Cooking pulses

[QueenOfTheTofuTree]

I always buy canned beans but I want to start buying dried and cooking them myself because I think it will work out cheaper in the long run.

The only thing is I have never cooked pulses before other than lentils . So if I am making soup can I just put some chickpeas in with some veggies and cook them along with the vegetables or is that an absolute no no? Will I have to cook them separate and them add them to the soup after?

If the kind people of Mumsnet could save me from poisoning my family that would be great

Get an instant pot! Brilliant for pulses and beans without soaking overnight.
Most beans and pulses need soaking and cooking before adding as you mentioned above.

You can buy a bag of 'soup mix' in most supermarkets which contain green and red lentils, pearl barley and other pulses. Soak them overnight or for at least 6 hours, then add them to your soup and simmer for about 30-40 mins. You won't need to cook them before adding to the soup as they'll cook with the soup you're making.

No - they take a long time to cook. If you have pressure cooker it's a lot easier. But if not, you'll need to soak the beans overnight in a lot of water. The next day, drain, and then put them in a large pan with a lot of water. Bring to the boil and boil for at least ten minutes, then turn the heat down and simmer until tender. The exact amount of time will depend on the type of bean/legume/pulse but also how old they are. IME chickpeas can take bloody days the longest amount of time.

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Like BIWI, I soak mine overnight in a big container with a lot of water then boil them in the morning. The only exception are the tiny red lentils when I do soups and these go dry in it.

When I do hummus, I re-boil the chickpeas - from a can or my own - for 20 more minutes with a teaspoon of baking soda, as the skin of the chickpeas will separate and float on top of water, I then remove the skin with a fork and it makes the most delicious hummus, creamy and soft.

Try cooking a whole bag, after soaking overnight, and then freezing when cool. Great to throw into whatever you like then. I did a bag of aduki beans and a bag of black beans this morning 😊

Lentils and pearl barley can be chucked in with veg. I haven't used dried kidney beans and dried chickpeas since I was a poverty struck student. They need soaking overnight and then rinsing before use.