Cook dried garbanzo & black beans in 3 easy steps! Dried beans are simple to cook, they're healthy, inexpensive, and taste so much better than canned beans. Try our Hummus Burgers or Smoky Southern-Style Meatless Loaf to see what we mean.
Published Aug. 7, 2014 and updated April 27, 2020.
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Hi there! We’re Linda and Alex, the mother daughter duo and creators of Veganosity. Thanks for visiting us, we’re so happy you’re here. If you’re looking for Southern inspired vegan comfort food recipes, you’ve come to the right place.
We love vegan comfort food and we’re really good at making it. Take a tour through our site and you’ll find all of the recipes that scream, stretchy pants required!
The good news, they’re all plant-based recipes, so you don’t need to feel guilty eating them. Now sit back, relax, and eat happy. 🙂
Also, in case you didn’t know, we’re published cookbook authors. We’ve written two vegan cookbooks that will help you make amazing vegan BBQ (you don’t even need a grill) and everyday meals, from breakfast to dessert.
Click on the titles to check them out. GREAT VEGAN BBQ WITHOUT A GRILL
and THE ULTIMATE VEGAN COOKBOOK
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Dried or Canned Beans?
Canned beans have their place, and we do cook with them, however, dried beans are best.
They're cheap, healthy, and the taste and texture are unbeatable.
If you can find five minutes before bed to put the beans in a pot and cover them with water so they can soak overnight, they'll be ready to cook when you wake up.
We suggest making making them on Saturday or Sunday, or whenever you know that you'll have the morning free to cook them.
How to Cook Them
We're going to share the long way to soak beans and a hack to shorten the soaking time if you’re in a hurry.
Rinse and Soak
You can't cook dried beans unless you soak them in water for several hours.
The soaking process softens and expands the beans so they're ready for the cooking process.
Don't skip the soak!
The Long Soak
For the Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas: Rinse the beans in a colander and then put them in a large pot and cover with several inches of water. Soak them for 6 to 8 hours. The beans will expand quite a bit and soften.
For the Black Beans: Rinse the beans in a colander and place in a large pot and cover them with several inches of water. Soak for 6 hours, until the beans expand and soften.
Don’t let them soak too long or they’ll split.
The Quick-Soak
For the Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas: Rinse the chickpeas in a colander and put them in a large pot and cover with several inches of water. Bring to a boil.
Boil for 10 minutes and remove the pot from the heat, let the chickpeas soak for 2 hours. The beans will expand and become softer.
For the Black Beans: Rinse the beans in a colander and place in a large pot. Cover with several inches of water and bring to a boil.
Boil for 5 minutes and remove from the heat and let sit for 2 hours. The beans will expand and become soft.
Cook
For the Chickpeas: Drain and rinse them in cold water.
Rinse the pot that you soaked them in and then put them back in the rinsed pot and cover with several inches of fresh water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for approximately 90 minutes, or until the beans are the texture you desire.
The longer you cook them the softer they'll become.
For the Black Beans: Drain and rinse the beans in cold water rinse the pot.
Put them back in the pot and cover in several inches of water.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low boil and cook for 90 minutes to two hours, until you get the desired texture.
NOTE: Make sure you stir and check the water level often. Black beans soak up water quickly and will scorch if you don’t keep them covered.
Tips for Cooking Garbanzo Beans for Specific Recipes
If you're going to use the beans for a salad, you may want them to be firmer.
For recipes like hummus or certain veggie burgers, cook them longer so they are soft and creamy.
Garbanzo Bean Recipes You'll Love
Easy Chickpea Salad with Lemon Dressing
Spicy Peanut Chili Hummus
Spicy Mexican Hummus Quesadillas
Dark Chocolate Brownie Batter Hummus
Tips for Cooking Dried Black Beans
- Don’t undercook raw beans as they contain lectins, which are glycoproteins, commonly found in plant foods, but the kind found in raw and undercooked beans are toxic.
- Just make sure to cook black beans and garbanzo beans at a low boil for at least 90 minutes and you’ll be fine.
