Guide to Pulses

Pulses are a boon to people who don’t eat meat, fish or dairy, (and those who do) simply because they are an excellent source of protein.  They’re also great for bulking up meals; throw in a handful to soups, casseroles and stews to stretch the meal further with the added benefit of providing extra nutrients as well. They provide a cheap, low fat and extremely tasty addition to any family menu! Pulses will also add excellent sources of iron, starch and fibre in your diet

Here’s a guide to our range of pulses and great options for including them in your weekly meal plans.

Contents

  1. What are pulses?
  2. Why are pulses good for you?
  3. Do you always have to soak dried pulses before cooking?
  4. Are there any benefits to using dried beans over pre-cooked in a can?
  5. Tips on preparing pulses and beans
  6. Real Foods pulses and their cooking times
* Aduki Bean * Borlotti Bean
* Black Turtle Bean * Blackeye Bean
* Butter Bean * Cannellini Bean
* Chickpea * Flageolet Bean
* Haricot Bean * Kidney Bean
* Black Lentils * Brown Lentils
* Green Lentils * Puy Style Green Lentils
* Red Split Lentils * Mung Beans
* Marrowfat Peas * Green Split Peas
* Yellow Split Peas * Pinto Bean
* Soya Bean *

What are pulses are they different to beans and peas?

Pulses are peas, beans and lentils that have been harvested, dried and sold as food. A portion is around 80 grams (roughly 3 tablespoons), and counts as one of your ‘five a day’, only one, however (even if you eat more than 80g), so you still need to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables as well to stay healthy.

Beans, peas and pulses belong to the legume family, known as Fabaceae or Leguminosae. This is a family of flowering plants with often edible seeds.

Their names can be misleading though. Chickpeas aren’t a pea, they’re a bean. Whilst Broad Beans? You’ve guessed it they’re really a pea! Liquorice, alfalfa, peanuts and carob are also all members of the legume family

The dried seed of these plants (or indeed the plants themselves) are often referred to as ‘pulses’.

Return to Contents

you can make great meals with pulses
spicy chick peas curry or Chola Masala or Chana Masala or chole bhature or choley garnished with sliced onion and green coriander leaf

Why are pulses good for you?

Pulses are also good sources of iron, starch, complex carbohydrates and fibre to add to your diet. They are cheap, low fat and extremely tasty! Their soluble fibre content can help you feel full for longer which may reduce your desire to snack, helpful if you are watching your weight. 

Beans and peas can help to reduce cholesterol (reducing your chances of heart attacks and strokes), manage diabetes and lose weight. Pulses are useful for reducing blood sugar spikes due to their soluble fibre content and also for helping to lower blood pressure.  They are also a great source of folate (an incredibly useful B vitamin). People who have to avoid gluten or wheat can happily eat all pulses.

Return to Contents

many dried pulses have to be soaked before cooking but not all
There are so many different types of beans, it can be hard to choose

Do you always have to soak dried pulses before cooking?

No, but soaking reduces cooking time. Lentils, Aduki, Blackeye and Mung Beans can be cooked from scratch without soaking, however, they may still benefit from soaking (it stops the shell from cracking and removes any impurities).

Take more care if cooking Soya and Kidney Beans as if they are improperly treated they will release a toxin. Soaking and cooking properly will easily prevent this, but be aware they do need to treated correctly or used from tins (where they are pre-cooked).

Cooking times vary depending on the freshness of the bean, the size and the heat. Checking regularly during cooking is the only way you’ll find out what works for you. If you cook them too long they’ll form a paste (handy if you’re trying to make a dip, but less so if you want the actual texture of the bean)

Return to Contents

dried beans or canned beans which is better?
You can use dried beans or beans from a can

Are there any benefits to using dried beans over pre-cooked in a can?

Sometimes the tinned or canned beans can contain additional salt or brine which dried ones won’t – check the ingredients on the tin to find out. You’ll get more of the nutrition if you make the effort to use dried pulses, but using the tinned ones is better than missing out on them altogether.

