Cannellini and Mint Bean Salad – Lesson 4 – Quick-soaking Beans
Minty, zingy and nutritious. This bean salad can be ready in less than 20 minutes from dry beans using the most useful and least known method to prepare them- you get the benefits of overnight soaking without the wait!
You can prepare dry beans in the pressure cooker three different ways, each with benefits and drawbacks:
- Soaking or long-soak – The traditional, and most recommended method to prepare beans for cooking, removes most of the indigestible sugars (which can cause gas), re-hydrates the beans evenly so they are as plump and beautiful as they were when they were fresh. However, this method needs you to plan ahead – anywhere from 4-12 hours depending on the bean!
- Quick-soak, speed-soak, or twice-cooking - A happy medium between long and no-soak methods. It also removes the indigestible sugars and only requires, at most, an additional 10 minutes prior to beginning your bean recipe. However, the faster re-hydration of the beans may cause the skins to crack or separate rendering them slightly less attractive than their long-soaked counterparts.
- No-soak – The fastest and easiest way to cook beans on the planet! You just rinse the beans and begin the recipe by throwing the beans in with the other ingredients. However, this method does not remove the indigestible sugars and the quick re-hydration could cause the beans to break apart and split rendering them highly unattractive – only use this method for bean soups or spreads, though I do not recommend it at all!
Some bean varieties like lentils and split-peas can cook quickly on their own, have a low concentration of indigestible sugars, and do not need soaking prior to cooking (see my Cooking Time Chart).
Quick-Soaking Beans in the Pressure Cooker
Quick-soaking is a method of re-hydrating beans quickly by briefly pre-cooking them. Once you have quick-soaked them, you can follow recipe directions, and cooking times for soaked, or pre-soaked, beans. Here’s how to do it:
- Give the beans a quick rinse in a colander, by swishing them around and running water through them – this is a great time to remove any broken beans or debris.
- Put the beans in the pressure cooker. For each cup of rinsed beans, add four of water and 1 teaspoon of salt -this will help keep the skins intact.
- Bring the contents to a boil without the pressure cooking lid.
- Then, quickly close and lock the pressure cooker lid and bring the heat to high, if it’s not already there. When the pan has reached pressure, turn down the heat and count 2 minutes cooking time under pressure.
- Open the pressure cooker using the quick-release method, by running cold water on the top without obstructing the valves. For electric pressure cookers, release pressure very slowly through the valve.
- Drain and rinse the beans under cold running water, again.
- Proceed with recipe that requires pre-soaked beans.
I will provide more details for the long and no-soak methods in a future article dedicated solely to cooking beans in the pressure cooker.
Pressure Cooker Recipe: Canellini and Mint Bean Salad (Quick-Soaked)This recipe will yield two cups or about 20oz or 450g of cooked beans – a small side dish. To make more, simply double the recipe. Just make sure that the beans and water in the pan do not exceed the “half capacity” of your pan.1 cup Canellini Beans, dry 1 Garlic clove, smashed Rinse the dried beans, and then place them in the pressure cooker with 4 cups (1lt) of water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Make sure that the beans and water do not exceed the half of the total capacity of the pressure cooker. Some pressure cookers have this clearly marked (read more about pressure cooker capacity).
Before putting on the lid, turn the heat to the maximum and bring the contents to a boil. Then, close and lock your pressure cooker lid. When the pressure cooker reaches pressure, which should happen quickly, (with the model I’m using, the pressure cooker has reached pressure when the indicator lifts to display two red lines), turn the heat down to minimum and count 2 minutes cooking time under pressure. When time is up, turn off the heat and remove the pressure cooker from the burner. Open it with the quick-release method -bring the pressure cooker to your sink, and run cold water over the top (without getting any on the indicator or valves) until you see the indicator go back to it’s “no pressure” position. For electric pressure cookers, release pressure very slowly through the valve. Strain the beans and rinse well under cold water. Give the pressure cooker interior a quick rinse, also.
Put the beans, four cups or 1 lt. of fresh water back into the pressure cooker. Then add the smashed garlic and Bay leaf. Close and lock your pressure cooker lid. Turn the heat to the maximum. When the pressure cooker reaches pressure, turn the heat down to minimum. Count 6-8 minutes cooking time under pressure. When time is up, turn off the heat and move the pressure cooker to another burner to cool. Open it using the Natural Release method – which means don’t do anything and just wait for the pressure in the cooker to come down naturally and for the indicator go back to it’s “no pressure” position (about 10 minutes). Open the pressure cooker and give the beans a final rinse and strain.
Taste before dressing with additional salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with fresh mint leaves before serving. Serves 2-4
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Now that you can quickly soak beans, you can try..
Pssssst! Do you want to learn more about the pressure cookers that I’m using? See them described on my About page!