- Other types of beans may need more time to cook.
- Make sure you check the water level of the beans often. Beans will soak up the water and scorch easily. Don’t add cold water, if you have to add more add boiling water.
- Don’t add salt to the water until the last 15 minutes of cooking or you may end up with tough beans.
Black Bean Recipes You'll Love
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Empanadas
Spicy Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
Black Bean & Mushroom Enchiladas
Spicy Black Bean & Shiitake Mushroom Street Tacos
Veggie Loaded Black Beans & Rice
Spicy Vegan Black Bean Brownies
Save money, eat better, and reduce waste by making homemade black beans and chickpeas. Once you make your first batch, you’ll never want to eat canned again.
Make some dried beans and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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How to Cook Dried Garbanzo Beans & Black Beans
Equipment
- stove
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans
- 1 lb dried black beans
- 12 cups water
- 1 tablespoon sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- FOR THE CHICKPEAS
- Long Soak Chickpeas
- Rinse the chickpeas in a colander, put in a stock pot and cover with 3 to 4 inches (7 to 10 cm) of water, let sit for 8 hours. The beans will expand and become softer.
- Short Soak Chickpeas
- Rinse the chickpeas in a colander, put in a stock pot and cover with 3 to 4 inches (7 to 10 cm) of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes and remove the pot from the heat, let the chickpeas soak for 2 hours. The beans will expand and become softer.
- After They Soak
- In a colander, drain the water and rinse the beans. Place in a stock pot and cover with 12 cups of fresh water and bring to a boil. When the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to simmer, or a low boil, and cook for 90 minutes, or until the chickpeas are cooked to your desired texture. For a firm and chewy bean cook uncovered and for a creamier softer bean, cover, leaving a bit of a gap to allow steam to escape. Add more boiling water to the pot as needed. If you want your beans to have a salty flavor, add the salt during the last 15 minutes of cooking. If you add it earlier you could end up with tough beans.
- When the beans are finished cooking drain and rinse them in a colander and let the excess water drip off of them.
- FOR THE BLACK BEANS
- For a Long Soak
- Rinse the beans in a colander and place in a stock pot. Cover with 3 to 4 inches (7 to 10 cm) of water and let soak for 6 hours. Don’t let them soak for too long or the beans will split. The beans will expand and become soft.
- For a Short Soak
- Rinse the beans in a colander and place in a stock pot. Cover with 3 to 4 inches (7 to 10 cm) of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes and remove from the heat and let sit for 2 hours. The beans will expand and become soft.
- After They Soak
- Drain and rinse the beans in a colander, rinse the stock pot, and put the beans back in the pot. Cover the beans with 12 cups of water and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling reduce the heat and cook at a low boil for approximately 90 minutes to two hours, or until the beans are fully cooked. Stir the beans every 15 minutes and add more boiling water if necessary. The beans should be covered with water throughout the cooking time. SEE NOTE
- When the beans are finished cooking, drain and rinse them and let the excess water drip off.
- Store both types of beans in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition
PIN ME FOR LATER!
beinghealth says
Hello Linda Meyer. I learned a lot from your website. Thanks for sharing these 3 easy steps to cook dried black beans and garbanzo. I also agree with you that beens from scratch always taste better than canned.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much!
Debi says
Big surprise....u do not need to soak beans at all! And they r better if u don't! They take the same amount of cooking time and are delicious.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Debi, while that's true (see our quick cooking instructions in the content), soaking beans overnight does reduce the cooking time, it results in a better texture, and also prevents splitting. 🙂
stephanie says
I make both beans in an IP and get the perfect aquafaba consistency 100% of the time by using 1 lb of dried beans, (soaked overnight then drained) and cook with 5 cups water (don't add salt). Chickpeas take 17 minutes and black beans take 6 minutes. The chickpea aquafaba will be the perfect consistency for whipping -- I also use for liquid if I'm pan steaming veggies or making any sauce (instead of water in any recipe). The black bean aquafaba I use to make dirty rice (1 cup rice to 2 cups aquafaba -- add some cumin, tumeric, salt and pepper to taste -- add vegan sausage or ground beef when done). Thanks for sharing consistently good recipes and advice!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Stephanie! Thank you so much! We don't use an instant pot (we should probably change that 😉 ), and appreciate your tips. We're so happy you're enjoying our recipes.
