Low-Sodium No-Soak Beans (Instant Pot)

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These low-sodium no-soak beans are the easiest, fastest way to make your own beans right at home! Once you try them, you may never buy canned beans again.

Did you know that beans are a great food to help you manage diabetes?

While they do contain carbs, they’re also packed with fiber, which can help slow the absorption of sugar. Plus they’re a great way to add texture to any meal.

Unfortunately, canned beans are notoriously high in sodium. They also contain preservatives and other fillers you may not want to be ingesting.

So ditch the canned stuff and make your own low-sodium, no soak beans right at home! This Instant Pot method is definitely the easiest, fastest way I’ve ever found.

You’ll be amazed at how much better homemade beans taste. They’re also more cost-effective than buying the canned version AND healthier for you! Really, what’s not to love?

How to make low-sodium no-soak beans

Ready to see just how easy it is to cook your own beans right at home?

Step 1: Combine 1 pound of dried beans with 5 cups of broth in the electric pressure cooker.

Step 2: Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top.

Step 3: Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Set the valve to “Sealing.”

Step 4: Set the pressure cooker to HIGH pressure. Set the timer to 25 minutes for black beans; 30 minutes for garbanzo, pinto, navy, or great northern beans; or 40 for cannellini beans.

Step 5: Once the timer is done, hit CANCEL. Let the pressure cooker sit for 20 minutes to allow it to naturally release.

Step 6: After 20 minutes, turn the valve to “Venting” to release any remaining pressure.

Step 7: Once the pressure pin drops, unlock and remove the lid.

That’s it! Depending on which beans you’re cooking, the entire process should only take about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. It’s definitely the fastest way to cook beans right at home.

Ways to use beans

Now that you have delicious home-cooked beans ready to go, how are you going to use them?

In case you need some inspiration, here are a few of my favorite recipes that are so much better with homemade beans!

• Barley Salad with Black Beans, Avocado, and Corn
• Black Bean Soup with Cilantro-Lime Cream
• White Bean Lentil Soup
• Four-Bean Salad with Lemon-Lime Vinaigrette

Of course, you can always add beans to salads and soups. Or you can simply enjoy them alongside a lean and healthy protein for a well-balanced meal!

Storage

This recipe will give you 6 cups of cooked beans. You can store them covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

However, if you don’t think you’ll eat that many beans that quickly, these are great to store in the freezer! I recommend freezing them in 1½ cup portions, which is roughly equivalent to a 15-ounce can of beans.

Then, once you have a recipe that calls for beans, just take a serving out of the freezer to thaw and enjoy!

Other popular homemade recipes

Food made from scratch is always going to be healthier than what you can buy from the store. You can control ingredients like salt or sugar, plus you don’t have to deal with any added fillers or preservatives!

And in a lot of cases, it’s easier than you think. Here are a few of my favorite foods to make at home instead of buying from the store:

• Homemade White Wine Mustard
• Homemade Keto Tortillas
• Easy Homemade Low-Sodium Salsa

When you’ve tried this method for cooking beans, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and add a rating in the comments below!