VERSATILE BEANS

Easiest lentil soup

Whether stacked high in plastic bags or lined up in cans in your pantry, beans are about as healthful, nutritious and economical as dinner gets — not to mention comforting and cozy when things seem overwhelming at best and scary at worst.

They are also wonderfully versatile. Not only do the many bean varieties vary widely in flavor, they can be seasoned in all kinds of ways, so even a single type never gets boring.

They can also meet a variety of dietary needs. They are glutenfree and high-fiber, and many bean recipes are inherently vegan and vegetarian, which is a boon whether you don’t eat meat at all, you’re trying to eat less meat or just don’t have any around.

Whatever you do, when the beans are done, don’t toss the broth. That tasty pot liquor is basically a rich vegetarian stock that freezes well for up to six months.

Soaking your beans

Soaking helps beans cook faster and more evenly, and it can also make them easier to digest. And keep in mind that you never need to soak legumes such as lentils or split peas.

To soak beans the traditional way, cover them with water by 2 inches, and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon fine sea salt) per pound of beans. (Salting the soaking water helps break down the beans’ skins, helping them cook even faster.) Let them soak for at least four hours or up to 12. Drain the beans and rinse before using.

Soak overnight:

Another option is quick-soaking, which yields a pot of beans in a few hours without sacrificing flavor or texture. Put the beans in a pot on the stove, cover with water by 2 inches, add salt if you like and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let them soak for an hour. Drain, rinse and proceed with your recipe.

Soak quickly:

Here’s a secret — you don’t actually have to soak your beans. Simply add them to the pot and plan to cook your recipe for another hour or two beyond the usual cooking time. Keep an eye on the level of liquid, adding more if the beans look dry. There should always be liquid

Or don’t soak at all:

covering your beans as they cook.

Cooking dried beans

Place your beans in your pot and cover them with at least 2 inches of water, and turn the heat to low. Stir them gently and occasionally, never letting them hit a strong boil, which can burst their skins and make them mushy or unevenly

On the stovetop:

cooked. Depending upon the variety, dried beans will cook quickly (about 15 minutes for red lentils) or slowly (up to three to four hours for unsoaked chickpeas or lima beans).

Cover your beans with 2 inches of water or broth and salt to taste, and toss any aromatics you like into the pot. Set the machine to low and cook until the beans are done, usually three to six hours.

If you are cooking kidney

In the slow cooker:

beans, you need to boil them on the stove for 10 minutes first before adding them to the slow cooker. This makes them much more digestible.

Place your soaked or unsoaked beans and enough water to cover them by 2 inches into the pressure cooker. Add salt, any aromatics you like and a tablespoon of neutral oil to help keep the foam from clogging the vent. Make sure not to exceed the maximum fill line

In the pressure cooker:

for your brand of pressure cooker. This is usually around the halfway mark for beans.

Cook at high pressure for anywhere from five to 10 minutes for small beans, such as black-eyed peas, lentils and split peas, to up to 35 to 40 minutes for larger beans, such as chickpeas. Soaked beans will cook more quickly than unsoaked beans. You’ll know your beans are done when they’re tender and cooked through to the center (but not mushy). Let them cool in their cooking liquid.

Canned beans

If canned beans (or cooked beans sold in boxes) are what you have on hand, there is little faster or more convenient.

After you’ve opened them, give the beans a rinse. (If you’re using chickpeas, you may want to save the bean liquid. It’s called “aquafaba” and can step in for egg whites in just about anything.)

When using canned or boxed beans, add plenty of aromatics and enough salt to taste. (Be judicious if you’re starting with salted beans.) You’ll also want to use less liquid, since you’re cooking them for a shorter amount of time.

Cooking time will vary, depending on your beans and whether you use a slow cooker, pressure cooker or the stovetop, but, in general, canned beans take about 20 to 30 minutes to absorb all the flavors in the pot. Taste whatever you’re making as you go. When the beans taste tender and delicious, they’re done.

CON POULOS/THE NEW YORK TIMES tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed quart chicken, beef or vegetable stock, preferably homemade cup brown or green lentils, rinsed garlic cloves, finely grated or pushed through a garlic press teaspoon white wine, sherry or cider vinegar, or lemon or lime juice, plus more to taste cup thinly sliced radicchio, or red or green cabbage (optional) cup oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onions and teaspoon salt, and cook until onions start to brown at the edges, stirring frequently, 6 to 9 minutes. in stock, lentils, thyme and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until lentils are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. in garlic and remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and use an immersion blender to purée the soup to the desired consistency, keeping it chunky or making it smooth. (Alternatively, ladle it into a blender and blend in batches.) Stir in vinegar, then taste and add more salt and vinegar if needed.