When I lived in Costa Rica my host family used a pressure cooker to make the black beans that are a staple in their culture. I’ve never used one, but love that it makes cooking beans so much easier. Beautiful photo!
I adore my pressure cooker. Those beans look perfectly cooked! I made a batch of black beans just yesterday in my PC.
Thank you SweetPotatoSoul and BrannyBoilsOver or your nice comments!
L
Great post.
Have you ever found that the beans actually start cooking during the quick presoak? And then they get overcooked?
I usually quick soak one hour in advance, and then drain and cook.
I don’t add salt because I have had some tough bean issues but I think that I am going do your method and see how the beans turn out.
Hii Veggie Queen!
So far, no. I have not noticed that the beans are overcooked. I have not quick-soaked ALL bean varieties so it could vary with bean density and size. Will keep this in mind and watch for this with bean dishes!
Ciao,
L
For the quick soak,you specify bringing the beans to pressure – should we assume that you mean high pressure? I ask because some pressure cooker manuals are not exactly clear on the cooking of beans.
Ciao Mike, if no pressure is indicated high pressure is assumed (also in books and magazines). I’m trying to be more diligent about specifically mentioning the pressure level in the newer recipes.
Have fun!
Ciao,
L
Mike asked the question above about Pressure. It would depend on the type of Pressure Cooker you have, Mike. I have both a 10 lb. which is a 6 qt. cooker, and a 15 lb. which is a
16 qt. Cooker/Canner. You can find the allotted times for both presoaking and cooking times elsewhere on this site. Actually, I don’t know why you would want to presoak them, when you can just wash them, throw them into your Pressure Cooker with the correct amount of water and seasonings, cook them for the allotted time and presto, (no pun intended) you’ve got the best beans you ever wrapped a jaw around. That’s slap your Mama cooking, as the old saying goes. It’s just my opinion, but when you presoak beans, then pour off the water, you’ve poured off most of the flavor and nutrients with the water. If you want to keep down the gas, add just a pinch of baking soda. Not two pinches, just one. Either that, or be willing to back up to the gas tank on your car every morning and put the gas companies out of business. Gotta love it! (Don’t forget when cooking beans, NEVER fill cooker over 1/2 full. I always place a slotted shield I have over the top of my beans before closing the lid to prevent any loose skins from floating up to clog up the steam vents of my cooker. Just a little something extra for safety’s sake. Remember, you never start counting time until your rocker begins to rock, at which time, you immediately start your timer, turn your heat down to either simmer or low, whichever is the lowest setting your stove has. Adjust heat as needed, just enough to keep rocker GENTLY rocking. I cook my Butter Beans twenty five minutes without presoaking. Recipe below. I always cook my beans in my larger cooker which is a 15 lb. cooker. Twenty five minutes works great for me. Eat with fresh Cornbread soaked into the juice and get ready for some good redneck, down-home Country eating. I’ll have to put my recipe for good Country Cornbread on this site later. love to all, Buddy Simmons
Mike, as a sidebar, not knowing what size Pressure Cooker you have, it might be a good idea to do the Microwave method of Presoaking I gave below first, then AFTER soaking, put them into your Pressure Cooker to see how full one pound of beans will be in your Pressure Cooker AFTER soaking. (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT) You do NOT want to fill your Pressure Cooker over half full when cooking beans or anything else that might swell up, for that matter. You DO NOT want those vent holes in the top of the lid to be stopped up. Uh! Uh! Bad Business! Take my word for it, you would regret it! Let Me explain why I say this. My above advice is still good, but something needs to be explained here. Butter Beans, after soaking, doubles in size or more, so it would be best to presoak a lb.of dried Butter Beans first (I would do them in the Microwave the way I show below, don’t pour the water out, pour beans and water straight into your cooker with your seasonings, add water as needed. You need to wind up with about 6 cups water to 1 lb. of beans. After you have added water, beans and seasonings, close the lid, bring her up to steam until the rocker begins to rock, turn heat down to lowest setting right then, adjust heat as needed to barely keep rocker gently rocking until allotted time has expired. Start timer as soon as rocker begins to rock. Good eating! The reason for this advice is that if one pound of Butter Beans would prove to swell up and take up too much room inside your Pressure Cooker, by presoaking them ahead of time to see how much they swell and pouring them into your cooker, you know if you can safely cook a whole pound at one time or not. Hope this helps.
Great post laura! I’ll have to pass this on to my readers. One more reason everyone needs a pressure cooker!
Thanks Sally… keep spreading pressure cooker goodness!!
Ciao,
L
Last night I read with much interest about the various ways to prepare beans for the pressure cooker. For the most part I have used Beano to take
care of the gas problem. So I did the long soak method with pinto beans overnight and proceeded today to make soup. Guess what? No
gas! Thanks!
