Why cook dried chickpeas? Simple: They’re hands-down better than canned.

Here’s how to make perfect chickpeas every time. And remember, beans of all kinds are great to freeze and use later, so make a big batch!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dried chickpeas
  • 1 peeled onion, halved
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
  • 1 sachet d’épices (containing 8 cracked black peppercorns, 5 parsley stems, 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig thyme, and 1 garlic clove)

  1. Remove any pebbles and discolored beans and rinse several times. In a 6-quart, cover the chickpeas with 4 inches cold water, and discard any beans that float. Add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil over high heat for 2 minutes, skimming off any foam. Remove from the heat and soak at room temperature for 1 hour. Drain and rinse, discarding the water.
  2. Cover the chickpeas again with cold water by 4 inches in the same saucepan. Add the onion, salt, and the sachet d’épices.
  3. Bring the water to a boil, adjust the heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, skimming off any foam, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, adding water as necessary to maintain depth.
  4. Cool in the cooking liquid at room temperature for 1 hour. The chickpeas can be cooked 3 days in advance. Store in the cooking liquid wrapped in the refrigerator.

1 lb of dried chickpeas yields about 2 lb cooked.

CIA FOODIES

Cooking Dried Chickpeas

Why cook dried chickpeas? Simple: They’re hands-down better than canned. Here’s how to make perfect chickpeas every time. And remember, beans of all kinds are great to freeze and use later, so make a big batch!
  1. Remove any pebbles and discolored beans and rinse several times. In a 6-quart, cover the chickpeas with 4 inches cold water, and discard any beans that float. Add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil over high heat for 2 minutes, skimming off any foam. Remove from the heat and soak at room temperature for 1 hour. Drain and rinse, discarding the water.
  2. Cover the chickpeas again with cold water by 4 inches in the same saucepan. Add the onion, salt, and the sachet d’épices.
  3. Bring the water to a boil, adjust the heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, skimming off any foam, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, adding water as necessary to maintain depth.
  4. Cool in the cooking liquid at room temperature for 1 hour. The chickpeas can be cooked 3 days in advance. Store in the cooking liquid wrapped in the refrigerator.
1 lb of dried chickpeas yields about 2 lb cooked.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dried chickpeas
  • 1 peeled onion, halved
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
  • 1 sachet d’épices (containing 8 cracked black peppercorns, 5 parsley stems, 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig thyme, and 1 garlic clove)

Copyright © 2024 The Culinary Institute of America