Do you soak legumes before cooking?

Never even knew that it made them easier to digest, but thanks for sharing!

I don't soak them, but really don't cook with them much. I baked with almond flour today for the first time though! Whoo-hoo! (although that's a different topic, but hey! I did cook... ahem or bake.)

I just eat legumes raw mostly, hardly ever cooked and I don't cook much either, so that's one reason.

Usually, you soak the dried legumes, such as beans, to speed up cooking & also to make them more easily digestible by rinsing off some of the gas causing compounds. But the best way to avoid digestive issues with legumes is to eat them frequently so you develop a nice colony in your gut that can easily digest them. (Or you can take a product such as Beano & "cheat" a bit by providing the enzyme that allows better digestion of the legume.)

There is no need to soak fresh legumes when eating them raw, at least, not that I know of.

Some people soak nut meats & then dry them before consuming. This helps with absorption of the nutrients. The chemical in them that binds up some of the nutrients, is water soluble, so you are wash it away with the soaking water. You dry them so they are crisp & crunchy again.

If you eat some beans with regularity, your gut adjusts & you won't get gas, (see my previous comment for more info).

I love the freezer idea, so you have slow food that is no fast food! I can some myself, pressure cook them & also take my cooked ones & dehydrate them so they can later be used as instant beans!

Lately, I've been using a lot of red and black lentils and split peas because you can throw them in with your rice and cook them in the same pot at the same time, and it's all done at once! No need to soak!