How to cook dried chickpeas, the simple and perfect recipe. Eating legumes should become a habit at least 2-3 times a week. Rich in plant proteins, highly satisfying, they contain vitamins, fibers, and minerals like iron, potassium, and magnesium. Between beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas, we have plenty of choices. But while peas and lentils are quicker to prepare, beans and chickpeas require soaking for a few hours to rehydrate and after cooking become very soft and delicious. The recipe I want to share with you today is for cooking dried chickpeas perfectly. A 12-hour soak with a pinch of baking soda and cooking in a pot. Adding baking soda during soaking can speed up cooking, making them softer and more digestible, avoiding the formation of intestinal gas, which often accompanies legume consumption. Don’t miss the recipe for Chickpea Burgers and the recipe for Chickpea Flour Flatbread. Let’s go read my recipe for Cooking dried chickpeas
AND DON’T MISS THESE RECIPES:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 476.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 60.31 (g) of which sugars 5.46 (g)
- Proteins 26.34 (g)
- Fat 12.62 (g) of which saturated 1.75 (g)of which unsaturated 6.72 (g)
- Fibers 17.41 (g)
- Sodium 178.80 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Chickpeas in a pot
- 14 oz dried chickpeas
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 carrot (small)
- 1/4 stalk celery
- 1/2 white onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 3 leaves bay leaf
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Cooking dried chickpeas
The night before, put the dried chickpeas in a bowl and cover them generously with fresh water. Add the baking soda. Chickpeas require about 12 hours of soaking. Drain the chickpeas and quickly rinse them under running water. Transfer the chickpeas to a tall pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. When white foam forms on the surface, remove it with a spoon or skimmer.
The foam that forms during the cooking of chickpeas is the result of the presence of proteins, saponins, fibers, and starches in these legumes. Clean the vegetables, carrot, celery, cherry tomatoes, and onion, and cut them into small cubes. Add them to the pot with the chickpeas, along with a clove of garlic and the bay leaves.
Let the chickpeas cook for 1.5-2 hours over low heat. Add more water if they tend to dry out too much. At the end of cooking, adjust the salt. Serve the chickpeas with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. You can enjoy them alone or with small-sized pasta.
See you tomorrow with a new recipe, a hug, Loredana
Loredana’s Tips
You can prepare the chickpeas in advance and store them in a container in the fridge or even freeze them
For a bold flavor, add 2-3 small pieces of hot chili peppers and/or a teaspoon of Vegetable Bouillon at the end of cooking
Don’t miss the recipe for Cauliflower and Bean Cutlets
