The effects of soaking and cooking time on water absorption capacity, cookability, percent split, and texture of two varieties of cowpea, IITA-2246 and IFE-BPC, were investigated. Soaking prior to cooking had an effect only on the cookability, while the amount of water absorbed and the penetration depth (a measure of texture) of a penetrometer head in the seeds increased with cooking lime. The properties were found to differ notably for the two varieties with IITA-2246 having a softer texture than IFE-BPC. Splitting in cooked beans increased with cooking time with maximum of 92% split in IITA-2246 and 63% split for IFE-BPC. Higher temperature soaking reduced the cooking time of both varieties.