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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!
Made this over a dozen times and will continue too! Love to add some fresh spinach into the dish
Yay! I’m so happy to hear it, Mac 🙂
Really nice! I saw that someone added cauliflower and I think that would be amazing.
That would be so tasty! It’s actually good with a lot of types of veggies thrown in 🙂
Oh wow. This is heaven! I made it with coconut milk and vegan butter substitute for my vegan friend. Delicious. I was too lazy too make a salad so chucked in the baby spinach towards the end of cooking. Fantastic Recipe to make on short notice. I measured and prepped all ingredients tomorrow ahead of time and was ready in 15 minutes. Served it with rice cooked in
The rice cooker (again I am Lazy!) will frequently be making this.
Oh wow. This is heaven! I made it with coconut milk and vegan butter substitute for my vegan friend. Delicious. I was too lazy too make a salad so chucked in the baby spinach towards the end of cooking. Fantastic Recipe to make on short notice. I measured and prepped all ingredients tomorrow ahead of time and was ready in 15 minutes. Served it with rice
Great recipe to use up a bunch of veggies in the fridge! My husband LOVED this recipe and I’ll definitely add it to my weekly roster!
Can you use vegan “cream” instead of heavy cream?
Thanks!
Yep! 🙂
I can’t do dairy, could I add coconut milk instead?
Yep! Coconut milk works well in this recipe 🙂
Pretty fabulous! I did make this and was very careful to stick to the recipe as I normally can’t. I even took a photo but have no idea of how to post it here!
Hello,
Silly question. What is a typical serving to equal the calories listed?
Thank you
It’s not a silly questions! We just do serving sizes by portion of the whole recipe, so a serving of these butter beans is 1/4 of the whole recipe 🙂
Fantastic. Of course, I didn’t check to see if I had chickpeas before beginning, but cannellini beans worked fine. I added spinach as well, and it didn’t affect the overall flavor. I’m definitely going to put this in rotation as a very tasty meatless dinner that provides enough leftovers for lunch!
My family loved this! I do have one question though – the book says you can substitute the chickpeas for gnocchi. How much gnocchi? I’m usually buying a shelf stable 16 ounce package.
I use a 1 lb package! I like to add a splash more broth then just cook the gnocchi in the sauce. Happy eating!
I swapped the chickpeas for butterbeans (canned) and it’s delicious!!! I am soaking baby limas and will prepare them with this sauce tomorrow evening for guests!! The butter beans were simply to test drive the recipe and I am so glad I tried it! I started seeing recipe shorts on YouTube and every dish always looks delicious! I’ve promised myself to eat healthier by preparing my food (rather than premade dishes from the stores or restaurants) and although I cannot call myself vegetarian I do rely on legumes as my primary source of protein. Thank you for creating these healthy recipes and sharing them online! I am studying to be a nutritionist as well as a personal trainer, so I also say thank you for the information, inspiration and increasing my determination!!
I love everything about this—what an awesome way to test the recipe before making it for guests (butter beans are such a good call)! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes and finding inspiration to cook more at home—you’re clearly on such an exciting path, and I’m cheering you on as a fellow nutrition nerd! Keep me posted on how the baby limas turn out!