How Long Does It Take to Cook Different Legumes?

How long legumes take to cook depends on the type and whether they were soaked beforehand; generally red lentils soften in 15-20 minutes, while soaked chickpeas and dried beans take 60-90 minutes in a regular pot. Soaking both shortens the time and helps the beans cook more evenly. How does soaking time affect cooking? Larger legumes like chickpeas and dried beans soften both faster and more evenly if soaked in cold water for 8 to 12 hours. Chickpeas cooked without soaking can take over 2 hours in a regular pot and may end up soft on the outside while staying firm in the middle. Cranberry beans and larger beans need slightly longer soaking than chickpeas; changing the water a couple of times helps them swell more evenly and reduces foaming during cooking. Thin-skinned, small legumes like lentils and split peas do not need soaking and can be cooked straight away. Red lentils cook the fastest because their grain structure is loose and thin-skinned, so they are often used to thicken soups quickly. Green and yellow lentils take a little longer than red because they are sold whole with their skins intact; they cook in 25 to 30 minutes and are often used in rice dishes or salads, where holding their shape matters more than in soup. How much time does a pressure cooker save? In a pressure cooker, soaked chickpeas cook in 20 to 25 minutes and dried beans in 25 to 30 minutes, about one-third less time than in a regular pot. Unsoaked chickpeas still need a noticeably longer 40 to 45 minutes even under pressure, so skipping the soak does not actually save time. Salt and acidic ingredients such as tomato, vinegar or lemon toughen the skin of legumes, so they should be added once the beans have softened rather than at the start. Adding salt too early can noticeably lengthen the cooking time and leave some beans firm. Baking soda can speed up cooking, but may leave the outside of the beans soft and crushed; use it only in small amounts and mainly in areas with very hard water. Water hardness also affects cooking speed: legumes can take a little longer to soften in hard water with high calcium content. How can you check whether they are done? The most reliable way to check is to take a few beans out and press them between two fingers; if they mash easily into a smooth texture, they are done. Beans that look soft on the outside but stay firm inside usually mean the soak was too short or the salt went in too early; in that case, a few more minutes of cooking is usually enough. Long-cooked chickpeas and beans may also show splitting skins. Although split skins can indicate doneness, overcooking may make the legumes fall apart, so control the heat for the best result.