Learn how to cook chickpeas from dried and use them in a variety of recipes. I absolutely love chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans.
These protein-packed legumes have a mild, nutty flavor that goes well in a variety of dishes, such as hummus, chickpea and kale soup, and chicken chickpea stew.
Because of the time involved in preparing dried chickpeas, most people resort to canned varieties. The trouble with canned chickpeas is that many contain additives for preservation, as well as high sodium content from added salt.
Making chickpeas from scratch is a much more natural way to go, and it’s surprisingly easy. This recipe, photo tutorial, and video will show you the whole process, step-by-step.
Why Soak Chickpeas?
Soaking chickpeas before cooking softens them and makes them easier to digest. You can do a quick soak (see below) or opt for an overnight soak.
Some prefer soaking them for a few days until they sprout, which may boost nutritional value. If sprouting, use cold water and change it twice a day to prevent bacteria.
For the best results, buy chickpeas from bulk bins with high turnover. Older beans can cook unevenly and stay tough.
Most recipes call for chickpeas that are soaked and boiled until tender (except falafel, which uses soaked but not cooked chickpeas). I often cook a big batch, then store extras in the fridge or freezer.
Homemade chickpeas taste better than canned, offer more control over salt, and can save you over 50%. Budget-friendly and flavorful!
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) – I always make a large batch, using at least 4 cups of chickpeas. Make sure they’re dried!
- Salt – This is technically optional, but infuses the legumes with flavor, similar to cooking pasta.
How to Cook Dried Chickpeas
Before cooking, you will need to soak the chickpeas. For a quick soak, you’ll only need an hour. (See the recipe card below.) However, I recommend letting them soak overnight. Either way, make sure to drain and rinse the chickpeas before cooking. You can save the cooking liquid, known as aquafaba, to use in meringues or macarons.
- Boil. Place the soaked chickpeas in a large pot, and cover them with several inches of water. Then, bring the cooking liquid to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Add salt, if desired.
- Simmer. Cook the chickpeas on the stovetop until they reach your desired tenderness.
- Cool. Drain the colander, transfer the chickpeas to a large bowl, and set them aside to cool.
How to Soak, Cook, Freeze and Store Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 4 cups dried chickpeas (you may use more or less as needed– 4 cups dried equals roughly 12 cups cooked beans)
- Salt (optional)
Instructions
- Before cooking, you will need to soak the beans. You can soak them overnight, if you have the time. Place them in a large bowl and cover with cold water.
- The chickpeas will expand to over double their size, so make sure you cover by several inches of water to allow for expansion. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let them soak overnight. Drain the water and rinse the beans before cooking.
- To quick soak the beans, you will need 1 hour. Place the chickpeas into the bottom of a large pot and cover with water. The chickpeas will expand to over double their size, so make sure you cover by several inches of water to allow for expansion.
- Bring the chickpeas to a boil. Let them boil for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Let the beans soak in the hot water for 1 hour.
- Drain the water and rinse the beans before cooking.
- When you are ready to cook your soaked beans, place them in a large pot and cover with several inches of water. I use about 1 quart of water per 1 cup of soaked beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add salt, if desired. I use about 1/8 teaspoon of salt for every 1 quart of water and 1 cup of soaked beans. You may like more salt to taste, or none at all to keep them "au naturel."
- Let the beans cook for 60-90 minutes until desired tenderness. Certain dishes require very tender beans (like hummus), while other dishes call for firmer beans (like stews and soups that need to be cooked over long periods of time). Adjust cooking time to achieve the desired tenderness for your purposes. If you are freezing the beans, keep in mind that they will freeze best if they are on the firmer side, rather than completely soft. As you cook them, the beans will continue to expand a bit. Keep an eye on the water level and add additional water as needed to keep the beans covered. When the beans are fully cooked, drain in a colander and allow to cool.
- To store cooked beans in the refrigerator, place them in a covered airtight container or a plastic zipper bag without any additional liquid. Cooked beans will keep 3-4 days in the refrigerator.To store the beans longer for future use, freeze them. Remove as much moisture as possible from the beans by patting them dry with paper towels. Place the beans in reusable freezer bags or plastic zipper bags spread out in single layers; you don't want to pile the beans on top of each other, or they will stick to each other. Freeze, laying the flat single layer down to keep the beans from freezing together. You can freeze several bags this way, one laying flat on top of another.
- Alternatively, you can spread out the beans in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze the beans for 30 minutes.
- Once they are firm, pour them into a plastic zipper bag or airtight container, seal, and put immediately back into the freezer. Using this method, you don’t need to put the chickpeas in a single layer– because they are already half frozen, they will not stick together.
- Frozen beans will keep for up to 1 year.
NOTES
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Nutritional information per serving is for 1 cup of cooked chickpeas (1/3 cup dried chickpeas)– values and cook times will vary based on how what cooking method is used.
If you enjoyed this recipe, I’d love it if you left me a star rating and comment below. Also, don’t forget to share and tag us on Facebook and Instagram!
FAQs
Use dried chickpeas in any recipe that calls for garbanzo beans, adjusting the cooking time as needed. Some of my favorite dishes include butternut squash soup with chickpeas, saffron chickpea risotto, and chicken chickpea stew.
Or, toss the chickpeas in oil and seasonings such as paprika, salt, and pepper. Then, arrange them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and roast them in the oven until they’re golden brown with a crispy texture. Cool slightly, and use the crispy chickpeas as a topping for salads, pita sandwiches, and grain bowls. Or, enjoy them as a snack!
The general rule of thumb is that 1 cup of dried beans will yield 3 cups of cooked beans.
Yes, once cooked, chickpeas will keep fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Or, you can freeze them for 2-3 months. (See the recipe card for freezing tips.)
