Skip to Content

Cooking Dried Chickpeas

Cooking Dried Chickpeas

Sharing is caring!

I have been meaning to share some basic how-to recipes that I often use since writing about the staples I keep in my pantry.  I have not gotten around to it until now.  This will be the first in the series, so stay tuned.  The posts will be short and sweet, with just enough know-how to get you into the kitchen cooking.  The first post is about one of our all-time favorite ingredients to use, the chickpea, which we use often in recipes from breakfast to dinner.  

Cooking Dried Chickpeas

Honestly, I prefer cooking all beans as I find they taste better and I like to believe that they are better for us since they are not filled with extra crap that is used during processing.  When I am in a pinch I will reach for a can of them, but this year I am making it a goal to cook up a big batch and tuck them away into the freezer for use doing the week.  Here are my down and dirty methods for cooking dried chickpeas.

I do not presoak my dried chickpeas.  I find that when I do they tend to make us gassy.  TMI!  Instead, I simply wash them, throw them into a pot along with some simple herbs and water.  I do not add any salt until after they are cooked and usually only when I use them in a recipe, then I season to taste.  See, it is super easy.

Cooking Dried Chickpeas

To freeze them, I drain well and then place into freezer proof containers.  I do not add any liquid prior to freezing;  just the cooked chickpeas.

 

Recipe: Cooking Dried Chickpeas

Ingredients:

  • Dried Chickpeas – 1 pound bag
  • Aromatics – I use bay leaves and thyme as they are both a basic herb that complements many recipes
  • Water

How To:

Wash chickpeas in cold water, and remove any debris that may be in the bag.

Place into a large dutch oven, toss in the aromatics and cover with cold water.

Place onto the stove and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a low simmer.

Cook until tender to bite.  I begin checking every 30 minutes until they are cooked.  

DO NOT over cook.

Once cooked remove from the heat, pour into a colander and rinse with cold water.

Use in your recipe or place into freezer proof containers for later.

Recipes to Use Chickpeas in:

Chickpea Stew

Loaded Winter Squash Hummus

Spicy Harissa Chickpea Salad

(Visited 597 times, 1 visits today)