Buying dried pulses in bulk is a great way to save money, but they do require a bit of prep before cooking.
And while, ideally, you should be soaking them for a few hours, our Test Kitchen have a nifty trick for speeding up the process if you’ve got a last minute dinner to get going – or you just forgot.
Soaking pulses
First pick over the beans, checking for stones or other foreign objects.
Add approximately three cups of cold water for every cup of beans 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 five cm 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 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!
