A quart container filled with cooked chickpeas.

Canned beans are incredibly convenient, and I always have a few on hand. Nothing, however, beats the flavor and texture of cooked-from-scratch beans. Once you get into a rhythm of cooking beans/chickpeas from scratch, I think you’ll find it effortless and satisfying.

A few years ago I discovered the brining method — soaking beans in salt water as opposed to water — for cooking beans. I’ve never looked back. I wrote about it in this post for Marcella Hazan’s Stewy White Beans, and I’ve outlined the steps in more details below.

That said, I do love my slow cooker and Instant Pot for cooking chickpeas, black beans, and other dried beans. Find instructions below for cooking beans in various methods:

spoonful

How to Cook Dried Beans in the Slow Cooker

With a slow cooker, there’s no need to soak the beans. Simply dump the ingredients in the pot, set it, and forget it.

Here are two favorite recipes:

  1. Simplest Slow Cooker Chickpeas
  2. Simplest Slow Cooker Black Beans

Use the method with any bean you have on hand. You’ll want to eat the beans directly from the pot — they’re so good!

An Instant Pot on a counter turned on.

How to Cook Dried Beans in the Instant Pot

To cook beans in an Instant Pot add these ingredient into the inner pot:  

  • 1 lb. unsoaked, dried beans
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 half of a small onion, halved through the core to keep it intact, peeled
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed and halved
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  1. Turn the valve to sealing. Set the Instant Pot to “Manual and High Pressure.” The times will vary depending on what type of bean you are using, and it might take some trial and error to get right. (For black beans, set it for 30 minutes. For pinto beans, set it for 40 minutes. For chickpeas, set it for 50 minutes.)
  2. Let the valve release naturally for at least 20 minutes. Uncover. Taste. Add more salt to taste. 

How to Cook Dried Beans and Legumes on the Stovetop (Brining Method)

1. Place dried chickpeas or beans in a large bowl and cover with water by at least 3 inches. Stir in 3 tablespoons kosher salt. Stir to dissolve. Let sit overnight or at least 8 to 10 hours.

2. Drain and rinse. Place chickpeas/beans in a pot. Cover with water. Add 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, a few sprigs thyme, a small onion, halved, and a bay leaf. (All of these aromatics are optional.)

3. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or till done — this may take more or less time depending on the age of your beans. Add water as needed to ensure beans are always submerged in water. 

4. Store in cooking liquid in fridge for about a week or in the freezer for many months. As you may know, I love these deli quart containers and this mixed set of quart, pint, and cup containers.

Two quart containers filled with cooked chickpeas.

Same process for beans:

A quart container filled with cooked white beans.
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Two quart containers filled with cooked chickpeas.

How to Cook Beans and Chickpeas from Scratch

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Description

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated’s The Science of Good Cooking

See post above if you wish to cook your beans in an Instant Pot or slow cooker. 

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. dried chickpeas or beans
  • 3 tablespoons + 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 small onion, halved through the core
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • a few sprigs thyme, optional
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed, optional
  • 1 teaspoon, crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

  1. Place the chickpeas or beans in a large bowl and cover with water by at least 3 inches. Add the 3 tablespoons of salt and stir to dissolve. Let sit at room temperature overnight or for 8 to 10 hours at least.
  2. Drain, rinse and place in a large pot with the remaining 1.5 teaspoons of salt and the remaining ingredients. Cover with water by three inches. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook at a gentle simmer for about 45 minutes or until the beans are cooked through. Note: Add water as need to ensure the beans/chickpeas are completely covered with water the entire time. Also, times will vary considerably depending on the type and age of your beans. It may take more or less than 45 minutes.
  3. Let beans cool in their cooking liquid. Discard thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and onion. Store beans in their cooking liquid for 5 to 7 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
  • Prep Time: 10 hours
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Beans
  • Method: Boil
  • Cuisine: American