Hi – I was planning on making falafel before Passover but turns out, I won’t have the time. I’ve already soaked and drained my chickpeas and was wondering if it’s ok to freeze them in this state and then thaw them after Passover to use in your falafel recipe?
Hi Jeff– I’ve never frozen soaked chickpeas before. Theoretically I think it should work, but I can’t promise because I’ve only frozen cooked beans in the past. If you try it, please report back and let us know if you had any issues. Or if you’re worried, just cook the beans and freeze them for use in other recipes, then start with a fresh batch for falafel after Passover. Here is a tutorial if you need guidance: https://toriavey.com/how-to/how-to-soak-and-cook-chickpeas/ Good luck!
I soak-then-freeze beans for future final cooking all the time! Prep work is done & beans ready to boil (for bean soups, hummus, etc) right from the freezer.
Thank you for chiming in Lori, glad to know the soaking-freezing method works!
I have been trying to cut down on extra waste and just bought dried chickpeas recently, since I’ve been going through a couple cans each week… I love the idea of prepping and freezing them! I’m going to start soaking them to sprout tomorrow (sprouted beans, nuts and seeds are so great for you!). Thank you!
Thank you for this info. Soaking my GB for the first time in water for 24 hours. Was going to soak them in a bag but thought it my leak, bowl is best option. I will cook them this afternoon and hummus tonight.
So, basic idea, after letting them sit all night, for a hummus dish…
I rinse them a bit from the foul water and boil them for 60-90 minutes to then be able to put them in the blender.
Took me awhile to figure this out & re-read your article 3 times in order to figure this out. Because you specify how to cook them after the fast & easy method of 1hour soak, but you do not specify what to do after they have been sitting all night & how much boil time they require for a hummus dish.
Anyway, thank you for this article! Everybody’s a critic ^_^
Thanks
Can you cook chickpeas from frozen or do you need to defrost first?
You can cook them from frozen.
Thank you *so* much for these clear, concise tips! I appreciate these instructions immensely, especially as I’ve begun the long transition to a zero waste lifestyle and have started shopping in bulk and–naturally–have had so many questions along the way. You rock!
This is very detailed and a great resource for me. I am a newbie to batch cooking beans. Would you mind detailing what is meant by “cook” the beans: Let the beans cook for 60-90 minutes…?
Thanks.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer (a light boil) and let the summer for 60-90 minutes.
Thank you for your very helpful article on Chickpeas. Please could you advise how long the Chickpeas would last, if I oven roasted them?
Thanking you
Amanda
Hi Tory! I read online somewhere that if I soak my dried chickpeas overnight I can cook them in ten minutes before turning into hummus. I can’t find the recipe anymore – can you confirm if this is true? If not I believe I can turn them into falafel instead without cooking them? Thank you!
Hi Lorna, if you soak them the cook time will be reduced, but I don’t think ten minutes will render them soft enough for hummus. You can use them for falafel after soaking without cooking. Here is my recipe for falafel: https://toriavey.com/falafel/
Hi Tori!
Thanks for the easy to follow instructions! I am just learning how to cook healthy! Really I am learning how to cook?! I will definitely be using your websites often!
Thanks again!
Trish
Im about to give the quick soak a try. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much for these clear and complete instructions. I will now buy the 2kg box of chickpeas and I know I can freeze leftovers!
Soak overnight in the fridge or can be left out? Making your chicken shawarma recipe and already made homemade tahini sauce.
Thanks!
Ellen, they can be left out. Enjoy!
Just a few questions, should you know the answers…
Rather than discarding the water, why not save it to be used in broths? (is the resulting cooking liquid free of those gas-producing agents? or not?)
Is there anything special procedure to follow, when defrosting the chickpeas?
And, finally, any suggestions to avoid freezer burn on the peas?
This is my first, but certainly not the last, visit to your site. So glad that I traipsed through Google to find out more about beans. Will be looking for more soup ideas for slow cookers…
Thanks so much, Sue from Savannah
The cooking water has gaseous qualities, which is why it is more common practice to discard. That doesn’t mean to say you have to, only that it’s easier on the digestion not to use it. You can defrost the chickpeas in the refrigerator, in hot water on the stovetop, or simply add them to your recipe– they will defrost and warm up in no time. If you follow the instructions here you should have no trouble with freezer burn, however I wouldn’t keep the beans frozen for longer than 6 months for optimal flavor.
Enjoyed your article! Please could you tell me what is the reason you want to remove all moisture before freezing chickpeas? I have tried it both ways and have not noticed the advantage to removing the moisture. Is it to make them last longer in the frig? (I don’t usually need mine to last more than a month or two, so maybe that is why I couldn’t tell the difference?)
Hi Michele, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. We like to remove the moisture from the chickpeas so that they freeze well without clumping together.
Thank you so much for this! My goal in 2017 is to never buy another can of beans, of any kind. The sludge and salt just do not appeal to me. This guide proves its not as challenging as one might think. I used no salt but, I did add large pieces of onions, carrots and celery when I cooked them. (Easy to pick out) As a result, I did not need any additional salt in the first dish I used these in. Perfect the way they were & my fiance ate so many before I got them bagged up for the freezer!
Thanks Tori for the tutorial and commenters for your tips!
What do you do with the white foam that comes up at the top of the pot when boiling the peas?
Hi Leila, Tori’s assistant Ashley here! If you’d like you can skim the foam off and discard it.
I had some dried chickpeas and decided to use them for a chana masala (an indian vegetarian dish I was making). I soaked the chickpeas overnight, and then followed your instructions to cook them until soft. They were superb, tasty and sooo creamy — I kept nibbling on them and was reminded how much better these were compared to what comes from a can. I will cook more and freeze them to have on hand. Thanks Tori!
Thank you.
Glad all are enjoying Arab food. Sehtain!