Chickpeas cooked from dried, have a nutty taste with a slight sweetness. This is the stovetop method of cooking them at home. The stovetop method allows you to simmer them up to the exact tenderness or firmness that works best for your dish. And, there is the huge bonus of getting the resulting chickpea stock that is so good in soups, sauces and stews. The stock is worth it alone to take a little extra time for doing at home. For the Instant Pot method see Cooking Dried Chickpeas in the Instant Pot.

For those of us who eat a lot of beans, you can save quite a bit of money too by cooking them at home. Dried beans are about 1 quarter the price of canned beans. One pound of dried chickpeas cooks up to 6–7 cups, the equivalent of 4-5 cans.

Finding Good Chickpeas

It is important to get the freshest dried chickpeas available. Chickpeas that are old don’t cook up as well, sometimes have a gritty, chalky texture even when completely cooked through, and take much longer. The fresher the chickpeas are, the faster and more evenly they cook. Mediterranean and middle-eastern markets are really good sources, since chickpeas are a staple in that part of the world. They are also typically less expensive. Health food stores, local coop stores and grocery stores with a high turnover on bulk goods are also good sources.

Soaking Dried Chickpeas

Over the years of cooking dried chickpeas and experimenting with soaking methods, or not soaking, I have found the “overnight” soaking method gives the best result in the final cooked chickpeas. Overnight translates into a minimum of 8 hours and no more than about 24 hours, but 16 hours seems to be the charm.

Overnight soaking helps the chickpeas to cook more evenly and have a creamier texture. The quick soak method of bringing the chickpeas to a boil for a couple minutes, then letting rest for 1–2 hours doesn’t give quite as good of results; the chickpeas take longer to cook and sometimes are somewhat tough or gritty even when fully cooked. The same is true for not soaking at all.

Prior to soaking the chickpeas, sort through for any foreign particles and rinse the chickpeas well. Usually I use the same pot to soak the chickpeas as I will for the cooking. Add the chickpeas to the pot and 3 times the amount of filtered water. After 8 hours of soaking, drain the water, add more fresh filtered water and leave for another 8 hours (up to a total of 24 hours) before cooking. Then drain that water and add fresh water to start the cooking. (See the recipe card with instructions below).

How to Cook Dried Chickpeas to the Right Doneness for Your Dishes

Cooking from dried also has the advantage of cooking to the desired texture. Firmer beans are good for chickpea dishes where the beans stay whole, while the softer version is perfect for when you will be blending the beans, like in hummus. For a softer bean, simmer longer checking about every 10 minutes after the initial 20 minutes until done to the tenderness you like. You can do both in one batch. Cook to the firmness you like for your dish and pull the amount needed out with a strainer. Leave the amount you want softer in the cooking water and continue simmering until the beans reach the softness for hummus or other blended bean dishes and condiments.

Skim the Foam

The Resulting Chickpea Stock

One of the perks of cooking dried chickpeas from scratch, besides the wonderful taste and cooking versatility, is the chickpea stock that comes from cooking the chickpeas. Unlike vegetable stocks, chickpea stock develops a gelatin-like viscosity, and when reduced gets even thicker. This is perfect for sauces that you want to reduce or thicken.

For a thicker chickpea stock “aquafaba” that will be better for the egg white type foam or thickening sauces, continue to simmer the chickpea stock to reduce by 1/3 to 1/2. Chickpea stock reduced to aquafaba is great for nut-based cream sauces too. It whips up to a thick foamy consistency and it turns white in color much like egg whites.

I often add a spice bag with the spices typically used in the chickpea dishes I make during the cooking to give a fuller flavor, but a spice bag is not necessary to achieve a good stock. The chickpea stock that results from the cooking water is really good in pilafs, soups, sauces and of course bean dishes. The spice combination used in this recipe is ideal for the Moroccan Spiced Chickpeas. But, if you don’t yet know what you will use the chickpea stock for, leave out the spice bag so you can use for any dish.

Storing Cooked Chickpeas and Chickpea Stock

Cooked chickpeas can be refrigerated for up to four days. Glass jars work best for storing in the refrigerator for both the cooked chickpeas and the chickpea stock. Chickpea stock can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days in the refrigerator and in the freezer for about three months in a freezer-safe container.