To soften white beans, you don’t necessarily have to soak them beforehand, unlike other legumes. We explain how to properly prepare white beans.

White beans belong to the legumes and are rich in protein and fiber. They ensure a long-lasting feeling of satiety and are among the best vegetable protein sources. Nevertheless, beans rarely end up on the plate in this country. You can prepare white beans easily and quite quickly.

Boil white beans: Soaking is worth it

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t necessarily have to soak beans before cooking. However, by soaking them overnight first, you can reduce the oligosaccharide content, making the beans easier to digest. However, this has not been definitively proven: while some people get severe flatulence even from soaked beans, others never have problems with the delicious legumes.

But what definitely speaks in favor of the soaking method is a shorter cooking time:
dry beans: cook for 1.5 to 2 hours
Beans soaked for more than 12 hours: cook for 45 to 60 minutes
So, soaking white beans overnight not only saves you time in the kitchen, but also energy when cooking.

The ideal preparation of the white beans:
The day before: Rinse the beans with water, then pour plenty of fresh water over them and let them soak overnight.
After at least 12 hours: Drain the soaking water, rinse the beans again with fresh water, and place them in a saucepan.
Pour water into the pot until the beans are about an inch or two covered with water.
Optional: add spices or fresh herbs of your choice to the cooking water, for example some marjoram or bay leaves.
Let the beans simmer over low heat until nicely tender, about 45 to 60 minutes.
If you don’t want to continue using the beans hot right away, you should let them cool down in the warm broth. Otherwise the fine skin of the beans would burst open. This is particularly important with giant white beans.

Cook white beans without soaking

If you forgot to soak the kidney beans first, you can still cook them. You only have to plan about twice as long cooking time so that the white beans become soft. Otherwise the preparation remains the same:
Rinse the beans with water, then place them in a saucepan.
Add enough water to cover the beans by about an inch or two.
Optionally, you can add fresh herbs or spices of your choice.
Let the beans simmer over low heat for about 1.5 to 2 hours until tender.
Here, too, you should let the beans cool down in the warm broth if you don’t want to use them hot.

Tip: Quick soak method for beans

If you didn’t think about soaking the night before, but are thinking about the bean dish at least a few hours before cooking, you can also use the following method:
Rinse the beans with water and place them in a saucepan with an inch or two of water.
Bring the water to a boil, let the beans simmer for about 2 minutes, and then remove them from the heat.
Allow the beans to sit for about 1 to 1.5 hours to cook.
The quick soak method also delays the cooking time a bit, which can save you energy. However, with this preparation, the white beans are most likely to disintegrate and sometimes lose the skin. Therefore, this method is more suitable if you want to puree the beans anyway – for example to make a delicious spread.