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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!
In a word, amazingly delicious
So happy to hear you loved it! Enjoy!
Delicious! I did double the amount of seasoning though and added spinach at the end but considering I don’t usually like vegetarian meals this was amazing and will become a regular!! Thank you
That’s the best kind of feedback—so glad it won you over! Doubling the seasoning and adding spinach sounds like a delicious touch. Excited it’s earned a spot in your regular rotation!
Looks delicious! Going to make it. Can I replace the basil with spinach?
Great question! Basil adds that signature Italian flavor, so I’d suggest keeping it if you can and just adding the spinach alongside it for extra greens.
Hi really want to try this but need to reduce fat so no cream can i replace with quark or yogurt.
thanks
You could use those, just stir them in after letting it cool a bit to prevent it from splitting 🙂
Yum! Could you freeze this at all??
I haven’t tested freezing it actually! I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it out.
So delicious! Even without basil as I forgot to buy it! And an excellent left over for lunch.
So happy you loved it, happy eating!
Please please understand parmesan cheese is made from animal rennet and is neither suitable for vegans AND/OR vegetarians (not just vegans as stated!). I would’ve expected a vegetarian blogger to know this and I’m highlighting the fact for new or transitioning vegetarians who may not know this. Aside from this I am looking forward to trying this recipe.
Thanks for pointing that out, Cheri! There are many vegetarian parmesans available that folks can use 🙂
Well you learn something new every day! I’ve been vegetarian for over 30 years and I didn’t know you can get vegetarian parmessn cheese. This is a revelation for me 😂. Thank you so much for letting me know Sarah. I’m off to Google now 😋
So happy I could help! It’s a sneaky one!
This has become a regular meal at our house. It’s great on its own, as a side and really good as leftovers. I serve it with a wild rice blend and it ticks off all the boxes. Yummmmmy! I cook the beans beforehand so it’s also really easy on the pocketbook to feed a family of four and have leftovers.
So happy you loved it, happy eating!
I found this to be a very easy dish to make. I made some changes however. I added 3 tbl tomato paste and I also would add shallots next time. Perhaps served atop lightly sautéed spinach would be a good idea as well.
This worked exactly as written, thanks! Delicious!
Thanks for the kind words, happy eating!