Cooking beans with minimal ingredients

[Don Latch]

minimizing sodium

I hear you, GB. Salt must be the single best flavor inhancer. Now that I'm off packaged foods I'm really appreciating what a dash of salt can do. I'm conviced low sodium / high potassium helps my blood pressure so I'm determined to learn to cook, there's no other way to control sodium intake.

DLatch

I know you are trying to go low sodium, but don't go no sodium, at least with beans. In my opinion beans need salt to bring out the flavor. You do not need to use a lot, but you do need some.

 

[Don Latch]

beans sublime

Now you're talking minimalism. Thanks for posting this jennyema. I HAVE sage evoo and salt. I should be able to taste all four things!

In Italy you often enjoy white beans seasoned only with sage, evoo and salt. Or rosemary, evoo and salt.

When done correctly, they are sublime, IMO. But many people find them bland and boring.

 

[jennyema]

This

When cooking soybeans, add a sliver of granite. When the granite is tender, the soybeans are done.

 

[Swann]

Thanks for posting Swann. Can your simmer, discribed below, be called a vegetable stock?

Simmer means to boil at a slow rate... just to keep it bubbling. I bring to a boil and turn down the burner to keep the water (liquid) to just about 212°. You can certainly use vegetable stock or chicken stock for the liquid.

 

[kimbaby]

I cook my beans without soaking,
with salt, and bacon,or some type of seasoning...
be sure to cover the beans with water and to check on the water content during cooking,bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer,
cook for about 2.5 hours...