How to cook red beans for a side dish, soup or salad

The bean is a plant of the legume family. Its fruits are rich in protein and amino acids. When eaten it gives a long feeling of fullness, for this reason it was called in ancient times the meat of the poor. Boiled beans are used to prepare various soups, salads and side dishes. In spite of all its advantages, it is difficult to cook and many housewives wonder how to do it correctly.

How to choose the right beans

There are many varieties of beans. One of the differences is the color. The most common types are white and red, but there are many other varieties of bean color. Very popular among fans of proper nutrition string beans. In order for the dish to turn out delicious, it is important to choose it correctly.

There is a huge selection of beans from different manufacturers on store shelves. When buying, it is necessary to pay attention to such nuances:

1. The package should not contain beans of different sizes, since they have different cooking times.
2. The pack should not fall into any foreign objects or debris. The cleaner the product, the better quality it is.
3. The beans should be free of any plaque, dark spots and visible damage.
4. The bean package must be airtight, in no case it should not be fogged up inside.
5. There should be no dark, dry, or spoiled beans inside the bundle.
6. The beans should not have cracks and damage, as well as dark spots.

Many chefs recommend choosing beans of small size. They have the most nutrients and are quicker to boil. Red beans are rarely affected by parasites because they have thicker skins, unlike white beans. Therefore, when choosing white beans, you should look more carefully at the package. Do not be alarmed if they look very shiny. The fact is that beans are covered with natural wax, so they always look shiny and smooth. You can remove the layer of natural wax by simply pouring boiling water on the beans, and it also disappears when they are boiled.

Which beans are healthier: red or white?

Almost everyone knows about the health benefits of beans. They are loved by vegetarians because they can replace animal protein from meat. They contain iron and zinc, as well as many other nutrients.

The main difference between the two varieties of beans (red and white) is their composition. White beans contain less protein and carbohydrates, are better and faster absorbed by the body, and are good for those who are on a diet. White beans are more beneficial to the body's immune system, because they contain more ascorbic acid. They have a lot more iron, so they are good for people with anemia.

Red beans are high in protein and give a feeling of fullness for a long time. They have a much higher energy value than white beans. That's why they are often found in vegetarian recipes and dishes for proper nutrition. It contains a lot of antioxidants, as well as beneficial substances such as zinc and iron.

Vitamins and minerals in both varieties are the same amount, so which bean to choose depends only on a person's taste preferences and some individual properties of each variety.

How long do you boil red beans?

The further taste of the dish depends on how well the beans are boiled. There are two ways to boil them: with soaking and without soaking. Let's take a closer look at each method.

With soaking

Pre-soaking the beans significantly reduces the cooking time, and at this point the oligosaccharides, which are the cause of gas and flatulence in a person after the use of dishes that contain beans, are broken down. Also, if harmful substances got on the beans, they will be washed out at the time of soaking.

Before boiling, the beans should be sorted, remove all damaged seeds and rinse well in running water. A colander will do well for this. Next, soak the necessary number of clean beans in 1 liter of water for 8, maximum 12 hours. During this time, it is better to change the water several times. If the beans are soaked for more than 12 hours, the fermentation process will begin. During soaking, the fruit absorbs liquid, softens and increases in volume. Before boiling, you need to drain the water and pour new water, in which the beans will be boiled.

Cooking time after soaking:

• In a pot - 1,5-2 hours;
• In a multicooker - 1-1,5 hours;
• In pressure cooker - 1 hour;
• In a microwave oven - 35-40 minutes.

Without soaking

Boiling beans without soaking takes much longer. In the process of boiling they may crack and change their taste a little. For some dishes this type of boiling is good. But, if you choose this method, you can use simple tricks to properly cook the product.

1. You need to wash and sort the beans.
2. Then put them in a container for boiling and pour cold water so that the liquid rises above the beans by about 2 to 3 centimeters.
3. Place on the fire and bring to a boil, cook for 15 minutes.
4. Then drain the boiling water and pour the beans again with cold water.
5. Again bring to a boil, cook a little and repeat the manipulations of paragraph 4. So should be repeated 3-4 times.
6. After the last change of water cook the beans on low heat for about an hour. It is better not to cover with a lid, as the beans give a lot of foam during cooking.

If you don't want to bother with frequent water changes, you can cook them this way:

1. Pour the washed beans with water in the proportion 1:2 (for example, for 1 cup of beans take 2 same cups of water).
2. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Check the readiness of beans with a fork. Cooking time depends on the size of beans and the chosen variety. If the beans are large and dense, the cooking time can be extended up to 1.5 hours.

