How to cook dried chickpeas

How to cook dried chickpeas – with no overnight soaking – it’s a game-changer. Try it once, and you won’t look back. Admittedly, canned beans are super convenient, and you’ll find cans of various beans and lentils in my cupboard when I need a backup. But chickpeas in a pressure cooker give you a much creamier and meatier texture. And by batch cooking the chickpeas, you can also freeze your own can-sized portions ready to defrost when needed.

Canned vs dried chickpeas

As mentioned in the introduction, there is nothing wrong with canned chickpeas. They are still a great addition to your diet and a brilliant source of plant-protein. However, if you want to up your legume game, then going with dried chickpeas brings a lot of benefits, some of which are listed below:

• You can control the texture – cook longer for silkier houmous, or firmer in salads or add to curries and soups
• Add additional flavour at the outset – throw some aromatics into the pressure cooker to enhance the flavour
• Better digestion – the high heat and pressure are more effective at breaking down the lectins and the complex sugars. If you believe you have issues eating legumes, this could be a way of slowly reintroducing them into your diet.
• Cost-effective and sustainable – the price of dried chickpeas equates to more than half the cost of a can. And that’s not going for the fancy jarred varieties. And let’s not forget the sustainability factor.

Chickpeas: protein-packed bullets

Chickpeas are nutritional champions that deserve a place in every kitchen. These humble legumes are packed full of plant-based protein. It makes them excellent for vegetarians and anyone generally looking to reduce meat consumption. Rich in fibre, they support digestive health and help maintain stable blood sugar levels, keeping you satisfied longer.

Beyond protein and fibre, chickpeas provide essential minerals like iron, magnesium, and folate, plus they’re naturally low in fat and calories. Their versatility is unmatched—from creamy houmous to crispy roasted snacks, hearty curries to fresh salads. They’re also budget-friendly, shelf-stable, and environmentally sustainable.

If you needed more proof, Good Food just posted this article on the health benefits of chickpeas on 13th January 2026.

Chickpea recipes

See below for a list of delicious, protein-rich, chickpea recipes on the blog:

• Moroccan, chickpea and vegetable tagine
• Houmous
• Chicken, chickpea and sweet potato curry
• Moroccan chicken, chickpea and vegetable tagine

Dried Chickpeas – No Soak Recipe

If, like me, you don't always plan ahead of time, but still want to use cooked dried chickpeas (rather than the canned variety), then have no fear. You can speed things up with a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Follow this foolproof recipe to cook dried chickpeas with no soaking required for perfect results.

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Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Release: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Calories: 146kcal

Equipment

• 1 pressure cooker/instant pot

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Servings: 10

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• 400 g dried chickpeas
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

• Rinse your dried chickpeas under running water to remove any dust.
• Place 400g/2 cups of dried chickpeas into your pressure cooker, along with 1 tsp salt and 1400ml/6 cups of cold water.
• If you wish to use the chickpeas in a soup or curry (ie. you will cook them further) then set to 'pressure cook' for 45 minutes and then release for 15 minutes. If you're looking for creamier chickpeas, to use in a houmous dip for example, set the time to 60 mins and the same 15 mins release.
• Your chickpeas are now ready to be drained and used in a multitude of dishes. See my blog post for various recipes and ideas.

Notes

• I usually weigh out 250g of the cooked chickpeas into a saved takeaway tub and freeze them for when needed. This is roughly the equivalent of a can.
• You can always add in some aromatics when you’re cooking the chickpeas if you know the purpose for them. If you’re going to add to soups or curries, then add in a bay leaf, smashed clove of garlic, and or a bunch of herbs. 
• If you’re a user of ‘aquafaba’ then the liquid leftover in the pressure cooker is a  rich broth, which you can use to thicken soups or use as a base for vegan meringue.

Nutrition Facts

Dried Chickpeas – No Soak Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

146

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

2

g

3

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.3

g

2

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Sodium

 

242

mg

11

%

Potassium

 

350

mg

10

%

Carbohydrates

 

24

g

8

%

Fiber

 

7

g

29

%

Sugar

 

4

g

4

%

Protein

 

8

g

16

%

Vitamin A

 

27

IU

1

%

Vitamin C

 

2

mg

2

%

Calcium

 

42

mg

4

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.