How to soak and cook Dry chickpeas or beans from scratch in the slow cooker or pressure cooker or on the stove or in the rice cooker or in the microwave?
I'll tell you some fool-proof ways to cook chickpeas or any beans with soaking and without soaking.
You MUST always use cooked chickpeas for your Hummus. Although you can make hummus with dry chickpeas (soaked and rinsed)

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How to Cook Chickpeas
Wondering what to do with dried beans or dried chickpeas? Well, all you have to do is just cook your chickpeas.
Cooked beans can be stored for a really long time and it comes in handy for so many recipes.
I love to make these Vegan Chickpea Meatballs (Make Ahead Vegan Meatballs) for my kids.

You can also learn How to cook lentils.
Ingredients
- dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or any other beans like Black Eyed Peas or Black Beans or Pinto Beans or White Beans
- water
- salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Basically there are 5 ways of cooking dried chickpeas. Stove top, crock pot, instant pot or pressure cooker, rice cooker, and microwave. I'm going to tell you how to cook chickpeas in all three equipments.
How to cook beans in a Pressure Cooker
To cook garbanzo beans in a pressure cooker or instant pot you have two options.
- Soaked Garbanzo Beans
- Soak your chickpeas in a large bowl with 3-4 inches of water.
- Let them soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- Next morning drain the water and add it to your Instant Pot.
- For 2 cups or 1 pound of dried chickpeas you need to add 6 cups of water.
- Add in 1 teaspoon of salt
- Make sure the valve is set to "sealing position".
- Select "Manual/Pressure cooker" mode and cook on High for 12-minutes.
- Allow pressure to release naturally for 10-minutes.
- Move the valve to "venting" position when the screen shows "LO:10" and release remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid and check the tenderness of chickpeas.
- No-Soaking required
- Add dry chickpeas in the instant pot.
- Cover 2 cups of dry chickpeas with 6 cups of water.
- Add in 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Move the valve to "sealing" position.
- Select "Manual/Pressure cooker" mode and cook on High for 50-minutes.
- Allow pressure cooker to release naturally for 10-minutes.
- Move the valve to "venting" position when the screen shows "LO:10" and release remaining pressure.
- Open the lid and check the doneness of the chickpeas.
How to cook beans in a crock pot
- Place dry chickpeas (not-soaked) in a crockpot
- For 2 cups of chickpeas you need to add 6 cups of water.
- Add in a pinch (1 teaspoon) of salt.
- Cover crockpot with a lid.
- Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Pour cooked chickpeas into a colander.
- Drain and rinse well.
How to cook beans in a rice cooker
- Soak chickpeas in a large bowl with 3-inches of water for at least 8-hours or overnight.
- Next morning discard the liquid and transfer chickpeas to your rice cooker.
- For 2 cups of chickpeas you will need 6 cups of water
- Turn on the rice cooker and cook for one complete cycle.
- Open the lid and stir lightly. Add a little water just until the beans are covered.
- Cook for one more cycle. But, Turn off half way.
- Drain and rinse cooked chickpeas.
How to cook beans in a microwave
- Soak chickpeas in a large bowl with 3-4 inches of water overnight.
- Drain the liquid and rinse thoroughly.
- Place soaked chickpeas in a microwave safe dish.
- Cover 2 cups of chickpeas with 6 cups of water.
- Cover the bowl with a lid.
- Cook on High Power (100% power) for 7-8 minutes.
- Stir lightly and put on the cover.
- Cook on Medium Powder (50% power) for 35-40 minutes or until the chickpeas are tender.
How to cook Garbanzo Beans on the Stove
- Soak chickpeas in a large bowl with 3-inches of water overnight.
- After the beans have soaked, drain the liquid.
- Place chickpeas in a skillet and cover with 2-3 inches of water.
- Reduce the heat and cook on low heat for at least 2-hours or until tender.
Storage
- Refrigerator - Cooked chickpeas can be refrigerated for 2 days.
- Freeze - You can freeze your chickpeas for 2-3 months. But make sure that you soak the moisture from the cooked chickpeas and discard the liquid completely. Transfer it to a freezer-friendly Ziplock Bag or an Air-Tight Container. Freeze it.
Top Tips :
- Rinse dry chickpeas in cold water and remove any stones or debris.
- Remove dark brown chickpeas when you are rinsing them.
Recipe
How to Soak and dry Cook Beans from scratch
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups dried garbanzo beans or black beans or black eyed peas or cannellini beans or kidney beans or northern beans and all other beans
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 6 cups Water more to soak chickpeas overnight
- 2 small dried bay leaves optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place 2 cups of beans in a large bowl. Soak Chickpeas in 3-inches of water overnight or for at least 8-9 hours.
- Drain the liquid and rinse thoroughly.
Cooking Dried Chickpeas on the Stove Top
- Place soaked beans on the stove top. Cover with several inches of water (until the beans are covered). Season with a pinch of salt and two bay leaves if you want. Bring it to a simmer on high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the skillet and simmer for at least 2 hours or until the beans are tender.
- Drain the liquid and use your beans for your favorite recipe.
Cooking Dried beans in the Pressure cooker (or Instant Pot)
- Place 2 cups of soaked beans in an instant pot. Cover with 6 cups of water. Add in a pinch of salt and two bay leaves.
- Secure the lid and turn the valve to "sealing" position.
- Select "Manual/Pressure Cooker" mode and cook on High for 12-minutes.
- Allow pressure to release naturally for 10-minutes or until you see "LO:10"
- Turn the steam valve to "venting" position and release the leftover steam. Open the lid and check the tenderness of the chickpeas.
Cooking Dried Beans in the Crock Pot
- Place drained beans in the crockpot. Season with salt and add a bay leaf if you want.
- Cover the beans with 6 cups of water. Cook on High for 2-3 hours.
- Pour into a colander. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
Cooking Dried beans in the Microwave
- Place soaked beans in a microwave safe dish. Add in salt and bay leaf. Cover with a tight lid.
- Cook on High Power (100%) for 7-8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and stir lightly. Cover cook on Medium for 35-40 minutes. Stirring at every 15-minute interval.
Cooking Dried Beans in the Rice Cooker
- Place soaked Beans in the rice cooker. Place two bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Cover with just enough water until the beans are covered.
- Cook beans in one complete cycle of the rice cooker.
- Open the lid and stir lightly. Add more water (if required) until the beans are covered.
- Cook for another rice cooker cycle but turn off half way.
- Open the lid and check the tenderness of the chickpeas. Use it in your favorite recipe.
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