BHA & BHT Free Instant Pot Chickpeas
Dried chickpeas cooked from scratch are in a completely different league from the canned variety — creamier, more flavorful, and satisfying in a way that's hard to explain until you try them. The problem with many packaged and canned options is that they often contain preservatives like BHA and BHT to extend shelf life, which means starting with dried legumes and cooking them yourself is genuinely the cleanest route. This recipe keeps things beautifully simple: just chickpeas, water, salt, smashed garlic, a bay leaf, a touch of cumin, and a drizzle of olive oil if you like. The Instant Pot does the heavy lifting, building deep, savory flavor under pressure without any fuss or babysitting. What you end up with is a big batch of perfectly tender chickpeas with absolutely nothing questionable in the pot. Use them in salads, grain bowls, soups, or just toss them with a little olive oil and seasoning for a snack — the reserved cooking liquid is also worth hanging onto for adding body to stews.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 lb dried chickpeas
- 5 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Sort through the dried chickpeas and discard any shriveled ones or small stones. Rinse under cold running water in a colander until the water runs clear.
- 2
Add the rinsed chickpeas, water, kosher salt, smashed garlic, bay leaf, ground cumin, and olive oil, if using, to the Instant Pot insert.
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