Using dried beans will save you a lot of money. Like-for-like dried and canned beans are roughly similar in price, however as most beans will swell up to around 2.5 times their original size, that’s how much you’ll be saving. E.g. A tin of chickpeas is around 350 – 400g and anything from 70 pence to £1.50. To get that from dried you’ll need around 100 – 150g of chickpeas, anything from 50 to 70 pence. 

If you’re using quite few tins of beans it is well worth looking at buying dried beans, especially since they are packed in compostable cellulose bags rather than tins you have to add to your household rubbish. Having said that, storing a couple of tins in the cupboard is always a useful addition to extend meals or throw a quick dip together.

Return to Contents

peas beans and lentils
Beans, peas and lentils can add a real splash of colour to your meals

Tips on preparing pulses and beans

  • Sort and rinse the beans. This means spreading them out and checking any debris has been removed then rising in a sieve or colander under cold running water.
  • Soak the beans. Beans will cook in less time and more evenly if they are soaked first. Not all beans must be soaked. Lentils, Aduki, Black Eye, and Mung beans can all be cooked from scratch. This doesn’t mean they won’t benefit from soaking, or that you can’t soak them. Just that they don’t need to be.
  • Most beans will need a minimum of 4 to 12 hours of soaking in fresh, cool water. Discard the soaking water. Or try a ‘quick-soak’ method.
  • Quick-soak – Simply cover with a few inches of water and boil for 2 minutes, remove from the heat, leave for an hour and then drain.
  • Drain and rinse well. Add to a pan with fresh water – you’ll need 3-4 cups of water for each cup of beans or pulses. Each cup of dried beans should yield around 2-3 cups of cooked beans.
  • Cover the pan, bring to the boil and simmer with the lid still loosely covering (it stops the water evaporating too much.) Basically, the length of time it takes depends on how fresh the beans are, their size and the pan and heat you’re using. The best idea is to test them often. You’ll soon see what works.
  • Skim if necessary.
  • Consider using a pressure cooker if you have one. They dramatically reduce cooking times. Use high pressure for all dried pulses.
  • Add seasonings such as bay leaves, onion, garlic or bouillon as you start cooking, but leave the acidic such as tomatoes, vinegar or lemon juice until near the end as they can impair the tenderness.

Return to Contents

cooking beans
Cooking beans is not always quick but the results are always worth the wait

Real Foods pulses and their cooking times

You can buy all of these beans and peas, packed in plastic free cellulose, from us in sizes up to 1kg. The larger the pack you buy the cheaper the price per gram becomes.

Aduki Bean

aduki bean

Preparation

Soak : No need to soak, but if you want to reduce cooking times then 2 hours soaking will do the job.

Cook: for 45-60 mins if soaked, up to 2 hours if unsoaked

Pressure Cook: 5-9 mins if soaked, 14-20 mins if unsoaked.

Description

Popular in the Far East, especially Japan, Aduki Beans are a hard red bean. Used extensively in macrobiotic cooking. They have a strong nutty flavour. Prized for their health-giving properties, reportedly giving benefits to the liver and kidneys. Easier to digest than other beans.

Uses

Widely used in sweet dishes in China and Japan. Often cooked and pureed with added sugar to make a paste that is used in sweets and desserts. Often cooked with rice their red colour adds a lovely pink hue to the rice. They are the main ingredient in Dim Sum fillings.

Nutrition

Very low in fat – even less than the other beans we describe – with a high protein content. Known as the ‘weight loss bean’ as they are filling yet low in calories (though not when pureed with sugar!).

Macrobiotics consider Aduki beans to be ‘Yang’ or warm.

Return to Contents

Borlotti Bean

borlotti bean

Preparation

Soak: for a minimum of 4 hours

Cook: 1.5 – 2 hours

Pressure Cook: 20-25 mins

Description

A beige coloured bean with red markings. Borlotti beans are also known as cranberry beans (from those red marks) or French horticultural beans. They have a nutty taste and a creamy texture. Also known as Cranberry Beans.

Uses

Borlotti beans make an excellent salad bean. Try cooking with garlic, peppercorns and drizzle with olive oil for a side dish. They work well in soups and casseroles.

Nutrition

Borlotti beans provide a good balance of complex carbohydrates and proteins. They provide a slow, steady source of glucose making it a good food for diabetics.

