How to Cook Dried Chickpeas Perfectly
How long should you soak chickpeas, and how long do they take on the stove or in a pressure cooker? A step-by-step guide to soft, creamy chickpeas, plus chickpea nutrition facts.
Chickpeas are the base of hummus, falafel, Turkish chickpea stew and chickpea pilaf. Soaking and cooking dried chickpeas properly makes a real difference to both flavour and digestibility.
1. Sort and rinse
Spread the chickpeas on a tray and remove any broken or discoloured ones, then rinse them several times in cold water. Reigna Gıda chickpeas are sorted and cleaned before packing, so this step is quick.
2. Soak
Soak the chickpeas in at least three times their volume of water for 8 to 12 hours. They roughly double in size. In warm weather, change the water once or keep the bowl in the fridge.
Tip: Adding a teaspoon of baking soda to the soaking water softens the skins and shortens cooking time.
3. Cooking times
Drain the soaking water and cook the chickpeas in plenty of fresh water:
| Method | Approximate time |
|---|---|
| Stovetop pot | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Pressure cooker | 20 to 25 minutes |
Times depend on size and freshness. When a chickpea crushes easily between your fingers, it is ready.
4. When to add salt
Adding salt towards the end of cooking helps chickpeas cook evenly and stay tender. Skimming off the foam that forms gives a clearer liquid and a cleaner taste.
Chickpea nutrition
100 grams of dry chickpeas contain approximately 378 kcal, 20 g of protein and 12 g of fibre. Rich in plant protein, fibre, iron and B vitamins, chickpeas are filling and energising.
Storing cooked chickpeas
Keep cooked chickpeas in their cooking liquid in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze them in portions so you always have chickpeas ready for hummus or salads.
Explore our large, easy-cooking Serda Chickpeas and Cilin Chickpeas.