time for dried beans can vary greatly, so start checking smaller varieties at around 30 minutes and larger varieties after about 1 hour. To use the beans in other recipes, cook through step 1; to enjoy these as a hearty meal on their own, continue through step 2.

Make ahead

Beans can be made through step 1 and transferred to heatproof containers using a slotted spoon. Add enough cooking liquid to cover beans, and let cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Cover with airtight lids, and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

1 pound dried beans, picked over and rinsed
4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
3 to 4 ounces bacon, ham hock, or smoked turkey (optional)
1 medium-size yellow onion, halved lengthwise
1 large carrot, scrubbed and halved crosswise
1 large celery stalk, halved crosswise
4 medium garlic cloves
2 thyme sprigs
2 parsley sprigs
2 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Directions

Place beans, broth, bacon (if using), onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, parsley, and bay leaves in a large (at least 8-quart) heavy-bottomed pot. Add water to cover by 2 to 3 inches. (The pot should be no more than 1/2 to 3/4 full.) Bring to a boil over medium-high. Stir in salt; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer over medium-low, stirring occasionally and skimming as needed, until tender. (This can range from 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on type of beans; refer to package instructions, if available, for suggested cooking times.) Add water as needed to ensure beans remain covered by about 2 inches of liquid during cook time. Remove from heat. Remove and discard bacon, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, parsley, and bay leaves. Season with additional salt to taste.
Transfer 1 cup beans with cooking liquid to a blender. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening. Process until nearly smooth, about 15 seconds. Return to beans in pot, and season with additional salt, if desired. (For a creamier texture, process 1 1/2 cups beans with liquid.)