Slowly cooked in the deep rich chili flavor of ancho chili powder, vegetable broth, and a few other pantry staples, this slow cooker chickpeas recipe is one you’ll be glad to have on hand.
If you’ve been looking for a way to cook up your stash of chickpeas, look no further. This nutrient-packed side dish will be the perfect pair to your favorite meat and add a taste that’s flavorful and filling.
So, what’s the real deal with chickpeas? People either love them or hate them and rightfully so. The biggest issues are taste and texture when it comes down to it. The texture becomes creamy with a slight grainy taste when made into hummus.
However, how they’re cooked can change everything when they are kept whole. Being part of the legume family, chickpeas have the ability to soak up flavors quite well. That’s what makes it ideal for cooking chickpeas in the slow cooker and pairing them with meals that could use some heartiness.
This slow cooker method makes it easy to cook garbanzo beans and cuts back on some of the cooking time as well. Trust us when we say that cooking dried chickpeas is the way!
Recipe Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Use one pound of dried chickpeas (often labeled garbanzo beans). Do not presoak.
- Vegetable Broth: Used as a cooking liquid, broth helps create a soupy base and adds flavor.
- Olive Oil: Most recipes don’t call for this ingredient, but we find that it enhances the flavor and creates a smooth texture.
- White Onion: Provides an extra kick in taste.
- Herbs and Seasonings: Salt, pepper, ancho chili powder, cumin, garlic, curly parsley, and bay leaves all play a significant role in giving these chickpeas an incredible taste.
- Lime: This acidic juice balances out the smoke and spice from the other seasonings.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Add rinsed garbanzo beans into the crockpot.
Step Two – Place the halved white onion in the middle, followed by the whole garlic cloves and bay leaves, and drizzle with the olive oil.
Step Three – Add vegetable broth and all other seasonings.
Step Four – Cook on HIGH for 5 hours.
How to use:
Once your slow cooker chickpeas are cooked to perfection, consider one of these ways of using them.
- Hummus: Of course, you can’t go wrong with making hummus dip. It will already be flavored and ready for your favorite chip or bread.
- Toss it with Pasta: The flavors in this recipe would mesh perfectly with spaghetti noodles tossed in a bit of olive oil. These cooked chickpeas would be delicious served with a garnish of some of the slow-cooked parsley. Don’t hesitate to put a bay leaf on the side as well!
- Add to Salad: Putting a few tablespoons of these chickpeas in a salad will give it a pop in taste and make the salad more hearty and healthy. These taste much better on a salad than canned chickpeas.
- As a Side Dish: From chicken to beef, chickpeas like these make a great side option. They can be left as is.
Recipe FAQs
Luckily, no. And that’s one of the benefits of cooking garbanzo beans in the slow cooker. The foaming is pretty much eliminated due to the low heat, and the will not affect the texture.
Rinsing them in cold water until the water is white before adding them into the slow cooker is good enough. If you were going to cook them differently (like on the stovetop), doing an overnight soak may be necessary.
Of course! If you’re not concerned with keeping the meal vegetarian-friendly, you can substitute the vegetable broth for beef or chicken or use additional water.
No, the slow cooker does a great job softening the garbanzo beans without the use of baking soda.
Chickpeas will last in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Please place them in an airtight container.
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Slow Cooker Chickpeas
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. dried chickpeas (often labeled garbanzo beans)
- 1 white onion peeled and halved
- 5 garlic cloves left whole
- 1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. sea salt flakes
- 1 tsp. ancho chili powder (can use regular chili powder or 1/2 teaspoon read pepper flakes). – Or omit if you want plainly flavored chickpeas.
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice or lemon juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 sprigs Curly parsley (or one teaspoon dried parsely)
Instructions:
- Add chickpeas to a colander. Rinse the chickpeas under water until the water runs clear.
- Slice onion in half.
- Combine all ingredients except the onion, bay leaves, and parsley in the slow cooker. Place onion halves into the center. Lay parsley and bay leaves over the top.
- Cover and set the crock pot to high. Cook for 5 hours.
- Remove onions, parsley, and bay leaves and discard. Serve in bowls and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
This is something I never knew I could do and so easily. Thanks for the recipe.
Bruce