Dianne says
You're right - beens from scratch always taste better than canned. I sometimes forget that and pick up canned beans. Thanks for the reminder!
Linda Meyer says
You're welcome! 🙂
Tischan says
How would I store the cooked garbanzo beans if I don't plan on eating them that day?
Linda Meyer says
Hi! Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 🙂
Mel @ avirtualvegan.com says
Your marriage sounds very like mine. I'm all for conserving money, he's all for spending it! You can't beat beans that aren't from a can. They are totally different and so worth the (minimal) effort it takes.
Linda Meyer says
Opposites do attract! 🙂 I totally agree, you really can't beat the taste of homemade beans.
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
Beans cooked from scratch definitely taste the best! I've been lazy and gotten out of the habit, but I really need to start doing this again.
Linda Meyer says
Yes they do! I can't believe it took me so long to figure this out.
Trinity says
Totally chuckling away here at the thought of your husband not quite getting your penny pinching 🙂 Vive La Difference.
I am totally in your camp! It's amazing what you can save when you make your own in the way you describe. I've really gotten into making big batches of chickpeas and black beans lately and love popping them in the freezer too. Saves so much time and is much better for the environment with out having to throw away all of those tins that we get from the store.
Love this post!!!
Linda Meyer says
Lol! Thanks so much Trinity! I'm sure he was kidding with me, but it was funny. 🙂 Yes, I totally agree with you about making your own being better for the environment. It's one more thing we can do to reduce our carbon footprint.
Trinity says
Lol! Indeed.
Jenn says
I used to make all of my beans from scratch years ago. I would make big batches and then freeze them in 1-2 cup portions. It worked out great and they do indeed taste better than canned. But then one day I wanted beans and didn't have any in the freezer. I reached for a can and laziness has won out ever since. Although, they are SO easy to make fresh that I'm not sure why. I need to get back at it and start making those big batches again. Plus, I have an Instant Pot now so its even easier than before! Thanks for the reminder of just how delicious fresh beans are!
Linda Meyer says
I'm late to the party, but so happy to be there! 🙂 They do taste so much better. I don't know what's stopping me from buying an Instant Pot (aside from not having another inch of storage space in my cabinets), I truly think I'm too old fashioned when it comes to cooking. That or I enjoy doing things the hard way-haha! Thanks, Jenn!
Kate says
I love cooking with beans. I have a whole pantry full of dry beans! 🙂 Yum!
Linda Meyer says
They're pretty awesome!
veggiesdontbite says
I soak garbanzo beans all the time! They are definitely different in texture than canned. I love them soaked and use them in loads of stuff!
Linda Meyer says
They definitely taste better than canned!
pasta-based says
I've always wondered about how easy it would be to cook our own beans - thank you! We will be trying this soon.
Linda Meyer says
You're welcome! It's so easy and they taste so much better.
Herbivorous Traveler (@theherbtraveler) says
Thanks for sharing! I always buy beans in the can because I thought it would be tough to make at home. I will be trying this!
Linda Meyer says
You're welcome! I thought the same thing, now I know I was wrong. 🙂
stephanie says
Save tons of energy and time by using a pressure cooker -- black beans take 6 minutes, chickpeas take 18 minutes (let the pressure come down naturally for any bean) -- perfect beans every time at a fraction of the energy/time!
Linda Meyer says
Hey Stephanie! Yes, that would save a lot of time, this post was for my readers who don't have a pressure cooker. In fact, I don't own one because I don't have room for one more appliance. 🙂
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Congrats to Alex, wow! And great tips, I am a fan of bulk cooking for the week when I have the time and energy on the weekends which isn't much lately! 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! She's so excited to be marrying her high school sweetheart. 🙂