Fantastic!
Ciao,
L
Is it true that one *must* use at least a 5-quart pressure cooker if one wants to cook beans and legumes? Apparently I didn’t read the buying instructions close enough since I ended up buying a 4-quart PC, thinking it would be enough for a household of one… and since the main reason I decided to buy a PC was to minimize the cooking time for beans and legumes it’s no surprise I’m really quite disappointed and kind of frustrated. Can’t I just lessen the amount of beans in the recipe to make it ok for my 4-quart?
Ellen,
You can cook beans in any size pressure cooker as long as the amount of beans and their cooking liquid do not exceed half of the cooker’s capacity (that’s 2 quarts or 8 cups, for you).
Since wiring this tutorial I’ve been playing with the ratios of beans and their cooking liquid. I’ve gotten great results from using 1 cup dry beans (measured that have been soaked overnight) and cooking them with 1 1/2 cups of water. With this ratio, the beans are perfectly cooked and the resulting cooking liquid is a luscious flavorful bean stock. HOWEVER, the beans are a tad- more.. uhm.. gassy.
Using my new soaked-bean to water ratio means that your 4 quart pressure cooker can cook up to 2 cups of dry beans (that’s about a 1 pound bag) that have been soaked overnight without fear of going over the half-way mark.
Now, when you put it all in your cooker it will look like WAAAY too little water for the beans – that one cup of dry beans will now be about 2 cups of soaked beans – but remember, once beans are soaked they do not absorb as much of the cooking liquid.
Enjoy your pressure cooker, and welcome!
Ciao,
L
I am an Alabama Redneck and I like the stronger taste you get when you do not presoak dried Lima Beans if cooking them in a pressure cooker. I have two Pressure cookers, both bought new, a 6 qt Presto (wish I’d bought an 8 qt., and a 16 qt. Presto Pressure Cooker/Canner which I dearly love.) I always cook Butter Beans in my 16 qt Cooker because I cook more than 1 lb at a time. I LOVE Butter Beans. I’m a Redneck What can I say? I’m also into canning so I make more than we can eat so I will have some left over to can. Smart, Huh?
I know all the arguments that you hear from different people, both pro and con, but I just wash my beans straight out of the package well, put them into my large 16 qt PC with salt, a little Black Pepper, 3 tbsp Butter ( I always add about 2 tbsp oil, as well) I add 6 cups of water so I will have plenty of soup to eat with my cornbread which I also make and have waiting. add a few chunks of Ham and close the lid. (I also place the canning rack that goes in the bottom for canning jars over the top of the beans to stop any split beans from rising to the top to stop up the vents in the lid)
Turn the heat up high until 15 lbs pressure is almost reached, then turn heat down to simmer when my rocker starts to rock. That’s when I begin to count off the time which will be 25 minutes because I want my beans to be WELL done. Remember, to start counting time when rocker begins to rock.
Another way to presoak Butter Beans, (if that’s what you want to do) without a Pressure Cooker, is to wash beans well, place beans in a LARGE bowl with a LOT of water ( when I say a lot, I mean a LOT. You can always pour off some of it, if you have to, but if I poured off anything, it would be some of the water on the stove instead of the water containing nutrients) into a Microwave, cook on High for about twenty minutes, then after removing from microwave, whatever is left of the water and beans, I pour straight into a pot of water and seasonings I have already started on medium high heat on the stove at the same time I put the beans into the Microwave. It saves a lot of time, having the beans already hot. Why let them cool off then have to heat them up again to finish cooking them? The beans have already swelled and released their nutrients (hope I spelled that right) into the water in the bowl. So why pour it out, you’ve pouring out the good stuff? That what makes Beans taste so good. Call me strange, but Hey, what can I say? I’m a Redneck! I love real Country Cooking.
The Beans will have soaked up most or all of the water you used in the microwave, so I always put a large pot on the stove with 6 cups of water, 3 tbsp Butter, a little pepper, a couple tbsp oil and a few chunks of ham for seasoning at the same time I start presoaking in the Microwave. Cook for about 1 hour – 1 1/2 hours until beans are very soft. YOU HAVE TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON YOUR FOOD AND STIR OFTEN TO PREVENT BURNING!. Turn heat down about halfway toward end of cooking cycle to prevent scorching. This was the method I had to use before I purchased my first pressure cooker. Now, I use my Pressure cookers for almost everything I cook and I am amazed at what you can do with these wonderful pieces of equipment. Thanks for this great blog. May God bless everyone. This is for 1 pound of Butter Beans. This recipe makes the best Butter Beans you ever wrapped your lips around but using a Pressure Cooker is absolutely the way to go!