If you’ve ever opened a can of beans and wondered if there was a better, healthier, or more cost-effective way to enjoy them - there is. I’m going to show you how to make perfectly tender, flavorful black beans at home - whether you're using an Instant Pot or cooking on the stovetop. I will also explain why soaking your beans (especially with kombu seaweed!) and then sprouting them, makes all the difference in digestion and nutrition. Whether you’re using them for soups, bowls, brownies, or batch-prepping for the week, this method gives you clean, easy-to-digest beans without the added sodium, BPA, or gut-disrupting compounds found in most canned varieties.
This is a tutorial for preparing beans of any kind, but we are using black beans in this recipe. Substitute to your preference.
Instant pot (soaked or not) and stovetop black bean (or any bean) cooking instructions.
PRE-COOKINGINSTRUCTIONS
I use organic beans. Rinse your beans first and pick thru them to remove any tiny rocks or broken or bad beans.
Because of the lectins in beans I recommend soaking them 6-8 hours or overnight in filtered, spring, or distilled water with kombu seaweed. I use a square of kombu about 4”x4” and cut it into 4 strips. I change the water several times during the soak cycle. (Drain off the water, rinse the beans and then add new water until they are covered about 3”.) After you have soaked the beans remove the kombu. I chop some fresh kombu (1-2 small strips or all if you like) into small pieces and add it back to the beans when I cook them. I also cook my beans with an onion quartered and several whole cloves of garlic (don’t chop it). If you are cooking the beans on the stovetop you will want to skim the foam off… this is a contributor to gas so get rid of it.
*Also…add your salt after the beans have cooked because it slows down the cooking process immensely.
Why soak them?
Beans have lectins that can cause inflammation and indigestion. Lectins are proteins that are in all plants and they bound to the carbohydrates. They are in all plants but are found in the highest concentrations in raw legumes (beans, lentils, soybeans, peas, and peanuts included) and whole grains.In nature they help protect the plant from pests and such. The really great news here is that soaking beans before cooking helps to remove some of those indigestible sugars and destroys the active lectins. The trick to reducing lectins in beans is to soak the beans overnight and rinse the water multiple times and then pressure cook to the point where they are considered done and edible. While some say that canned beans have been cooked and therefore the lectins should be gone I do not find them as digestible and I feel the soaked and pressure cooked (instant pot) ones are better… this process removes the lectins and that the temperature of the pressure cooker is sufficient to fully cook the beans.
Why soak them with seaweed?
Kombu is a sea vegetable which contains an enzyme, alpha-galactosidase. This enzyme breaks down the oligosaccharides in beans. I don’t believe that adding kombu affects the flavor or texture of the beans, I do think it makes them easier to digest and if you add it back in when you cook it you get extra nutritional value. Also, I think that adding a piece of kombu to the beans during the cooking process tenderizes the beans and they come out quite nice every time. Also, it doesn’t affect the aqua faba (cooking liquid from cooking chick peas/garbanzo beans) in any way, so if your vegan and using it for baking or other goodies your all good here.
You can go an additional step and sprout them before cooking them! This further enhances these benefits.
Sprouting:
After soaking, drain the beans and rinse them well. Place the beans in a colander or a jar with a mesh lid, they also make special sprouting jars or bowls. Keep them in a warm, dark, and moist environment, rinsing them several times a day to prevent mold. You can also use your Instant Pot's yogurt setting to create a suitable environment for sprouting and do it right in the pot. The beans should sprout within a day or two, depending on the type of bean and temperature. I stop sprouting and cook as soon as I can see a sprout being to form. After you have sprouted the beans, rinse the beans again and proceed with the cooking instructions below.
Why is sprouting a good thing?
Benefits of Sprouting:
Increased nutrient availability, Improved digestibility, Reduced cooking time, and Enhanced flavor. Sprouting further activates certain enzymes that help to break down and reduce phytates and lectins. These are anti-nutrients which can inhibit the absorption of minerals, and reduces enzyme inhibitors that interfere with digestion. Furthermore, sprouting increases certain vitamins and antioxidants.
Seasoned Black Bean Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1-pound dry black beans (you can substitute any kind of beans, you may have to adjust the cooking time)
1 onion quartered
4-6cloves of garlic whole
Kombu seaweed
(about2 cups)
6 cups water
NOTE: These beans are seasoned… but if you desire to use them for other recipes then you should intentionally NOT season them with the onion and garlic so that you can use them in any recipe, from Black Bean brownies/cupcakes to Black Bean Soup. If you want to eat them right away, be sure to season them AFTER they are tender, as salt can interfere with cooking.
INSTAPOT COOKING INSTRUCTIONS – THIS IS FOR NON-SOAKED BEANS
Here's how you can cook black beans in the instant pot, you’ll save time and
money. You can soak and sprout your beans ahead of time for this fast pressure cooker recipe… or if you forget or don’t have time then you don’t have to. This is for non-soaked ones, soaked instructions are below.
1.Combine the beans and water in the bowl of the Instant Pot and give it a stir.
2.Cover with the lid, be sure to turn the vent at the top to the"sealed" position.
3.Manually set the Instant Pot to cook for 25 minutes at high pressure.
4. When the timer goes off, let the steam pressure naturally release for at least 20minutes before attempting to remove the lid.
5.Drain the beans and store them in an airtight container the fridge or freezer until ready to use. Store them in pint size mason jars ¾ full… (this will be approx. 1.5 cup portions which equates to one can of beans) for future use.
How to Cook Soaked Black Beans
I prefer to soak and sprout my black beans, which I recommend to do as I specified above. (They will expand as they soak!) Soak 6 to 8 hours, or overnight, then sprout them as directed above. When you’re ready to cook them, drain the beans and discard the soaking water or rinse well if you have sprouted them, cook in fresh water with the fresh kombu.
Use fresh water for cooking, about 3 cups of water for every 1cup of beans, and cook for 9 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes before moving the steam release valve to venting, to release any remaining pressure. (This avoids foam spewing out of your vent and making a mess.)
How to CookBlack Beans on the Stove Top
Since stove top cooking can be more time consuming, soaking your black beans will speed the cooking time. Soak them as directed above and add fresh cooking water.
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot on the stove, and bring the mixture to a boil.
2. Once they are boiling you will reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cover the pot. Let them cook for an hour before checking to see if they are done.
3. Use a fork to press a bean against the side of the pot, if it mashes easily then it is done. Black beans can take up to 2 hours to fully cook, depends how old the beans are and if you soaked them or not.
OTHER BEANS
Other Beans can be cooked similarly but the cook time will vary. It’s simple… some beans will take longer than others. For instance, chickpeas take longer than black beans. Pinto beans will be somewhere in the middle between those two. There is no exact timing here. Follow the suggestions for the type of bean you are cooking and consider how you’re going to be using them. Sometimes you will want a firmer bean. Ie. If you are using them in a salad or if they will cook further in a soup or other recipe. If your making refried beans or adding them to a fully cooked dish, then you might want them to cook a bit longer. There is so much variability due to type, age, use that it's best to use your own judgment and pay attention. Taste them, mash them against the side with a fork, etc.
If using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker follow the suggestions in the instructions the pot provides. As a general rule… I find that I prefer aiming for the higher end of the recommendation. In my experience the Instant Pot doesn’t tend to make them mushy or make the skins fall off but they will be soft inside. So I tend to go for the higher time range. However, if for any reason your beans are not done enough after cooking them in the instant pot, then lock the lid, seal the vent and cook for another 10 minutes on high pressure.