Recipe: Homemade Beans From Scratch
From dried to cooked, it's good to know everything about preparing, cooking and eating beans and why they're an important part of a healthy diet.
A staple food for thousands of years, wonderfully versatile and delicious, beans and legumes are among the most nutritious and inexpensive foods in the world.
If you think that beans take too long to cook, you’re partially right. The thing is that the actual hands-on time you have to invest in making beans from scratch is minimal.
It’s all about planning ahead of time to sort, wash, pre-soak and then cook beans. And with the use of timer on your phone or Amazon Echo, you can on to other tasks while the beans soak and cook. Generally, medium to large beans can soak all day or overnight.
Beans and legumes, also known as pulses in their dried form, come in all sizes, shapes and colors. And you can use the many varieties of beans, including ancient heirloom varieties, which can be used interchangeably in most recipes that call for beans.
Beans and legumes are the most budget friendly way to pack in nutrients and expand on meal variety, and they offer fantastic flavors and textures.
I prefer to cook beans by themselves rather than within a recipe such as the White Bean Soup with Fresh Collard Greens. I could have cooked the beans as part of the recipe but it would take more time and vigilance to do so. Moreover, cooking beans separately provide more options for using the same beans in multiple ways and make different meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Keeping homemade beans in the refrigerator as a staple food is a wonderful and convenient way to make endless and exciting meals in the form of soups, spreads, dips, stews and salads.
Many of my Spartan Diet recipes include flavors, spices and herbs used in cuisines from around the world inspired by the countries I’ve lived in the past 14 years including Greece, Morocco, France, Italy, Turkey, Spain and Mexico among others.
Nutrients in Beans
Rich in protein, antioxidants, soluble fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, iron and potassium, beans and legumes are also considered low glycemic and anti-inflammatory foods.
Beans are excellent for regulating body weight, metabolic functions and a host of medical lifestyle related illnesses including diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol and also offer protection against cancer.
Beans are a staple in the Spartan Diet due to their high nutritional value. When paired with whole grains like quinoa and brown rice, beans provide complete protein.
Shopping for beans
Buying beans in bulk is even less expensive than buying them by the pound or pre-packaged from the store.
I always opt for buying organic beans and legumes in bulk from five to ten and even up to 25 pounds bags. The cost for beans can typically be up to 60% less than buying on a per single pound basis. And beans last at least 3 and up to 5 years (if not more) when stored properly. They really are a wondrous, nourishing and forgiving food.
I’m currently a member of a co-op purchasing club that buys directly from Azure Standard, and their prices are reasonable. They sell healthy food and products to individuals, buying clubs, stores, restaurants, and manufacturers in all the United States except those in the far Northeast. They are not a sponsor, I simply appreciate the service they provide.
The bottom line is that beans are available everywhere around the world and whether you buy in bulk or not, beans are among the cheapest and most healthful foods you can eat.
Do Beans Cause Stomach Discomfort?
Beans are notorious for causing stomach discomfort. Many people refuse to eat beans for that reason. Unfortunately, avoiding beans means saying no to wonderful important nutrients and delicious meals that are friendly on the pocket.
Eliminating an entire food group is not a good idea for achieving and maintaining total health.
Many foods can cause some degree of flatulence. But beans in particular are shunned because they can cause more gas than other foods. However, there are different factors that determine how and why beans cause this trouble.
It’s ironic that the less beans we eat, the more digestion problems we might develop, especially, as we get older. Eating beans more frequently is the natural answer to getting better at digesting beans. It’s a kind of use-it-or-lose-it digestive ability.
One factor that affects people’s reactions to beans is gut flora health. So yes, beans can cause a degree of flatulence from almost none to a lot. But much of that depends on your own individual gut flora health.
Someone who has taken antibiotics will likely have a poor reaction to beans because the gut health has been compromised. Antibiotics destroy not only bad bacteria but also good bacteria. This can be helped by eating more fermented foods and more foods with fiber on daily basis.
The effect of beans on the digestive system is different for all individuals, as every person’s genetic makeup, predisposition to foods, food allergies, general diet and lifestyle can affect the gut flora and therefore the digestive system and overall health.
Every person’s gut flora is unique for each individual. For example, a family of four eating the exact same meal will likely have different digestive reactions to the same meal.
