Dried-to-Cooked Legume Conversion Calculator
Written by Thierno Sadou Diallo, formula verified per our methodology • Last checked on 9/10/2026
Dried legumes swell by a factor of about 2.3 to 2.5 when cooked (soaking included). So 100 g of dried lentils yields about 250 g of cooked lentils, and 100 g of dried chickpeas about 230 g cooked.
Explanation
A recipe can give a legume quantity either dried or already cooked (or canned, drained), and the gap between the two is significant: legumes absorb a lot of water during soaking and cooking. This calculator applies an average multiplier by type: lentils and dried beans swell about 2.5 times their weight, chickpeas a bit less (about 2.3 times). In practice, the general rule "100 g dried yields 200 to 300 g cooked" covers most cases. This calculator complements our legume soaking time calculator: it answers a further question, that of the final amount obtained, useful for not ending up with double what you needed — or too little. Once you know the cooked weight, our recipe portions calculator helps scale the rest of the dish to match. The exact factor varies with the variety, the age of the grain (old legumes absorb less water and stay firmer), the soaking time, and the cooking time: these values are kitchen averages, not measurements reproducible to the gram.
Example: 100 g of dried lentils
Inputs
Quantity of dried legumes: 100 g. Type: lentils.
Calculation
Cooked quantity = 100 × 2.5 = 250 g.
Result
100 g of dried lentils yields about 250 g of cooked lentils.
Frequently asked questions
Does the factor include soaking, or only cooking?
It covers the whole process: soaking (for chickpeas and beans) then cooking. It's the final weight, ready to add to a dish or weigh for a recipe, that is estimated — not an intermediate weight after soaking alone.
How do I convert from a can?
A can of legumes is sold with its drained net weight shown on the label (often around 240 g for a standard can). This drained weight corresponds to this calculator's "cooked weight": to find the dried equivalent, divide it by the factor for the relevant type (for example 240 g of drained chickpeas ÷ 2.3 ≈ 105 g of dried chickpeas).
Why do my legumes swell less than expected?
Most often because they're old: a dried legume stored for more than a year has lost moisture and its skin has hardened, which reduces water absorption and lengthens the cooking time. A longer soak, a little baking soda in the soaking water, and extended cooking partly compensate, but very old legumes stay firm no matter what.