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Win hearts and prepare to fall in love with these Marry Me Chickpeas, a vegetarian twist on Marry Me Chicken! With over 35 million views across social media, this incredible 15-minute meal chickpea recipe has been devoured in thousands of kitchens around the world.
Pairs well with Air Fryer Veggies on the side. Finish the meal with Vegan Panna Cotta!
save this recipe!These Marry Me Chickpeas – the vegetarian equivalent of Marry Me Chicken – are about to have you head over heels for chickpeas! Wrapped in a creamy Tuscan sauce and absolutely loaded with flavor, they’ve quickly become one of my favorite ways to use a can of chickpeas! They’re:
- Easy to make, requiring just 1 pan and 15 minutes
- Served any way, like with a thick slice of sourdough bread or over a bed of rice
- Made with mostly pantry staples so you can enjoy this without much advanced planning!
Reader rating
“I made this dish for the first time about a month ago and last week my boyfriend proposed. Could be a coincidence, but also could be the power of delicious Tuscan cooking.” —Kyra
Key Ingredients
The ingredients are mostly pantry staples, so you can make it just about whenever the mood strikes! Jump to the recipe for measurements–this is just an overview.
- Chickpeas: We’re using two cans of chickpeas, or you can cook your chickpeas from dried.
- Garlic: Alright, garlic may not be the most romantic ingredient, but if you’re about to propose, we should be past the point of caring about garlic breath, right?
- Seasonings: Salt, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper bring flavor and spice!
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Bring that savory Tuscan flavor. Get the kind packed in oil!
- Broth: Vegetable broth, either from a carton, cube, or homemade from veggie scraps.
- Cream: In testing, I found heavy cream to give the best texture, but feel free to use half-and-half for a lighter dish, or coconut milk for a vegan option.
- Parmesan: Brings a savory taste perfect for rounding out this dish. Vegans should omit or use a plant-based parm.
How to make Marry Me Chickpeas
Making this dish takes just 1 pan and less than 15 minutes. This is an overview, jump to the recipe for the full printable recipe!
- Make the flavor base, a delicious combination of butter, garlic, and spices.
- Add the fillings and cook for a few minutes.
- Finish it off with cream, parmesan, and basil!
I like adding veggies
While I absolutely love this dish just how it is, sometimes I’ll bulk it up with veggies! I’ll cook a bunch of veggies in the air fryer (zucchini and cauliflower are my favorites for this one), then stir them in right before serving.
Protein Variations
Not a fan of chickpeas? Try one of these variations!
- White Beans – add them at the same time that you would have added the chickpeas (see also Marry Me Butter Beans)
- Tofu – cube and crisp it up (air fried tofu is my personal favorite)
- Soy Curls – this vegan ingredient has the texture of chicken and would be great here (how to cook soy curls here)
Reader rating
“Holy h*ll this was amazing!!! Wow I was scared it wasn’t going to be much because of how few ingredients it called for but WOW it packed a flavorful punch!” —Sam
Serving Suggestions
- With vegetables, like these air fryer veggies which can cook while the chickpeas cook
- With bread, like crusty sourdough, fluffy naan, or toasted rye
- With rice, like jasmine or basmati rice
How To Make Marry Me Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, 28 g
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp each salt, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 cup vegetable broth, 236 mL
- 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained, 425 g cans
- 1 cup heavy cream, can sub half-and-half
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Flavor Base: Heat 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, 4 cloves garlic, ½ tsp each salt, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and ¼ tsp ground black pepper in a large saute pan or pot over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes, until garlic is fragrant.
- Fillings: Stir in ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1 cup vegetable broth, and 2 15-oz cans chickpeas. Continue cooking on medium, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Finish: Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup heavy cream ½ cup grated parmesan, and 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil. Serve warm with crusty bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!Meal Prep it!
Make a batch of these proposal-worthy chickpeas and portion them into 4 or 5 meal prep containers with a grain (like brown rice or quinoa) and a steamed veggie (like broccoli or asparagus). I like to add a handful of cherry tomatoes as well!
Hi Sarah: May I freeze the left over Marry Me Chickpeas? I used coconut milk. There is no parmesan cheese. I add this to each bowl upon serving.
Freezing should work decently! The chickpeas may just be a bit softer upon thawing.
Wonderful dish, very tasty. Easy recipe that my wife and I loved!
Hi –
While I value the nutrition in chickpeas the texture is off putting. Could the chickpeas be puréed so that the texture is blended in?
Thanks Cathy
Yep they should! It’ll be more like a thick sauce or soup then 🙂
what can I substitute for the cream to make it vegan ?
Yep! You can use coconut milk or a vegan creamer 🙂
Warm, comforting, full of flavor!! Instead of chickpeas, could it be made with salmon? Would the recipe need to be adjusted? Thanks so much for sharing!!
I think that could work! I haven’t tested this with salmon, but the sauce can pretty much be served with any protein 🙂
This is amazing. So good that I’ve made it several times now and even recommended it others. I do add a bit more garlic and basil because I love garlic and basil. And I tired Great Northern beans one of the times and it doesn’t taste the same to me so I recommend sticking with chickpeas. Thank you so much for this recipe.
I just love your recipes! Keep ‘em coming !
The hype is real. This was actually a 20 min meal too. Not too much chopping, perfect with a crusty bread and a simple salad.
I made this dish and it was absolutely delicious! Everyone loved it! Definitely a keeper! I changed it up a bit by adding kale, onion and orange bell pepper and I used cilantro an jalapeños for garnish. I forgot to buy basil.
Those additions all sound delicious! So happy it was a hit! 😀
Made this and really liked it but I discovered I don’t like sun dried tomato’s , I bought a jar in oil and they don’t look as red , is there any other way you can but them ,, So my daughter and son in law are arriving tomorrow for a four day stay and I’m making it for them would it work with some vege in it say red peppers , or courgette , or do you have an idea that would suit , my son in law loves to cook so I’m hoping to impress with some flavour 🙂 Love your recipes ,
Yep you can add basically any veggie to it, like red pepper or courgette! You could also use tomato paste in place of the sun dried tomatoes in case you don’t like those 🙂
I discovered I didn’t like the tomatoes either. Will definitely trade them out if I make it again!