The gut microbiome is the foundation of the immune system. For a healthy gut flora eating a fiber rich diet with fermented foods on regular basis is essential. Drinking plenty of water, exercising and getting a good eight hours of sleep per night are also important factors for the overall immune system and gut flora health.
Incidentally, it’s good to avoid eating sweets and sugar after eating beans. In fact eating sweets in general does not help the gut flora or digestive process.
The good news is that The Spartan Diet is a great diet for optimizing your gut health, immune system and general well being.
The Spartan Diet provides thorough information for best and healthiest food preparation and cooking methods to make food optimum for digestibility and bioavailability.
Storing Dry Beans
Store dry beans in airtight containers in a cool, dry place that’s not in direct sunlight so they can last three to five years when properly stored.
Measuring, Sorting and Washing Dry Beans
Measure desired quantity of beans. Keep in mind that every one cup of dry beans will yield 2.5 to 3 cups of soaked beans, depending on the variety, age and size of beans.
In an extra large ceramic bowl (or glass bowl), sort the beans and discard rotted beans, stones, dirt and any other debris.
Once sorted, fill bowl with cool running water and wash the beans thoroughly. Rinse them a couple of times until the water looks mostly clear. Drain water completely to get them ready for soaking.
To Soak or Not to Soak?
There is a good deal of controversy about whether or not soaking beans is useful or a waste of time.
In our development of the Spartan Diet, we’ve studied the science, listened to ancient wisdom and also have made our own observations based on our personal experience. I find that soaking beans do offer benefits when done properly.
It’s also believed that soaking beans can slightly reduce the natural rich flavor of beans when soaked. And I’ve experienced the same but I believe the benefits outweigh the costs. And adding fresh and dried herbs and spices more than make up for the minimal natural bean flavor sacrifice.
Soaking beans with added raw apple cider vinegar helps break down the starches in beans, which aids the digestion process when eaten reducing gas and digestion discomfort significantly.
Soaking and cooking beans is beneficial helps reduce toxic lectin proteins and phytic acid. Phytic acid is considered an anti-nutrient for its chelating properties of minerals resulting in lower absorption of minerals in the body. The main concern is that phytic acid can bind to minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc and manganese before the body absorbs them. Latest research, however, also shows that phytic acid can also provide some health benefits against cancer and diabetes.
Soaking times vary from 1 to 24 hours depending on type of bean and personal preference. But it will help improve digestibility and shorten cooking time. Smaller beans such as lentils and mung beans do not need to be soaked more than 2 to 4 hours.
How to Soak Beans
There are two methods I prefer to use when soaking beans. One is the slow method and the second is the fast soaking method. I use the slow soaking method about 99% the time.
Slow Soaking Method
After beans are washed and drained, fill the bowl with filtered water making sure the beans are covered with water by 3 to 4 inches. Generally, beans need 4 cups of water for every cup of dry beans when soaking.
Add 2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar. Cover bowl with a lint free kitchen towel and place in a cool place to soak as desired. (In extremely warm weather, soak the beans in the refrigerator or change the water a couple of times to avoid fermentation).
Discard soaking water, rinse three times and follow cooking instructions below. (After soaking beans, drain the soaking water – don’t use it for cooking, as it’s full of difficult-to-digest starches that can cause flatulence and other digestive woes).
As a general guideline, beans can be soaked as follows
1 to 4 hours for small beans (lentils, adzuki, mung beans)
4 to 8 hours for medium beans (turtle beans, small red beans)
8 to 24 hours for large beans (pinto, heirloom, black, small kidney)
12 to 24 hours for extra large beans (large kidney, lima and garbanzo beans)
Quick Soaking Method
In a large stock pot with water level covering beans by 3 inches, bring beans to boil and continue boiling briskly for 2 to 3 minutes not covered with lid.
Remove from heat, cover with lid and allow them to soak for 1 to 2 hours (the longer the better).
Once soaked, discard soaking water, rinse twice and follow cooking instructions below.
How to Cook Beans
The instructions here are for stovetop cooking in a stock pot. It’s possible to use a pressure cooker instead to reduce cooking time by at least 50%. Follow the pressure cooker’s manufacturer’s instructions.
Part of the Spartan Diet philosophy is to help you build your cooking skills and knowledge as well as your intuition in cooking.
