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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 it today for diner with a few addition and it was a hit. I doubled the spices, I added a cup of defrosted and drained spinach (might add two next time). Served with sourdoe bread… might add a little bit of crumbled bacon (vegan or not)… I really feel like it would add an interesting smokiness and texture contraste.
Yum!! Happy eating, Myriam!
This was actually not a hit with my family as written too thin for a stew too thick for soup… Didn’t go with rice, it was okay with bread but just not savory enough for us. But then 3 days later the leftovers a whole other story! I reduced the cream sauce and mixed it with pasta. It made the most amazing pasta sauce, I will definitely make it again!
The color looked totally different as well, much lighter, very beige. I am guessing I used a different brand of sun dried tomatoes.
This recipe is ridiculously easy and delicious. As a single gal who does not like to cook but who likes to eat healthy, I love this recipe- and it is great as leftovers! I made it with coconut milk and added baby spinach. It will be on regular rotation!
So happy to hear you loved it, Anne!
This is þruly one of those recipes that seem to good to be true. As long as I keep a jar of sundried tomatoes in pantry then dinner is ready.
I’m so thrilled you loved it, Lori!!
Very tasty, but a tad too rich for me with all the butter and cream, so I doubled the amount of vegetable broth and basil and added one bunch of fresh chopped spinach. I might try it with coconut milk next time. Delicious and easy to make. Thank you.
This recipe is definitely on my rotation list.
You just made my day Robyn, enjoy!
I have made this recipe about 30 times, no exaggeration. Two things I do differently: I add in air fried tofu, and I cook it down after adding the cream until the sauce is nice and thick. I serve it over rice with a piece of crusty sourdough bread. It has truly become my favorite meal.
Nothing better than hearing this, thanks Levi!
This was sooo good! I was honestly a little nervous about a mouthful of chickpeas… I want to like them but wasn’t a total lover until this recipe. So yummy. I substituted the cream with a cup of blended cottage cheese to bump up the protein a bit. Next time I will add some veggies like others did in the reviews. Best of all, this dinner is inexpensive and so easy and quick to make. Thank you!
Love hearing that, thanks for trying it Abby!
I made this soup with an added small diced sweet potato and added cumin to the spice selection. It was so delicious and so delicious the next day for lunch! The soup that keeps on giving.
Happy you enjoyed it Jacklyn, thanks for cooking with us!
My family loved this!
So glad it turned out well, thanks Karen!