My 'fancy' bean soup turned into a science experiment

I was trying to stretch a bag of dried beans in my apartment kitchen last Tuesday. Forgot to soak them overnight, so I tried the quick boil method I saw online. Left it for 20 minutes, came back to find the pot had foamed over like a volcano, covering my entire stovetop in a weird bean goo. My roommate walked in and just said, 'Is this dinner or a biohazard?' I managed to salvage the beans and finish the soup, but it was a sticky mess. Anyone have a foolproof way to cook dried beans fast without the kitchen turning into a crime scene?

3 comments

3 Comments

ward.mason2mo agoMost Upvoted

My grandma always adds a tablespoon of oil to the pot before boiling beans. It supposedly breaks the surface tension so the foam can't build up as much. I tried it with chickpeas last week and it actually worked, no overflow at all.

anthony4261mo ago

That "breaks the surface tension" line is exactly what my buddy Dave swore by. He tried it with black beans and still ended up scrubbing foam off his stove for an hour.

mary_wells2mo ago

Wait, you tried the quick boil without any oil or anything? I mean, that's basically asking for a foam explosion. I always add a splash of vinegar to the water now, maybe a couple tablespoons. It cuts the foam way down and doesn't change the taste at all. I had the same sticky bean goo disaster once and it was the worst to clean up.