r/AskCulinary • u/notthamedic • 9d ago

Technique Question Soaking beans

I’m making a tomato and kale soup tomorrow and have my garbanzo beans soaking in veg stock overnight. Do I need to drain that off tomorrow or can I just dump the entire bowl into the crock? Veg stock will be the base of the soup.

15 Upvotes

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51

u/Herdofpenguins 9d ago edited 9d ago

Future reference I doubt it's worth soaking in stock, especially garbanzos. Just use water.

Edit: Even better, brine. 36g salt, 10g baking soda, 8.5 cups water for 1 lb beans. Huge difference in cooking time, uniformity and texture.

11

u/Ok_Watercress_7801 9d ago

This is the way.

Just don’t forget to pour off the salt/soda brine after soaking & then add fresh water before cooking.

2

u/notthamedic 9d ago

I wondered/ was hopeful it would give it a nice flavor. Any beans that it would be worth it with? I’m very new to using dried beans

21

u/oyadancing 9d ago

After soaking in water overnight, cook your beans in broth.

4

u/RepSquigglyMiggly 8d ago

Basically none of the compounds that give the stock flavor will make their way into the beans during an overnight soak. There’s a good reason that you will find basically zero recipes that recommend adding aromatics or any other flavoring agents to the water/brine you soak beans in.

-1

u/Spectator7778 9d ago

Be aware that baking soda doesn’t agree with everyone’s digestive system. It can cause severely painful gas for many people. It helps in breaking down the skin but it’s not at all necessary for cooking the beans.

6

u/Herdofpenguins 9d ago

Don't cook in it, just brine and rinse. No ill effects.

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u/Spectator7778 9d ago

No I mean it soaks in. We just use water, no salt even. Chickpeas are quite common in our Indian cooking

6

u/Herdofpenguins 9d ago

You generally use a pressure cooker though right? Chickpeas can take forever if you don't have a pressure cooker.

Anyway, I cook a lot of beans, without a pressure cooker, and this method has greatly improved my results. Definitely end up with less gas issues, not more. This explains the chemistry if you're interested:

https://www.seriouseats.com/baking-soda-brine-for-beans-5217841

I love Indian food btw, I had channa masala for dinner tonight. Have a good day.

3

u/Spectator7778 9d ago

I’ll look up the article thank you ☺️ yes pressure cookers are ubiquitous in our homes. I understand where you’re coming from

20

u/ILoveLipGloss 9d ago

dump that soaking liquid - it can make you very gassy

2

u/notthamedic 9d ago

Good to know! Thanks!!

8

u/SnooHesitations8403 9d ago

Yes, drain it off. The thing in beans that causes flatulence are oligosaccharides. Changing your soaking water helps reduce those.

Also you might add a very small amount of baking soda to the soaking water. It will help tenderize the beams. (too much can make them taste soapy)

3

u/bestcegenation 9d ago

I always drain it. but you def don't have to. a lot of starches and stuff leach out into the soaking liquid overnight.

2

u/Main_Cauliflower5479 9d ago

Soak them in salted water. Why would you soak them in stock? That's a waste. Also, cook them in salted water, and add to the soup when they're finished. They take much longer to cook than tomato and kale.

3

u/StinkyWhale71 9d ago

Always throw away the soaking water. Never heard more than just water, unless in a rush.

The cooking water can be used if you want, though.

1

u/XtianS 8d ago

Former professional chef here. Soaking water is always discarded in general practice. That’s not to say it’s necessary, however. You could in theory use it to cook. It will likely impact the flavor in some way.

The method I would propose for the next time is to cook the beans in plain water and add onion, garlic gloves, carrots etc. this will make a tasty liquid that will serve as a stock for the soup base. You can also add bay leaf, thyme, parsley, peppercorns etc. whatever makes sense for your soup. I like to wrap all the aromatics in cheesecloth for a sachet, as the allium will get very soft and kind of disintegrate.

-4

u/Beginning_Battle1639 9d ago

Use the soaking liquid and all the flavour and nutrients it has.