Meal Prep: White Beans

Cooking dried beans in an Instant Pot is fast and easy—no need to watch the stove, and you can customize your sodium content. Here’s a simple method.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Measure the desired amount of dried white beans. 1 cup of dried will give you the equivalent of two 15 oz cans. 1 1/2 cups will give you the equivalent of three 15 oz cans.
2. Rinse the dried beans under cold water. Put a small amount at a time on a plate and inspect for any debris or broken beans.
3. Soak (Optional): Soaking speeds up cooking time and may improve texture. If you choose to soak: cover beans in water by a few inches, soak 6–8 hours (or overnight), then drain.
4. Place beans in the pot. Add water or low-sodium broth to cover beans by about 1–2 inches.
5. Add aromatics (optional): onion halves, garlic, bay leaf, herbs.
6. Skip or limit salt: Low-sodium cooking allows you to season later, preventing overly salty beans.
7. Soaked Beans: High pressure for about 8 minutes. Unsoaked Beans: High pressure for about 30–35 minutes.
8. Once the timer beeps, let the pressure naturally release for at least 10–15 minutes (this helps ensure even doneness), then manually release any remaining pressure.
9. Test a bean—if it’s still a bit firm, you can put the lid back on and pressure-cook for 2–5 more minutes. If beans are done, drain or keep some liquid, depending on your recipe’s needs
10. Use them right away, or let them cool and refrigerate/freeze in portions for future meals.