Why beans should be soaked

1. One of the main reasons for soaking beans before cooking is to significantly reduce the cooking time. Well-soaked beans cook faster and retain their appearance better.
2. Also, a shorter heat treatment retains more vitamins and minerals inside the beans, which are good for the body.
3. Soaking in water neutralizes oligosaccharides, which are the main cause of gas.
4. Beans give up into the water used in soaking all the harmful substances that may have gotten on the beans during transportation and storage.

How to properly soak

Most often, cold liquid is used to soak beans. The beans are pre-selected, washed and poured with water. Soak the seeds for about 12 hours. During this time, it is necessary to change the water to prevent fermentation. You can add a teaspoon of baking soda in water. This will accelerate the process of soaking.

Soaking can also be done in hot water. To do this, the beans are sorted out and washed. Then they need to be transferred to a container, pour water and send on the stove. Bring to a boil, simmer for 3-5 minutes, remove from the heat and cover. Leave the beans in this state for an hour. Then drain the water and cook as usual. After cooking, it is better to rinse the beans several times.

Why are the beans shriveled when soaking

Beans at the time of soaking absorbs a lot of water, and this does not depend on whether it is an old or fresh crop. Soaking the beans may cause them to wrinkle and lose their appearance because they have soaked up so much liquid. This does not have to scare you. In the process of boiling, the seeds will smooth out and return to their normal state.

How to cook red beans in a pot for a side dish

Recipe 1

Pre-soaked beans rinse well and transfer to a pot. Pour in water and put to boil. To make them even softer, you can add a teaspoonful of natural vegetable oil to the pot. Season with salt 5 minutes before they're ready.

While the beans are boiling, you need to take the following products:

• Onions - 1 pc.
• A little parsley - about 100 gr.
• Tomato paste (homemade is better) - 100 gr.

Cut the onion into half rings and fry in a heated pan with vegetable oil until golden brown. Then add the tomato paste and stew a little longer.

Add cooked beans to the onions and fry for 5 minutes. Then add spices to taste and remove from heat. Before serving, decorate with chopped parsley. Delicious side dish ready.

Recipe 2

Another recipe for a delicious and hearty side dish:

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 1 kg.
• Salt, ground black pepper - to taste.
• Onions - 1 pc, if small - 2 pcs.
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Dried laurel - 2 leaves.
• Tinned or boiled red beans - 500 gr.
• Vegetable or olive oil - 2 tablespoons.
• Parsley - 50 grams.
• Water - 50 ml.

Peel the vegetables, wash under running water and chop, cutting them into any shape you like, straw or dice. Cut the onion into small cubes, grate the carrots. Heat vegetable oil in a cauldron or saucepan with a thick bottom and put the onion and carrots there. Fry on medium heat until golden. Peel and cut potatoes into large cubes and put them in a bowl with the roasted vegetables. Pour clean water to cover all ingredients, about 1 cm. Bring to boil and let it boil for 5-7 minutes. Then add beans. Salt and season to taste. Braise until potatoes are ready. Before serving garnish with chopped greens.

Recipe 3

To prepare the dishes you'll need:

• beans - 300 gr;
• onion - 1 pc;
• parsley - 3 stalks;
• butter - 80 grams;
• Dried bay (spice) - 1 pc;
• salt.

Pre-soaked beans send to boil. Once the beans will be ready, put them on a heated frying pan with butter. Add the parsley, bay leaf and finely chopped onion. Roast until the onions are cooked, season with spices and salt.

How to cook red beans with soaking

It is necessary to drain the water in which the seeds were previously soaked. Then rinse them well and pour water again, so that they were covered by about a phalanx of a finger. An important rule to remember: it is better to boil the beans on minimum heat, that is, it is important to avoid boiling them too much. For the same reason, it is not necessary to cover the pot with a lid. It is necessary to closely monitor the level of water in the pot, and, if necessary, gently add lukewarm water.

Recipe
Beans are washed, peppered and transferred to the pot, pour water and bring to a boil. Then pour cold water into the pot, and bring back to the boil. So repeat 4 times. Then pour water again and cook until tender for 50 minutes. Check the readiness of beans with a fork. While the beans are boiling, you can start preparing a side dish. You will need:

• Fresh tomatoes - 2 pcs.
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Any greens - 100g.
• Spices- to taste.
• Salt- to taste.

Onion to cut into half rings and fry in vegetable oil. Add tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes. Then add boiled beans and fry for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat, add chopped greens and spices to taste. The garnish is ready.

