Dried Legumes
Many people think dried legumes are hard to prepare and need hours of soaking and boiling before you can use them. This just isn’t true as there is a quicker way. If you’d like to start from scratch follow either the quick or the traditional methods below.
*This method does not require soaking
Soaking
Most legumes need to be soaked to make them easier to digest and absorb the nutrients. But split peas and lentils don’t need to be soaked
Canned Legumes
Canned legumes are a handy alternative to dried legumes. Sodium is added during the canning process to preserve the integrity and appearance of the legumes. The sodium can be lowered by almost half by simply rinsing them thoroughly. If low salt canned options are not available make sure you wash the legumes for 2 minutes.
Tip
Cook extra to what you need and freeze drained and rinsed beans in small zip lock bags to throw into a soup or casserole or as a wrap filling when you need a quick lunch or dinner.