Return to Contents

Black Turtle Bean

black turtle bean

Preparation

Soak: for a minimum of 4 hours

Cook: 1 – 1.5 hours

Pressure Cook: 30-40 mins

Description

A small, shiny, black bean with a dense almost meaty texture. Some people liken their flavour to mushrooms.  They hold their shape well in cooking.

Uses

Widely used in Latin American, Cajun, Creole and Mexican recipes . Particularly popular for burritos, they are also great in soups. Try adding to rice for a Latin American inspired starter or light lunch The water they are cooked in is often kept to lend colour and seasoning to soups and casseroles

Nutrition

Black Turtle Beans are brilliant for supporting digestive tract health – even better than lentils or chickpeas. In addition, they are very high in phytonutrients (from their black colour).

Return to Contents

Blackeye Bean

blackeye bean

Preparation

Soak: No

Cook: 1.5 – 2 hours

Pressure Cook: 15 mins

Description

Small creamy coloured bean with a distinctive black marking where they were attached to the pod (the eye).

Uses

Widely used in African and American cooking they are often referred to a Black Eyed Peas Popular in ‘rice and peas’ they pick up flavours and seasoning easily. Traditionally served in the USA for Hogmanay to bring luck

Nutrition

A good source of insoluble fibre and high in protein. They are high in iron and phytonutrients.

Return to Contents

Butter Bean     

butter bean

Otherwise known as Lima Bean

Preparation

Soak:     Yes (minimum of 8 hours or overnight)

 Cook:   1 – 1.5 hours

Pressure cook: 12-15 mins

Description

Large, white beans with a creamy texture that have a soft almost floury texture when cooked. Originally from Peru (hence their other name the Lima Bean), they’re usually called butter beans in the UK. Partly for their pale colour but mostly for their creamy texture when cooked.

Uses     

Like haricot beans, they pick up flavours and seasoning well and are useful in soups, casseroles or simply cooked with onion and garlic and dressed in lemon and parsley. Great as a pate or dip and widely used in American and Italian recipes.       

Nutrition

As with all beans they are an excellent source of soluble fibre, protein, copper and manganese. Also high in B vitamins.

Return to Contents

Cannellini Bean

cannellini beans

Otherwise known as White Kidney Bean

Preparation

 Soak: Yes (minimum of 4 hours soaking)

 Cook:   Boil for a minimum of 10 minutes to remove toxins. Using fresh water, simmer for 1-2 hours depending on their size.

Pressure cook: 25-30 mins

Description

Cannellini Beans are a white kidney bean widely used in Italian cuisine. They’re a basic ingredient in minestrone soup. When cooked they have a nutty, mild flavour and creamy almost fluffy texture.

Uses     

Ideal for soups, casseroles and salads. Particularly good in mixed bean dishes. Try mashing into a puree with garlic, olive oil and seasoning. Make your own baked beans, adding your favourite spices, onions, tomatoes and a little brown sugar.  

Nutrition

White beans like Cannellini are the most abundant plant-based source of phosphatidylserine (PS). PS helps to improve the performance of athletes, reduce endocrine stress and may be beneficial for kids with ADHD.

Return to Contents

Chickpea

chickpeas

Otherwise known as Garbanzo Bean or Gram (hence Gram Flour)

Preparation

Soak:     Yes (minimum 8 hours or overnight)

 Cook:   1-2 hours simmering

Pressure cook: 35-40 mins

Description

Small, fawn coloured bean that has been eaten for millennia across the Mediterranean and the Middle East. When ground and crushed the resultant flour is known as Gram Flour or Chana Dahl.

Uses

Used in hummus, falafel and even cakes! They are excellent in stews and curries and are a popular crunchy snack when baked with seasoning.

Nutrition

 High protein count, rich in nutrients and can help reduce blood cholesterol.

Return to Contents

Flageolet Bean

flageolet beans

Preparation

 Soak:    Yes (minimum of 4 hours soaking)

 Cook:   1 1/2-2 hours simmering

Pressure cook: 18-20 Mins

Description

Actually a haricot bean, but harvested and dried before they are fully ripened. Light green, small kidney shaped beans that originated in France. They have a tender skin and a delicate flavour.       