How to cook red beans in the multicooker

Pre-soaked beans will cook in the multicooker 1-1.5 hours, and if it is not soaked, the cooking time increases significantly and can be 3-4 hours.

So, the prepared and washed beans should be transferred to the bowl of the multicooker and pour water at a ratio of 1:3. If the seeds are not soaked, then 1:4. Add salt and spices to taste. Cook in "Soup" or "Stew" mode.

How to cook red beans for a salad

Salads with beans are very common, because they are useful and have a pleasant taste. The taste of the future dish directly depends on how properly cooked beans.

To do this, you need to transfer previously soaked and rinsed beans in a pot, pour water and cook over low heat for about an hour. It is important to make sure that the beans are not boiled and do not lose their appearance. While boiling, check the readiness of beans with a fork or try to crush the bean with your fingers. If they are soft and mashed potato easily, the product is ready. Boiled beans can be added to the rest of the salad ingredients.

Red bean salad recipe
This recipe makes a bright and tasty salad, which is good for a snack, and can also decorate the holiday table.

Ingredients:

• Boiled chicken breast fillet - 200 grams.
• Red beans boiled or canned - 300 grams.
• Canned corn - 200 grams.
• Peking cabbage - 400 grams.
• Salt, spices - to taste.
• Mayonnaise - to taste.

How to cook:

1. Boil and cool the beans and chicken breast.
2. Cooled filet cut into large cubes and put in a deep salad bowl. Add canned corn and boiled red beans to the same place.
3. Cut the Peking cabbage into thin julienne strips and add them to the rest of the ingredients.
4. Add salt and spices to taste and mix well.

When serving, dress with mayonnaise. Regulate the amount of mayonnaise according to your wishes and taste.

How to cook the soup with red beans

To prepare the soup, you can use already cooked beans or boil them in the process. The consistency of the soup can also be different: from mashed to liquid. It goes well with various smoked meats and vegetables.

To prepare the simplest soup with beans will need:

• Boiled or canned beans - 300 grams.
• Smoked chicken - 500 grams.
• Broth - 1 liters.
• One potatoes - 4 gr.
• Carrot - 1 pc, if small, then 2 pcs.
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Tomato - 1 pc.
• Salt and spices to taste
• Fresh herbs - 100 gr.
• Garlic clove.

Preparation:

1. Prepare the vegetables in advance: chop onions and potatoes, the shape can be chosen as desired, grate carrots, garlic and tomatoes.
2. Roast the onion and carrots in a pan, add the grated tomatoes and stew for 5 minutes. Add spices.
3. In a pot with broth put chopped potatoes and cook until tender. Then add vegetable mixture and beans. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Then put finely chopped smoked chicken and greens. You can serve.

Soup with chicken, vegetables and red beans
You will need:

• Smoked chicken fillet - 500 grams.
• Water or broth - 1 liter.
• Boiled red beans - 300 gr.
• Bulgarian pepper - 1 pc.
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Any frozen vegetables - 300 grams.
• Potatoes - 4 units.
• Salt and seasonings - to taste.
• Any greens - 1 bunch.

Recipe:

1. First you should boil the beans. Then chop the onion, grate the carrot and fry them in a pan until golden. Then add finely chopped bell peppers and stew for another 5 minutes.
2. After peeling and dicing potatoes, send them to boil in the broth or water. After boiling, add the stewed vegetables and boil everything until the potatoes are ready.
3. Once the potatoes are boiled, add the beans and mixed vegetables, as well as finely chopped smoked chicken fillet, and cook for another 10 minutes. Then season and salt to taste. When serving, you can decorate with fresh herbs.

Recipe for lobio with red beans

Lobio of red beans is a popular Georgian dish. It has gained fame far beyond its borders. Classic lobio is served as an appetizer with bread and herbs.

To properly prepare this dish, you will need:

• Red beans - 200g.
• Walnuts - 100g
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Garlic - 1 clove.
• Cilantro - 50 grams.
• Hmeli suneli - to taste.
• Chili pepper - 10 gr.
• Vegetable oil or olive oil - 50 ml.
• Salt, pepper - to taste.

How to cook:

1. Soaked beans should be boiled, drain the water from it and mashed potato with a fork until mashed. If a few whole beans remain, it is not critical, it will even improve the appearance of the finished dish.
2. Chop walnuts in a blender or meat grinder. Chop the onion and then fry a little in oil (traditionally - until golden). Peel the tomato and finely chop the flesh. Chop coriander and garlic with a knife.
3. Add these ingredients to the onion and season.
4. Add beans and simmer for 5 more minutes. The appetizer is ready.

