The Turkish pantry

Chickpeas (dried)

Choose dried or ready-cooked chickpeas and prepare them for a tender center or a smooth hummus.

Last updated: 17 October 2026

Dried pale kabuli chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans. They are not white beans, lentils or ready-to-eat roasted chickpeas.

Dried beige chickpeas in a ceramic bowl with a small wooden spoon

Types & forms

Dried chickpeas

Need soaking and cooking; allow time to soften fully.

Canned or jarred cooked chickpeas

Ready-cooked. Check drained weight and added salt, then follow the recipe.

Chickpea flour or roasted chickpeas

Different processed forms; neither replaces whole cooked chickpeas in a recipe without changes.

What to look for when buying

Choose intact dry packaging and check for moisture or insect damage.
For a quick hummus, buy cooked chickpeas rather than dried ones. Compare the drained quantity, not total can weight.

Prepare & cook

Sort and rinse dried chickpeas; soak in the refrigerator, drain, then cook in fresh water until tender. Follow the pack or a reliable recipe.
For hummus, the center must mash easily. Canned chickpeas can be drained and rinsed before blending.

Store it well

Keep dried chickpeas sealed in a cool, dry place. Older stock can take longer to soften.
Refrigerate cooked chickpeas promptly in shallow covered containers and use within three to four days.

Substitutions depend on the dish

Cooked chickpeas instead of dried in hummus

Use the recipe’s cooked or drained amount. Equal dry and cooked weights are not equivalent because cooking adds water.

White beans in a dip

They produce a different flavor and texture. Call it a bean dip rather than implying an unchanged chickpea hummus.

Nutrition

Dried mature chickpeas, uncooked ^[1]

Per 100 g edible portion
Nutrient	Amount
Energy	378 kcal
Protein	20.5 g
Total fat	6.04 g
Saturated fat	0.6 g
Carbohydrate	63 g
Dietary fiber	12.2 g
Total sugars	10.7 g
Sodium	24 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg
Calcium	57 mg
Iron	4.31 mg
Potassium	718 mg
Vitamin D	0 µg

These values describe the dry ingredient, not 100 g of cooked food. Soaking and cooking add water; use a cooked-food record for a cooked portion. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.

Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.

At the Turkish table

In southern Turkish cooking, warm hummus is finished with pul biber oil, bringing chickpeas together with tahini, lemon and garlic. This is an example of use, not an exclusive-origin claim.