Buying dried pulses in bulk is a great way to save money, but they do require a bit of prep before cooking. Here’s how to soak lentils, legumes, chickpeas and beans for your favourite recipes.
Ideally you should be soaking them for a few hours, but our Test Kitchen has a nifty trick for speeding up the process if you’ve got a last minute dinner to get going – or you just forgot.
How to soak lentils & more
First pick over the pulses and legumes, checking for stones or other foreign objects.
Add approximately three cups of cold water for every cup of pulses and legumes and leave to soak for a minimum of eight hours and a maximum of 24 hours at room temperature.
Speedy soaking
If you’ve forgotten to soak your beans for a recipe, place them in a saucepan and cover with 5cm of water. Slowly bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes; remove from the heat, cover with a lid and leave to stand for one hour.
Once you’ve drained and rinsed your beans, they’re ready to use in your favourite dish.
Try our harissa barbecued corn tortillas with black beans. Or this spiced vegetable, chickpea and ricotta salad, chilli beans with chimichurri or this hearty chickpea and vegetable gratin to make the most of your beautifully soaked pulses.
Too easy!
