Canned Chickpeas
Among canned chickpeas, affordable Goya and pricey El Navarrico had the best taste and texture.
Taste Test
Much as we prefer preparing chickpeas from dried beans, the convenience of canned often wins the day. To find our favorite brand, we tested 16 options—including several premium jarred and aseptic-packed varieties—plain, as well as in hummus and soup.
We quickly learned that premium pricing doesn’t ensure premium quality. Canned chickpeas from Eden Foods and Westbrae Organic, priced $4.49 and $3.99 per 15-ounce can respectively, tasted bland, watery and mushy.
To our surprise, the winning brand in all our tests was one of the most common and affordable—Goya. Their conventional chickpeas (they also offer low-sodium and organic varieties) were tender, well seasoned and nutty. Costing just $1.59 a can, they whipped up into a light hummus and held their shape perfectly in soup.
Our runner up was El Navarrico, a high-end Spanish import. At $7.96, these jarred beans cost the most but were the softest and creamiest in our testing and a clear standout in soup. Their biggest drawback was the liquid they were packed in. Thick and gelatinous, the liquid needed to be rinsed away before the beans could be used. If you would do that anyway—and don’t mind the price—they’re great. But we often rely on that liquid to add body to soups and hummus.
