How to Cook Kidney Beans
Kidney bean varieties
Kidney beans come in two varieties–dark- and light-red–with the light-red version being more widely consumed in the United States. The beans are available in 2-lb pound bags or in the bulk section of some supermarkets. A prepackaged 2-lb bag yields nearly 24 servings of cooked beans, making them an economical addition to the shopping list.
Sorting and Rinsing
When learning how to cook kidney beans, it is best to start with sorting and rinsing. Place one cup of beans in a colander and rinse with cool water. While rinsing, pick through the beans and look for any rocks that may have made their way into them. Finding debris is unusual with today’s cleaning and packaging methods, but can still occur, particularly when shopping from the bulk bins.
Cooking kidney beans
For faster cooking, soak the beans overnight. Place them in a large pot and cover them with enough cool water to allow the beans to double or triple in size. If the beans are needed on the same day, they can be quick-soaked by placing them in a pot filled with water on the stove, and brought to a boil for at least two minutes. Turn off the heat and cover the pot, allowing the beans to soak for one hour before cooking further.
Rinse the soaked beans and set aside to drain. Bring one quart of water to boil for every cup of beans to be cooked. When the water is boiling, add the kidney beans and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pot, cooking until the beans are tender enough to pierce with a fork. This will take about two hours.
Check the beans every 30 minutes to make sure enough water is in the pot and to skim off any foam that appears on the top of the cooking water. The beans should stir easily, but not get lost in the liquid. A general rule of thumb is to make sure at least 2-inches of water are above the beans while cooking.
Seasoning and Recipe ideas
To add to the flavor of the beans while cooking, mix broth into the cooking liquid, or add small chunks of yellow onion into the pot. Add any salt towards the end of the cooking process to reduce toughening the skins of the beans. Kidney beans have a robust, sweet flavor, so it is best to stay away from very strong herbs and spices when seasoning, such as rosemary, since the two flavors can clash in an unpalatable way.
Kidney beans are primarily used in chili dishes, minestrone soup and as one of the more colorful components of a three-bean salad. They can also be mixed into rice and flavored with roasted vegetables for a healthful main dish casserole. Additional ideas include baking kidney beans into macaroni dishes or scrambling with eggs and sautéed onions.
References
https://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/facts/hhpfacts/New_HHPFacts/Beans/HHFS_BEANS_KIDNEYLIGHT_RED_DRY_A920_Final.pdf
https://allrecipes.com//Recipes/side-dish/beans-and-peas/kidney-beans/Main.aspx
