First things first: are you grabbing a can or a bag of dried beans? This changes everything. Canned chickpeas are the MVP of weeknight dinners because they’re already cooked. You just need to heat them up, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes on the stove or a quick spin in the microwave. Boom. Done. Dinner is saved.
But if you’re feeling adventurous and bought dried beans (go you, meal prepper!), you’ve got a little more time on your hands. Dried garbanzo beans are like the sleepy grandpas of the legume world—they need a long nap before they wake up. Plan for about 1 to 2 hours of simmering on the stove. Yes, that’s a whole movie, but it’s worth it.
Step One: The Soak (Don’t Skip This or You’ll Be Sorry)
Before you even think about heat, you’ve got to soak your dried beans. Why? Because if you don’t, you’ll be chewing on pebbles until next Tuesday. Trust me, I’ve made that mistake. You have two options: the overnight soak (think 8 to 12 hours) or the quick soak (boil them for 2 minutes, then let them sit for an hour).
For the overnight soak, just dump the beans in a big bowl, cover them with water by a few inches, and let them chill in the fridge while you sleep. For the quick soak, bring them to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and set a timer for 60 minutes. Either way, your beans will be plump, happy, and ready to cook.
Pro tip: Add a pinch of salt to the soak water? Some say yes, some say no. I say do it—it helps the beans stay creamy, not mushy. But don’t tell the bean purists I told you that.
