By cooking your own dried beans, you save money, reduce sodium and get better flavor along with, surprisingly, more vitamins and minerals. If you can’t use the whole batch, freeze surplus cooked beans for later use in soups, salads and dips. The range of time for cooking beans is wide and varies with the age and the type of beans selected.
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 3-1/2 to 5 hours
Ingredients
1 pound dried beans, such as cannellini, black, kidney, black-eyed peas, great northern or pinto
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
5 cups boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
1. Soak beans in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches for 6 hours or overnight. (Alternatively, use the quick-soak method: Place beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.)
2. Drain the beans and place them in a slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Pour in boiling water. Cook, covered, on high until beans are tender, 2 to 3-1/2 hours. Add salt, cover, and cook for 15 minutes more.
Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Per cup:
260 calories
1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono)
0 mg cholesterol
48 g carbohydrate
15 g protein
19 g fiber
726 mg potassium
201 mg sodium
Nutrition Bonus: folate (61% Daily Value), iron (25% DV), magnesium (24% DV), potassium (21% DV), calcium (15% DV)