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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!
This is one of the best chickpea recipes I’ve ever made!
do you use sundried tomatoes in oil
Yep! 😀
Why is the sodium content so high?
Salt, broth, and parmesan 🙂
Really easy and quite tasty! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I think next time I’ll try adding sone baby spinach at the end as there seemed to be enough sauce to support it.
Yummy! I made this for my in-laws and parents when they were visiting. I wanted to make it more easy on myself so I edited it a bit. Firstly I doubled the recipe. Next I got a huge baking dish, threw all the ingredients in there plus added 3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thigh in an oven at 425F. Let that cook for 15 minutes then flipped the chicken and cooked for another 15. Super delicious! My father in law who is notoriously picky loved it. He even named it then said “so we can request it again in the future!” I thought it was delicious but I think personally I’d appreciate adding more veggies next time. Maybe arugula at the end or even some broccolini. Excited to make it again!
This was really good. Didn’t blow me away like I thought it would, but was very good. Could be my own fault though as I subbed 1/2 and 1/2 for the heavy cream bc I that’s what I had on hand. I might have been missing some of that fatty mouthfeel. Followed the rest exactly as written. Will def make again. It’s a great sauce that could work with any bean, pasta, or even hearty veg like roasted cauliflower!
I was so interested in trying this dish although I’m not vegetarian that I actually Instacarted the Ingredients. I made two alterations – I added 1/2cup chopped onion and one can chickpeas, and one can Northern beans. 😋😋 I am not disappointed. I had it with sliced garlic bread I got from sprouts. I made this for a Saturday early lunch and it is so delicious! It will not disappoint. I’m excited to eat the leftovers as they will marinate in the broth. I’m very sensitive to heat, but I followed the exact measurement of the crushed red pepper, and it was perfect
Hi, do you think you could put in a food processor after completly cooked? I love chickpeas but not the texture.
Yes! I know some folks have done that and enjoyed it 🙂
This was delicious. I admit I added a small diced onion and almost doubled all the herbs. Louisiana girl, we like our seasonings. Won’t double the red pepper flakes next time. A little more spicy than I prefer, but really tasty. I used some of the chick pea water from my chick peas that I cooked instead of vegetable water. Served with crusty bread. This was so rich, I had a glass of red wine with it. My husband and I felt like we were at a restaurant. I think I could substitute chicken or shrimp for chick peas and have another delicious meal. Thank you for the new recipe.
I made this vegan by using coconut milk and vegan parmesan shreds. I put it over rice with lemon broccoli. All I can say is Oh Yum (chef’s kiss)! I like recipes that are tasty, simple and have limited ingredients.