Dry legumes: real soaking and cooking times

If you have a bag of chickpeas on the counter and you don't know when to start, you're in the right place. Below you get the numbers you need straight away, a handy table for the most common legumes and the real reasons they sometimes stay hard.

Quick times: practical table for soaking and cooking

Short answer: for each legume below you have the recommended soaking, stovetop cooking and pressure-cooker cooking (high pressure). Use the values as a range; the size and age of the legume change the time.

Legume	Recommended soaking	Stovetop pot (boil + simmer)	Pressure cooker (high pressure)
Ceci	8–12 ore	60–120 min	If soaked: 12–15 min; unsoaked: 35–45 min
Fagioli borlotti / cannellini	6–12 ore	45–90 min	If soaked: 8–12 min; unsoaked: 25–35 min
Fagioli rossi (kidney)	8–12 ore	60–90 min (vedi precauzioni)	If soaked: 8–12 min, but boil vigorously for 10 min before proceeding
Fagioli neri	8–12 ore	45–75 min	If soaked: 8–10 min; unsoaked: 25–30 min
Lenticchie verdi/marroni	Non necessario	20–30 min	6–8 min
Lenticchie rosse	Non necessario	12–15 min	3–5 min
Piselli spezzati	Non necessario	20–30 min	6–8 min
Fave secche	8–12 ore	60–90 min	If soaked: 8–12 min; unsoaked: 25–30 min
Soia secca	10–12 ore	2–3 ore	If soaked: 20–25 min; unsoaked: 40–50 min

Quick notes: always discard the soaking water and rinse the legumes. For kidney beans, bring them to a vigorous boil for at least 10 minutes first to destroy natural toxins.

Why legumes stay hard

Short answer: they stay hard because of practical mistakes, not magic. The main causes are overly old legumes, insufficient soaking, very hard water, early addition of acidic ingredients (tomato, vinegar) or cooking too briefly at low heat. Knowing the cause saves you hours.

Things to check:

Age of the product: very old legumes soften poorly. There are no miraculous tricks.
Hard water: calcium makes pectins firmer. Add a strip of kombu seaweed or use filtered water.
Acids and salt: adding tomato, vinegar or lemon at the start slows softening. Table salt usually isn't the problem if added at the end of cooking.
Amount of water: if the legumes are barely covered they won't cook evenly.
Method: cooking for too long at very low heat without reaching proper temperatures can be insufficient; you need steady temperature and time.

Soaking and cooking: step-by-step procedure (chickpeas example)

Short answer: soak chickpeas 8–12 hours in plenty of water, discard the soaking water, cook in fresh water covered and monitor the texture; in a pressure cooker reduce times substantially. Follow these concrete steps.

Misura: 1 tazza (circa 200 g) di ceci secchi = circa 2–2,5 tazze (480–600 ml) cotti.
Soak: put the chickpeas in a bowl and cover with cold water 3–4 cm above the chickpeas; leave 8–12 hours at room temperature.
Drain and rinse: throw away the soaking water to reduce gas and odour.
Stovetop cooking: put chickpeas and fresh water in a pot (3 parts water to 1 part chickpeas), bring to the boil, skim if necessary, reduce the heat and cook 60–120 minutes until tender.
Pressure-cooker cooking: after draining and rinsing, put chickpeas with water (2–3 times the volume), close, bring to high pressure; after the indicated time allow a natural release for a few minutes before opening.
Salt and acidity: add salt and acidic ingredients only towards the end of cooking.
Test: taste a few chickpeas; they should be soft in the centre but with the skin intact.

For beans the procedure is identical; for lentils skip the soaking and check the cooking frequently.

Pressure cooker: real times and precautions

Short answer: the pressure cooker halves or more the times, but requires attention: rinse well, respect the water levels, allow natural release to avoid mushy legumes. For kidney beans always boil vigorously before any slow or pressure cooking.

Practical tips for pressure cooking:

Use a lower water/legume ratio than for a regular pot: about 2–3 parts water to 1 part legume depending on the variety.
Do not fill past two-thirds of the pressure cooker (and less for legumes that expand).
For kidney beans always do a vigorous 10-minute boil after soaking and before putting under pressure.
If the recipe requires an acidic sauce, add the sauce after cooking so it doesn't stiffen the legumes.
If you want very soft legumes for soups, a few extra minutes under pressure will make them fall apart.

Practical tips, conversions and quick substitutions

Short answer: 1 cup of dried legumes cooks to about 2–2.5 cups. If you use very hard water or the legumes are old, allow longer times. To swap canned legumes for dried, factor in soaking and ahead-of-time cooking: it's best to boil them in batches and freeze portions.

Other useful tips:

Storage: keep cooked chickpeas in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze portions.
Substitutions: a tin (400 g) of legumes = about 1.5–2 cups cooked. For details on substitutions and quantities see my practical guide on Ingredient substitutions: the practical list that works.
Use precise timers: set a timer for soaking and one for cooking. If you want reminders for multiple pans or steps, read how to use timers in the kitchen in the guide Kitchen timers: manage three preparations without mistakes.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I soak chickpeas?

Soak them 8–12 hours in plenty of cold water, covered by 3–4 cm. If you're in a hurry you can do a quick soak with boiling water for 1–2 hours, but the chickpeas will be less even. Drain and rinse before cooking.

How long do dried beans take to cook?

It depends on the type and the soaking: on the stovetop 45–90 minutes; in a pressure cooker 8–35 minutes depending on whether they're soaked. Smaller beans cook sooner; large and older ones require more time.

Can I cook them without soaking?

Yes, many legumes cook without soaking, but they need much longer on the stovetop. In a pressure cooker the time remains practical. Remember to rinse and increase the boiling times; watch the foam that forms.

Why do legumes stay hard even after a long time?

If they don't soften, the likely problem is the age of the legume or very hard water. Early addition of acidic ingredients or cooking at too low a heat without boiling are common causes. Sometimes there is no complete remedy for a product that is too old.

What to do now

If you want to cook chickpeas tonight: put them to soak as soon as possible (8–12 hours), then cook or use the pressure cooker following the indicated times. If you often save recipes from videos or social media, you can use Cucinario to get quantities and resize portions before you start.

Happy cooking: start with the soak and time it. That way the bag won't sit there for months.