Quick recipe for lobio with red beans
To cook this dish you will need the following ingredients:

• Red beans - 250 grams.
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Carrot - 1 carrot.
• Tomato paste - 3 tablespoons.
• Vegetable oil or olive oil - a little, for frying.
• Mixture of spices and salt to taste.
• Flour - 1 tablespoon.
• Garlic - 2 cloves.
• Any greens.
• Broth - 300-500 ml.

How to cook:

1. First you need to boil and cool the beans. While it boils, grate carrots on a coarse grater, finely chop onions. Put them in a pan with oil and fry well until a beautiful golden color. Next, add flour and mix everything. Then put the tomato paste or finely chopped tomatoes and stir everything again well. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes.
2. Add spices and salt to taste. Pour the mixture with broth, until it is about to become the consistency of liquid sour cream. This will make a sauce.
3. Then add the cooked beans to the sauce, put it on a low heat and stew for 15 minutes. Then take it off the fire and let it cool a little.
4. Finely chop washed greens and grate garlic on a fine grater. Add them to the cooled dish and mix well. The red bean lobio is ready.

It can be served as an appetizer with bread, as a side dish or as a separate dish.

Questions & Answers on Boiling Beans

How can I tell if the beans are ready?

You can tell if the beans are ready by piercing them with a fork: if they are soft and easy to pierce, then the product is ready. Another way to tell if a bean is ready is to crush it with your fingers. If it kneads well and easily turns into a puree, it is ready.

What's the best pot to cook in?

It's best to cook the beans in a big pot with a thick bottom, since you'll need a lot of water and a constant temperature to boil them. Also, the high sides of the pot prevent the foam from escaping while the beans are cooking.

Do I have to drain the water after boiling?

Ideally, after boiling you should drain the water in which the beans were boiled and then rinse the beans under running water a few times. If the cooked beans are left in the boiling liquid, the beans will soften and fall apart.

Can beans be stirred while boiling?

To get neat, uncooked beans, the beans should not be stirred while they are boiling. If you do, the cooking temperature will be disturbed and the seeds will cook unevenly.

When do I salt?

It is best to salt the beans 5 minutes before the end of cooking. If you do it earlier or at the beginning of cooking, they will turn out tough.

What can I do if the beans are too salty?

1. To get rid of this problem, you can add rice wrapped in gauze when cooking. It will absorb some of the salt.
2. You can also wash the beans with a lot of water, fill them with clean water and put them to boil without adding salt. This method is suitable if the seeds are not cooked to the end.
3. Oversalted beans can be added to an unleavened salad.

Can I eat undercooked beans?

Uncooked or raw beans are best not to eat them, because they contain poisonous substances. Eating an undercooked bean will not cause death, but poisoning or indigestion can easily result. Therefore, when cooking beans, it is important to make sure that they are cooked until soft and cooked to perfection.

Do beans lose their health benefits when boiled?

Like many other foods, beans lose a lot of their healthful vitamins and substances when they are cooked for a long time. The longer you boil a bean, the fewer useful compounds it contains. If you soak the seeds before cooking, you can avoid much loss of vitamins and minerals from them, because the cooking time is cut in half.

Do the beans need to be infused after cooking?

After boiling, it is necessary to rinse the beans. A colander is a good way to do this. Then allow the excess liquid to drain, and can immediately be used for further consumption or cooking. It is not necessary to leave the beans to stand after boiling, as they can turn into mashed potatoes.

How many beans per serving?

They greatly increase in volume when soaked and boiled. To prepare one serving, take 50 grams of seeds. After boiling they will yield 120-130 grams of the finished product.

In what water should I put the beans?

For boiling, the beans are poured with cold water and put on the fire.

For soaking and rinsing, use cold water.

Useful cooking tips

To cope faster in the kitchen, many housewives use additional tiphacks. There are some that make cooking much easier. There are some for beans, too.

1. If you add a little baking soda to the water when soaking the seeds, it will greatly reduce the time and help soften the top shell of the beans.
2. You can add a teaspoon of vegetable oil during cooking. This way the beans will be softer and boil faster.
3. Salt the seeds a few minutes before they're ready. If you do it earlier, the beans will be hard.
4. Oil added to the water during cooking forms a film on the surface of the water. This reduces evaporation and less foam is formed.
5. It is better to cook in a pot with a wide bottom. This way, the grains won't press against each other and the beans won't burn while boiling.
6. Cook only over low heat. This prevents the beans from bursting and preserves their appearance.
7. To prepare salads and side dishes choose red beans, as they hold their shape better after boiling.