How to Cook Beans, Lentils, and Chickpeas
A simple guide to cooking dried beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas at home, on the stovetop, in a pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or slow cooker. Keep a batch in the fridge and dinner comes together fast.
3 cups
Calories: 207kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried beans lentils, chickpeas, or peas
- Water see the ratios in the notes
- Optional aromatics: 1 bay leaf 1/2 onion, or 2 garlic cloves
- Salt to taste (add after cooking)
Instructions
Beans (black, pinto, cannellini, broad beans)
- Soak 1 cup dried beans in plenty of water overnight (or at least 8 hours). Drain and rinse.
- Stovetop: Add 4 cups fresh water per cup of beans. Simmer gently (don't boil hard, or they split) about 1½ hours, until you can mash a bean easily with a fork.
- Pressure cooker: Fill no more than two-thirds. Cook 30 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally 15–20 minutes.
- Instant Pot / slow cooker: Instant Pot cooks in about 20 minutes with a 15-minute natural release; slow cooker takes a few hours, hands-off.
Lentils (no soaking needed)
- Red & yellow lentils: Use 2½ cups water per cup of lentils and simmer about 20 minutes (they break down, great for soups).
- Green & brown lentils: Use 2½ cups water per cup and simmer about 30 minutes (they hold their shape, great for salads).
Chickpeas
- Soak overnight (at least 8 hours); they'll double in size. Drain and rinse.
- Stovetop: Cover with fresh water 3–4 inches above the chickpeas, bring to a boil, then simmer 60–90 minutes until creamy, skimming any foam.
- Instant Pot (no soak): 1 cup chickpeas + 3 cups water, high pressure 35–40 minutes, 15-minute natural release. Slow cooker: Soaked chickpeas covered with water, Low 6–8 hours or High 3–4 hours.
Peas
- Cook like lentils, best on the stovetop, about 30 minutes; use a pressure cooker only if you don't mind them falling apart.
Notes
- Cooking chart (per 1 cup dried):
-
- Lentils, no soak, 30 min, yields 2 cups
- Beans (black/pinto/red), soak overnight, 60 min, yields 3 cups
- Chickpeas, soak overnight, 90 min, yields 3 cups
- Cannellini, soak overnight, 50 min, yields 3 cups
- Peas, no soak, 30 min, yields 2 cups
- Broad beans, soak overnight, 60 min, yields 3 cups
- Salt timing: Add salt after cooking, especially for chickpeas, so they stay tender.
- Storage: Keep cooked legumes in the fridge up to 5 days, or freeze for future meals.
- Source: The Good Essential Good Food Guide by Margaret M. Wittenberg.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 834mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 4mg