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Soaking Grains, Nuts and Legumes

Soaking Grains, Nuts & Legumes

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Prep 5 minutes
You've likely heard about soaking as a concept, but perhaps have not made it part of your regular routine when cooking legumes, nuts and grains. Soaking can help to increase nutrient absorption and support digestion.
The why: soaking grains, nuts and legumes (lentils, beans, peas) helps to make health-supporting minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium and calcium more readily available for our bodies to use. It also helps to remove phytates, which act like a magnet and bind to the minerals and amino acids we would rather keep accessible, and it eases digestion, an important piece of overall nutrition.
The how: soaking doesn't need to take a lot of time or effort. The extra step is quick and simple, especially for the benefits above.
Course How-To

Ingredients

  • 2-3 cups grains, legumes or raw nuts and seeds lentils, beans, peas, rice, oats, almonds, etc.
  • water enough to cover by a couple of inches

Equipment

  • Clean bowl

Method

  1. Place a few cups of your grain, legume, nut or seed into a clean bowl.
  2. Add water to cover generously.
  3. Wait. Let them soak (a few hours for grains and nuts, overnight for beans and legumes).
  4. Drain, rinse and use as you normally would.

Notes

Use raw nuts and seeds.
An illustrated guide to soaking and sprouting by KQED.

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