How to cook legumes

Information for legumes in our free cooking ingredients collection.

Legumes

Legumes have historically been part of meals throughout the world. There is abundant evidence that the peanut and lima bean have been used for centuries in South America. Soybeans and mung beans, among others, have been a key part of Asian dishes throughout history. The Middle East is the origin of broad beans, chickpeas, and lentils. Because of this, cooking with legumes can provide an education and an introduction to international cuisine.

Most legumes are annual plants that can grow as vines or bushes. The shape, size, and color of the stems, leaves, and flowers differ according to species. After fertilization of the flowers, pods develop. These contain seeds of varying sizes, shapes, and colors.

The plants of the legume family share two main features. First, they produce single-chambered, flattened seedpods with seeds inside. Either the pod or the seeds inside (or both) are eaten.

A second common feature is that legumes are capable of an important biological process called nitrogen fixation, which actually enriches or naturally fertilizes the soil in which the plants grow. Accordingly, legumes (such as soybeans and alfalfa) are grown in rotation with other crops (such as corn) that only take nutrients from the soil.

Legumes are sold in many forms. They are available as whole fresh pods, such as green beans, and in dried pods, such as the tamarind. Lima beans are examples of legumes available as fresh seeds, and dried seeds include black-eyed peas. There are also seed sprouts, such as alfalfa sprouts and soybean sprouts. Although technically considered legumes, tamarind and jicama are treated as a fruit and vegetable, respectively.

Legumes are generally easy to prepare and can be either the main entree or the side dish. Generally, dried legumes are rehydrated before cooking, which is done by soaking them in water for about 6 to 8 hours. An alternative and shorter method is to put them in a pressure cooker or to simmer them in a pan where they can soften in less than an hour. Soaking shortens cooking time by 30 minutes to up to an hour. It also has the advantage of reducing flatulence (intestinal gas) by making them more digestible.

Legumes that are sold as “quick-cooking” have been presoaked and redried before packaging and thus do not need to be soaked.

When several types of legumes are required for a dish, it is best to cook each type separately because it is difficult to cook them uniformly together.

Nutrition

Legumes are great sources of nutrition because they carry the embryonic necessities for starting a new plant. They are high in protein, folic acid, potassium, iron, magnesium, and phytochemicals. Legumes are not complete proteins like meats (soybeans are an exception), but they can be paired with complementary foods, such as grains, to ensure a meal provides a complete source of amino acids for building proteins. And unlike meat, they are low in fat, high in fiber, and inexpensive.

Because of their low cost, legumes were once considered “poor man’s meat”. But with the increased popularity of ethnic cuisines (such as Mexican, Chinese, and Mediterranean), the growing popularity of vegetarianism, and the recognized health benefits of legumes, they have shed this outdated perception.

How to cook legumes

There are expensive “designer beans”, but most legumes are widely available at grocery stores and are an inexpensive addition to meals. Look for a uniform appearance to the product you are buying. Legumes should also have a deep, almost glossy color. Avoid buying products that are cracked, broken, dry-looking, or faded. These are most likely to have been on the shelf for a while.

Storage

Dried legumes are easily stored. Putting them in a covered container or closed plastic bag can help maintain their freshness and extend their shelf life.

• Alfalfa
• Broad beans (fava beans)
• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• Common beans
• Black beans
• Cranberry beans
• Kidney beans
• Pinto beans
• White beans
• Dolichos beans
• Adzuki beans (azuki beans)
• Black-eyed peas

• Smelt
• Trout
• Shellfish
• Abalone
• Clam
• Crab
• Lobster
• Mussels
• Octopus
• Oysters
• Scallops
• Shrimp

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