Why You Should Sous Vide Dried Beans

When you think of foods that are commonly sous vide, medium-rare steaks and perfectly cooked pork chops probably come to mind, but this handy cooker is good for so much more. You can reheat leftovers and even sous vide your cookies for the softest possible results, but for Matt Kreider, Executive Chef at Steak 954 in Ft. Lauderdale, beans are the unexpected food that he thinks you should be cooking this way. "You can make the most perfectly cooked dried bean in your life," Kreider told Food Republic in an exclusive interview.

The benefit of using a sous vide cooker to make beans? "They don't break or lose their skin in the process," Kreider said. Plus, there is no need to babysit a simmering pot for hours on end. Just set it and forget it, and you will have beans that Kreider described as "perfect."

In particular, white beans (such as great northern, navy, or butter beans) are one of his go-tos, but most other dried beans will work. However, you should avoid cooking red kidney beans sous vide. They have a high concentration of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), which is a toxin that can cause unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms. White kidney beans (also called cannellini beans) and black beans can have high levels of PHA too. This toxin is destroyed once beans have been boiled for 10 minutes, but a sous vide cooker would not get hot enough to make these types of beans totally safe to eat.

Start by giving the beans a good rinse. You can give them an overnight soak if you prefer, but you don't technically need to soak dried beans. Then, prepare your liquid. You will need a 1% salt solution, which is 1 gram of salt per 100 grams of water, or a bit more than 1 ½ teaspoons for each quart of water. Shoot for a ratio of approximately 1 ½ parts of liquid to 1 part beans.

You can also use your favorite stock or broth for extra flavor, or throw in some aromatics and spices. Onions, garlic, and a bay leaf create a versatile flavor profile, but you can also get more creative. Try pinto beans with green onions, a sprig of fresh oregano, and a couple slices of jalapeño or garbanzos with parsley and shallots.

Set your sous vide circulator to about 194 degrees Fahrenheit, and cook the beans for somewhere between 4 and 6 hours. The cook time will depend on how fresh the beans are, whether you soaked them, and how soft or toothsome you prefer them to be. Taste them at 3 ½ hours to get a sense of how far along they are, and adjust from there. Since beans cooked sous vide become deliciously creamy on the inside but still retain their shape, they are great for finishing salads, pastas, braises, and any dish where you want the beans to maintain their integrity.