When cooking beans and knowing when they're done is a very sensory oriented process. The first thing you'll notice when beans are done is the strong but delicious aroma the beans produce. The second thing you'll notice is that the beans will begin to break in half. If you allow them to keep cooking, they'll keep getting softer and more of them will split open.
In the case of cooking beans for the White Bean Soup or the Spartan Diet Roasted Bison Chili Beans, it’s preferable to keep beans from breaking too much and getting too creamy. The beans need to be soft and smooth to the bite but should also stay whole for the most part.
Typically, you’ll notice the smell when beans are done. And that point is when you want to take some beans and let them cool off to taste for doneness. If they're still hard or just a little coarse or gritty, then they need to cook long and should be monitored every 20 to 30 minutes in the case of larger beans.
The time that it takes to cook beans varies wildly from 30 minutes to 3 hours. I've cooked chickpeas that have taken 6 hours to cook even with two days of soaking. I’ve also cooked mung beans that I’ve soaked for 1 hour and have taken only 20 minutes to cook while other times they’ve taken 2 hours. The reason is that the variety, the size and the age or freshness of the beans affect the time it requires for the beans to cook.
White, red, black and pinto beans will generally take one to two hours to cook.
The basic bean soup can be made with different kinds of beans including black, pinto, red, chili, adzuki, navy, broad, Great Northern, cannellini, lentils, black-eyed peas, etc.
Step 1 Ingredients
Presoaked beans as desired
1 strip of kombu seaweed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced into two to three slices
1/2 green bell pepper, seeds removed (optional but good in black and pinto beans)
1 bay leaf (optional)
1 tsp dried oregano, optional (or other herbs)
2 sprigs fresh epazote (optional)
Step 2 Ingredients
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt or Himalayan salt
Step 1
Transfer beans into a 8-quart heavy bottom stainless steel stock pot or heat proof ceramic or enameled cast iron pot
Add filtered water (or preferred stock) making sure there are 2 to 3 inches of water above the beans. (The amount of water or stock is a matter of preference as the more water the more the bean flavors get diluted. Beans need plenty of liquid for cooking)
Add Step 1 Ingredients suggested or your preferred ingredients
Place pot over high heat to bring to a soft boil (not covered with lid). Discard any beans floating on top and skim off foamy scum with a skimmer or a fine mesh strainer
Reduce heat and continue to simmer maintaining almost a gentle boil. Cover with lid partially to allow steam to escape and prevent overflowing. Set timer to check beans every 15 to 30 minutes depending on size of beans
If needed, add more liquid make sure beans don’t get dry while cooking, but not too much if you desire thick soup.
Stir beans thoroughly every time you check them for doneness and continue to gently simmer until beans are fully tender and soup looks thick (20 to 120 minutes generally depending on bean or legumes size and variety), set timer to check every 20 minutes. When done, beans will be tender when squeezed with your fingers. They’ll be soft and smooth to the bite (cool off before trying this).
Step 2
Once beans are mostly tender, discard all the vegetables, bay leaf and kombu. Add Step 2 Ingredients and stir well. Adjust salt seasoning to your liking.
The longer beans are cooked, the softer and creamier they get. When making beans intended for other recipes it’s best to not over cooking them so they mostly hold their shape when used in salads or they can be cooked further in other recipes including soups. When making bean soup, it’s good to cook them a little longer for softer texture and creamier taste.
Serve hot as bean soup, add cooked brown rice or quinoa, cheese, avocado, and green leafy greens such as finely chopped kale or chopped spinach. If desired, before adding veggies, you may use immersion blender directly in the pot to partially puree, however, whole beans are better for use in other recipes.
NOTES
Salt is thought to dehydrate beans if added before they’re fully cooked and makes them tougher. I like to add salt towards the end, when the beans are soft and smooth. But that’s more of a personal preference.
If there’s one thing that’s important when seasoning beans is that they have enough salt as it really enhances the flavor of beans. The amount the recipe calls for is simply a suggestion. Add salt to your liking.
Leftover beans can be refrigerated and added to any mixed greens or vegetable salads. A myriad of one-dish bean-and-grain protein-rich meals can be easily be put together in just minutes—there is no limit to the endless versatility of the perfect legumes and grains duo, hot or cold.