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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!
Tried this as part of Galveston diet (maintenance mode). So delicious!! Def. Making again.
Didn’t have sun-dried tomato’s, subbed for pickled spicy red peppers , added 3 cups of kale, and 1/2 grilled chicken breast for protein.
Thanks for the kind words, happy eating!
Quick, easy and so flavorful. I don’t care for tomatoes so I add roasted red pepper from a jar and use spinach instead of basil at the end.
Thanks for the kind words, happy eating!
Same! lol. Costco has these spicy roasted red peppers that added a nice kick at the end.
The one cheese I do not care for is parmesan, what else could I use? I did make the butter bean recipe. Result was excellent but the butter beans were bitter. My fault, I love chick peas so will make again with chick peas. I use coconut milk. Would ricotta, Gruyère or feta (Macedonian) work? Guess I just have to try!
Is your cookbook available in Canada? Too expensive to convert to American funds and then have shipped.
Hi Marleen! Savory cheese would work well. If you can tolerate pecorino, that would be my top for replacing parmesan, but otherwise the ones you mentioned would work well.
And the book is available in Canada, but I’ll admit the shipping can be a little expensive and you may also have to pay duties upon arrival. Sorry for the hassle; as a small business with self-published book, it’s been difficult getting the book out of the country!
Super yummy and super easy!
Thanks for the kind words, happy eating!
You have converted a longtime chick pea hater. This was crazy delicious. I am stunned. Cream and I don’t get along, so I used half and half and added tomato paste to thicken/enrich it. SO SO GOOD. I’ve made a couple of your recipes this week — all amazing. I’m in.
Thanks for making my day with your comment Kathleen! Welcome to the chickpea side! 😀
Made this with garlic bread – absolutly loved it!
Yay, so glad it was a hit. Thanks Robin!
I made Marry Me Chickpeas last night. So, so good! I threw it together while my husband chopped a salad. Can’t wait to have the leftovers tonight. I will never be without the ingredients for this in the pantry. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
So thrilled to hear you loved the recipe, Diane! Enjoy!!
100% one of my fav dishes. I make it now once a week. I had to double it so there world be some left overs because my family scarfs this down.
Big smiles over here, thanks for trying it!
Really easy and fun to make. Ingredients come together pretty quickly without slaving over the stove for hours. Very tasty and filling. Makes a great meal or side dish and excellent as leftovers.
Big smiles over here, thanks for trying it!
This recipe contained a lot of things I’ve never bought before, but man, worth it!
I don’t even mind the parmesan, which I never eat.
My grocery store didn’t have basil for some reason so I added sweet peas and spinach…
Tastes fantastic 😍
Nothing better than hearing this, thank you!