How to Cook Dried Beans in a Slow Cooker

Beans, beans the musical fruit, do you really want more of them in your diet? Yes!

They are rich in fiber, protein, and essential vitamins and minerals. Everything growing bodies need to stay healthy and happy. It’s no surprise that beans are a common ingredient in many cultures around the world. I must admit, I often reach for canned beans because they are a convenient and nutritious pantry item. However, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, “canned, boxed, frozen, and prepared foods can be high in sodium.” Make sure to check the labels if you do go the convenient route.

Salt intake is an important factor to consider. Many of us far exceed the recommended daily salt intake. And a lot of this is to do with our consumption of ready-made foods, which use salt as a preservative.

But worry no longer, not only is cooking with dried beans economical, but it is also a great way to omit the extra salt and preservatives found in canned goods.

Trying to incorporate more dried beans into our meals meant I needed to find a convenient way to cook and store them. The easiest way I’ve found to cook dried beans is using the slow cooker method:

Rinse and pick over dried beans
In a large bowl, cover the beans in cold water. About 3 inches of water above bean level.
Soak beans for 8 hours.
Drain beans, and rinse gently again.
Add beans to the slow cooker and cover with approximately 2 inches of water.
Cook on low for 8 hours.

The beans came out soft but not mushy. I tried this method on both garbanzo beans and kidney beans. It worked each time beautifully.

Carefully remove the cooked beans from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and drain excess water.
If you wish, separate the beans into approximately 1 ½ cup portions and freeze for later use.