Uses

Great in mixed bean salads or tossed with a little oil or butter as a side dish. Great as a paste or puree as they take flavours well.     

Nutrition

Flageolet beans are high in energy because they contain all of the reserves necessary to the future plant during its germination. It is rich in carbohydrates, fibre and vitamin B9.

Return to Contents

Haricot Bean

hericot beans

Also known as a Navy Bean or Great Northern Bean

Preparation

 Soak:    Yes (minimum 4 hours soaking)

 Cook:   1.5  – 2 hours

Pressure cook:  18-20 Mins

 Description

Small, oval and creamy-white., with a mild flavour and smooth almost buttery texture. Often called a Navy Bean due to being a staple food of the US Navy in the 20th century.

 Uses

 The classic ingredient in baked beans, they have little flavour of their own but are brilliant at absorbing flavours and seasoning making them perfect for slow cooked dishes like cassoulet or bean soups.     

Nutrition

Of all the beans these have the richest source of ferulic acid (an antioxidant) and p-coumaric acid (another antioxidant and possibly reduces the risk of stomach cancer).

Return to Content

Kidney Bean

kidney beans

Preparation

Soak:     Yes (minimum 4 hours)

 Cook:   Must boil for a minimum of 10 minutes to destroy the toxin.

Then simmer in fresh water  for 45-60 mins. May need an extra half hour if large and tough

Pressure cook:  22-24 mins

Description

Looks like a kidney, brownish-red bean with a distinctive ‘kidney’ shape. Widely used in chilli and the staple ingredient of beans and rice. Soft, creamy flesh with a reddish-brown skin. Kidney beans contain a natural toxin called lectin. The toxin is destroyed by proper cooking.

Uses

Great in mixed bean salads and stews like chilli. Often used to replace meat in spicy dishes.

Nutrition

 They are a very good source of molybdenum, folate, dietary fibre, and copper and are a good source of manganese, phosphorus, protein, vitamin B1, and iron.

Return to Contents

 Black Lentils

black beluga lentils

Otherwise known as Urad Beans

Preparation

 Soak:    No         

Cook:    Simmer for 35-45 Mins

Pressure cook: 10-12 mins          

Description

Black skins cover a creamy white interior. Strong earthy flavour and widely used in curries.         

Uses

Usually used to make daal in Indian cooking and also popular in Bangladeshi cuisine.       

Nutrition

Lentils are an excellent source of molybdenum and folate. They are a very good source of dietary fibre, copper, phosphorus, and manganese.

Return to Contents

Brown Lentils

brown lentils

Preparation

 Soak:    No         

Cook:    Simmer for 35-45 mins

Pressure cook: 10-12 mins          

Description

The most commonly used lentil features a mildly earthy flavour profile and smooth texture.      

Uses

Use in soups (they have a mushy texture when cooked) and casserole dishes.  

Nutrition

Lentils are a good source of iron, protein, vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, zinc, potassium, and vitamin B6.

Return to Contents

Green Lentils

green lentils

Preparation

Soak:     No         

Cook:    Simmer for  35-45 Mins

Pressure cook: 10-12 mins          

Description

Firm and flavourful, green lentils don’t break down easily with stirring or mixing, making them ideal for salads and pilafs.               

Uses

Can be used in salads as well as curries, soups and dhal.               

Nutrition

Some soluble fibre and excellent levels of insoluble fibre helping maintain gut health and reduce LDL levels.

Return to Contents

Puy Style Green Lentils

puy style green lentils

Preparation

Soak:     No

 Cook:   Simmer for 20 -25 mins.

Pressure cook: 8-10 Mins

 Description

 Puy lentils have a protected designation of origin if not from Le Puy in France they are referred to as Puy-Style. These little green and blue marbled lentils retain their shape on cooking (although not as much of their colour) and have a delicious flavour.               

Uses

For cold salads, try mixing Puy Lentils with sundried tomatoes, fresh herbs, olive oil and whatever else you like. Or use just cooked Puy lentils with thyme and roasted garlic. Stir in chunks of goat cheese and serve with wedges of roasted butternut squash.               

Nutrition

High in protein, folate and iron like all the lentils.

