You’ll fall in love with this marry me chickpeas, a vegetarian twist on Marry me Chicken! Made with protein rich chickpeas cooked in a creamy Tuscan style sun-dried tomato sauce, this date night worthy meal is ready in just 15 minutes! Prepare to win hearts with this easy peasy recipe.
About Easy Marry me chickpeas with creamy Tuscan sauce
“Marry Me Chickpeas” is my vegetarian take inspired by the famous “Marry Me Chicken” recipe that’s making waves on social media. Get ready to win hearts with this delicious dish!
As a vegetarian, I’ve swapped out the chicken for chickpeas, keeping things simple and easy to find. Plus I’ve worked around the ingredients to bring out the best flavours for Chickpeas in a creamy Tuscan sauce.
In line with the “marry me” recipes, where the flavours are so good that someone might agree to marry you, “Marry Me Chickpeas” aims to capture that same love and joy. Imagine tender chickpeas in a creamy tomato and garlic sauce, with the added goodness of spinach for a burst of freshness.
Whether you’re a vegetarian or just curious about plant-based meals, “Marry Me Chickpeas” is a must-try. Its super easy to transform the recipe into a vegan marry me chickpeas recipe, simply by using dairy free alternatives.
Why is it called Marry me Chickpeas?
“Marry Me Chickpeas” got its name because people believe that if you make this dish for someone, they might want to marry you. But for me, the real magic is how the ingredients come together in the easy Italian Tuscan sauce. It’s a fantastic recipe to cook for your special someone on Valentine’s Day or your anniversary – so good that it might even be considered “proposal worthy“!
Why you’ll love this recipe?
Quick and Easy: Ready in just 15 minutes, this recipe is a breeze to prepare, using pantry staples and requiring only one pan.
Versatile to serve: Enjoy this dish with pasta, over a bed of rice, or accompanied by a thick slice of bread – it’s incredibly versatile and delicious in every serving.
Easy to vary: Whether you want to switch up the protein or bulk up the dish, it’s a simple and adaptable recipe.
Ingredients for Marry me chickpeas
- Oil – Use oil for sautéing the onion and garlic. I prefer the flavourful oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, but olive oil works well too.
- Onion or Shallots – Choose whichever is more convenient. Avoid red onions, as they can overpower the creamy sauce.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic adds loads of flavour. Opt for fresh instead of canned for the best taste.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes – These make the dish special and contribute rich flavors to the sauce.
- Chickpeas – Use canned chickpeas for convenience or prepare homemade chickpeas from dried ones.
- Italian Herbs and Chilli Flakes – These are the flavouring agents for the Tuscany-style sauce.
- Vegetable Stock – It adds deliciousness to the recipe. If unavailable, you can substitute it with vegetable bouillon.
- Double Cream or Heavy Cream – Use this for a creamy sauce. Avoid using half and half or any lighter cream.
- Nutritional Yeast or Vegetarian Parmesan Cheese – Add these for a creamy and flavourful sauce.
- Spinach – Incorporate for added nutrients.
- Fresh Basil Leaves – Chop and use for garnish.
How to make Marry me Chickpeas? : Step by Step
- Sauté and Flavour: Heat oil and add diced onions, garlic. Sauté until translucent (3-4 mins).
- Mix and Simmer: Add sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, vegetable stock, chilli flakes and Italian herbs.Bring it to boil.Add cream, salt and pepper and spinach. Mix well. Cover and simmer for 5 mins.
- Finish and Enjoy: Remove from heat, add nutritional yeast and sprinkle chopped basil. Enjoy!
Storing leftovers
We hardly have leftovers. However if any, this is how I store it.
In the fridge: Marry me chickpeas tastes better the next day. I think the flavours tend to marry well over time. Store in air tight container in the fridge for up to 2-4 days.
In the freezer: You can freeze the leftover creamy chickpea dish for up to 3 months. Thaw the dish in the fridge overnight. Bear in mind the texture will change because it has got cream.
To reheat: Place on the stovetop, add a splash of stock or water and cook until warm thoroughly. Alternatively cook in the microwave.
What to serve with Marry Me Chickpeas
I love to pair this creamy chickpeas dish with baguette slices or crusty bread options like no-knead bread, flatbread, or garlic naan, ensuring every bit of that flavourful sauce is enjoyed.
Serve up this creamy Marry Me Chickpeas alongside steamed white basmati rice, brown rice, quinoa, or your preferred pasta.
For a lighter side, opt for a fresh lettuce salad featuring a light vinaigrette or a red cabbage coleslaw – the perfect accompaniments to complement the rich and satisfying flavours of Marry Me Chickpeas.
FAQ’s
Can you use air fryer chickpeas?
If you like a bit of crunch, I highly recommend adding air fryer chickpeas to the Italian cream style sauce.
How to make air fryer chickpeas?
The recipe is super simple to make roasted chickpeas in the air fryer for a bit of crispiness.
Toss the drained chickpeas with garlic powder, salt, pepper and oil. Transfer to the air fryer basket and air fry at 200 C for 10-13 minutes. You can then enjoy these air fried chickpeas in your marry me recipe or enjoy as a snack.
Can you make a Vegan marry me chickpeas?
Absolutely! Other than cream, rest of the ingredients are Vegan in the recipe. Simply use coconut milk or any other dairy free cream to make this delicious vegan marry me chickpeas.The dish is still so good, you will win hearts with the dish and want to make it again and again.
With a creamy Tuscan style tomato sauce and nutritious chickpeas, this incredible vegetarian meal is ready in 15 minutes.
Love this MarryMe chickpeas, you will also love
Super easy Marry me chickpeas recipe below
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil *
- 1 white onion diced 70g
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped 50g
- 2 can chickpeas drained or 480g *
- 1 tbsp Italian herbs
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 cup vegetable stock 240ml
- ⅔ cup double cream or heavy cream 150ml
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup spinach 30g
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp basil leaves chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, vegetable stock, Italian herbs and chilli flakes. Bring it to a boil.
- Add the cream, salt and pepper and spinach. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, allowing the flavors to marry.
- Remove the pan from heat, add nutritional yeast, sprinkle basil leaves and enjoy.
Marilyn J. Olsen says
Really good
Gerald Sandy says
This is very good, easy, and nutritious. I made a few adjustments to suit my preferences. For canned chickpeas, I substituted 300g of dried chickpeas. I soaked them overnight and cooked them the next day in a pressure cooker for 25 minutes with aromatics (dried onion flakes, black peppercorns, and a bay leaf). I also substituted the spinach with a more robust green, chicory (dandelion greens).
Sandhya's Kitchen says
That is fantastic to know you enjoyed the recipe. Cooking the chickpeas from dried beans is great.