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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!
Delicious and incredibly easy! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I doubled the broth and used an immersion blender at the end to blend some of the chickpeas and create a thicker sauce. Will definitely try again.
Loved this recipe! I was missing a few ingredients so I did some ad libbing and it still turned out delicious … namely, I sautéed a sweet onion with the garlic, butter & spices in instant pot. Then added French lentils, and after sautéing a few minutes I added some water and broth concentrate and set the instant pot to 1 minute with 10 min come down. I didn’t have any sun dried tomatoes so I added a chopped tomato, then a can of coconut cream and white beans. I didn’t have any fresh basil this time of year, so I added dried. By the time I added grated parmesan it was a pretty watery soup…so I added some corn starch to thicken and it turned out wonderful. We enjoyed over riceZz. I’m excited to eat it again for lunch tomorrow! Thank you for the recipe inspiration, it was a hit with my husband too!
That sounds amazing! So glad you loved it, happy the recipe could inspire you 🙂
This was a big hit with both a vegetarian and a meat eater. It came together very quickly, was very flavorful, and provided great leftovers for the next day. As the suggestions stated, I did roast a bag of frozen broccoli and added that directly into the dish and served with Aldi mini naans. I did increase the amount of sun dried tomatoes as the ratio of 1/2 cup to 2 cans of beans seemed light for our tastes. It had the perfect amount of spice for us. This recipe will be on repeat in our home. This was much preferred over a marry me salmon recipe we tried previously. Thank you!
Your modifications sounds so tasty, Barbara! I’m happy to hear it was a hit for you all – enjoy! 😀
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.
Oh my gosh!! That’s amazing congratulations Kyra!!
Marry Me Chickpeas was the first recipe of yours that I tried. I’ve been a vegetarian for something like 8 years and I’m always looking for new recipes to try. I did a half mash on the chickpeas and used coconut milk, as recommended. My husband and I loved it so much that I recommended it to both of my daughters and several friends. Everyone loves it!
I’m so happy to hear this, Donna! 😀 Enjoy!
As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew it would be a favorite at my house, and I was right!
It is so delicious, it will be a regular around here, and I have told several folks about it.
I have also – many times – turned people on to your website, letting them know about black bean brownies, chickpea blondies, miso pasta, and wild rice-mushroom soup!
Thanks Sarah!
I’m so happy to hear this, Pamela! And thanks so much for sharing the site with others as well! So happy to have you here 🙂
Delicious! I added a bit of tomato paste for even more flavor.
Such a great idea!
I made this last night as I shockingly had all of the ingredients on hand! I served it over Banza chickpea rice and it was absolutely delicious! Plus it was super easy to make.
So happy to hear it, Cara! Enjoy! 😀
This is so quick and delicious. I served it over pasta. I used 1/2 a jar of sundried tomato pesto instead of the sundried tomatoes. Delicious!
That’s SUCH a good idea, Val! Thanks for sharing! 😀
My picky kids ate a full bowl with rice and the suggested air fryer cauliflower! In the rotation now!
I was thinking about making an air fryer cauliflower version! Smart kids! 😀