Return to Contents

Red Split Lentils

red split lentils

Preparation

Soak:     No

 Cook:   Simmer for 15-20 mins.

Pressure cook:  4-6 min

Description

 A light red to orange colour, red lentils are actually a split and hulled version of the yellow lentil, with the shortest cooking time of all varieties.

 Uses

Add twice as many carrots to lentils, cook for 20 minutes, blitz and add seasoning for perfect lentil soup. Use them for soups and spicy Indian daals.     

Nutrition

High in dietary fibre, protein and are also low fat.  Help to give you a satiated feeling.

Return to Contents

Marrowfat Peas

marrowfat peas

Preparation

Soak:     Yes – ideally 12 – 16 hours (sometimes with a bicarb tablet to help soften them and retain the colour)     

Cook:    Simmer for 20-30 minutes

Pressure cook: 16-18 Mins

Description

Peas that have been dried out in the field naturally rather than being harvested when fresh and young

Uses

Used to make mushy peas, they are also often used for snacks, for example, coated in wasabi.

Nutrition

Marrowfat Peas are packed with nutrients including Vitamin A, C, B1, Iron and Phosphorous and are rich in protein, carbohydrate and fibre.

Return to Contents

Green Split Peas

green split peas

Preparation

Soak:     No (If you want to you can soak for around 6 hours and it will reduce cooking time by half an hour roughly.)       

Cook:    Simmer for up to an hour  (If soaked 45 mins ought to do it)

Pressure cook:  1 min    

Description

Cook the split peas for 20 minutes if you want them to be relatively crisp for salads; 30-40 minutes if they will be added to a main dish; and 40 minutes to an hour if you are making soup or intend to puree them.  

Uses

Most popular for using in split pea soup.              

Nutrition

Dried peas are an excellent source of molybdenum.

Return to Contents

Yellow Split Peas

yellow split peas

Preparation

Soak:     No (if you do want to soak them don’t use baking soda to soak split peas it will turn them into a watery purée!)

 Cook:   Simmer for up to an hour (If soaked, 45 minutes ought to do it).

Pressure cook: 1 min     

Description

Slightly more delicate flavour than their green counterparts. Apart from that, they can basically be treated the same (see above)

Uses

Used in daals, soups, pease pudding and dips as they break down fairly quickly and rarely retain any shape. Also used in Fava ( a popular Greek dish) simply cook down with water and a little salt and drizzle olive oil and sprinkle some raw chopped onions over before serving.    

Nutrition

Dried peas are also a very good source of dietary fibre and a good source of manganese, copper, protein, folate, vitamin B1, phosphorus, vitamin B5, and potassium.

Return to Contents

Pinto Bean

pinto beans

Preparation

Soak:     Yes for at least 8 hours

 Cook:   1.5 – 2 hours

Pressure cook:  22-24 mins

Description

 An orangey-pink bean with reddish specks (pinto comes from the Spanish word for painted, as that’s what they look like!) A variety of kidney bean.

Uses

Often used in Mexican cooking for refried beans and burritos. Pintos go beautifully pink when cooked. Often cooked with rice so that the water turns the rice a great shade of pink. Use as a side dish or add to salads and burritos.           

Nutrition

Good levels of folate, magnesium and potassium. A good choice to help prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.

Return to Contents

Soya Bean

soya beans

Edamame are the young green soya beans

Preparation

 Soak:    Yes (minimum of 12 hours recommended by NHS – 7-9 hours recommended for best results making soya milk)

 Cook:   3-4 hours  Must boil for an hour then simmer for the next 2-3 hours  to destroy all toxins and ensure they are fully cooked

Pressure cook: 35-40 mins

Description

A small, pale yellow bean. Widely grown and subject to some controversy due to GMO and animal feed uses

 Uses

Used to make fermented foods in Japan and Asian countries, soy milk, tempeh and soybean oil is also created from them. Often used in curries and popular roasted with spices for a crunchy snack. Try a bean burger.

Nutrition

A high antioxidant food. Contains isoflavones that may reduce cancer risks. Also high in phenolic acids (another antioxidant phytonutrient). May help support bone health through its good amounts of vitamin K. Contains all 8 essential amino acids.

Return to Contents

Back To The Blog