About legumes

Beans, peas, and other legumes are well suited to the slow cooker. During our tests, we tried skipping the soaking step, thinking that long, slow cooking on low heat would do the trick. Unfortunately, in a number of cases, the legumes were undercooked. There are three exceptions to the soaking requirement: lentils, split peas, and black beans. All other legumes must be soaked before cooking, using either of these two methods:

TRADITIONAL SOAKING

Place the legumes in a large bowl and cover them with water. Let them soak at room temperature for at least 6 to 8 hours; overnight is best. Add more water as needed. The legumes must always be covered with at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) of water. Drain and discard the soaking water.

QUICK SOAKING

Place the legumes in a large saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes. Cover the pot, remove from the heat, and let sit for about 2 hours. Drain and discard the soaking water.

LEGUMES	SOAKING	COOKING
Lentils	no	4 hours
Split peas	no	6 hours
Black beans	no	8 hours (10 hours for very tender beans)
Red beans	yes	8 hours
Navy beans	yes	8 hours (10 hours for baked beans because of the sugar)
Chickpeas	yes	8 hours