TABLE 2.

Tips for Cooking With Legumes

Soak larger legumes such as chickpeas and kidney beans for 24 hours in cold water before preparing.

When preparing legumes other than lentils, add the salt at the end of the cooking process.

Legumes absorb a lot of water. Add at least 3 cups of water to each cup of legumes you cook.

Drain prepared legumes well before storing. It will increase their shelf life and improve their quality for later cooking.

During cooking, use a ladle to occasionally remove the foam that rises to the top.

Legume salads taste even better when allowed to marinate with the other ingredients for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Use the legume cooking liquid instead of water when you process legumes to make hummus or other types of spreads or dips.

Add legumes to meat recipes. The taste combination is great!

Add a squeeze of lemon any time you feel that your legume salad or soup needs more flavor.

Ready for a challenge? Try undercooking legumes for salad, until they are just partially soft. Then let them stand in the dressing for more than 30 minutes for a great texture and taste.