Marry Me Chickpeas
Marry me chickpeas are the vegan version of a viral sensation! These chickpeas are creamy and garlicky, with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil to make them extra delicious.
Marry me chicken was made popular by TikTok and I’ve already put a vegan spin on it with my marry me pasta. But I just can’t get that creamy-dreamy sauce out of my head, so I decided to do another plant-based twist on the recipe: marry me chickpeas. Like my easy chickpea tikka masala, it swaps the chicken for chickpeas, but it keeps the same indulgent flavour and texture intact. It’s a perfect one-pan meal to pair with some crusty bread for soaking up that divine sauce!
Why You’ll Love This Marry Me Chickpeas Recipe
- A vegan spin on a TikTok favourite. I don’t know about you, but I love finding ways to take those viral TikTok recipes and make them plant-based!
- Quick and easy to make. This recipe is ideal for a weeknight because it comes together with so little effort. If you have a well-stocked pantry, your shopping list should be short too!
- Creamy and delicious. The combination of garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil in a rich cream sauce creates a mouth-watering meal that the whole family will love.
Notes on Ingredients
Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make this recipe. Don’t forget to scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – If you use the kind that comes in oil, drain them well.
- Nutritional yeast – For cheesy flavour in the sauce.
- Raw cashews – Soak these in hot water for 15 minutes so they blend smoothly into the sauce.
- Vegetable broth – I like to use my homemade vegetable broth.
- Olive oil
- Onion and garlic – To build the flavour of the this marry me chickpeas recipe.
- Dried Italian herbs, garlic powder and onion powder
- Chickpeas – Rinse and drain these well.
- Coconut cream or full fat coconut milk
- Sea salt and pepper
- Vegan parmesan cheese – you can use storebought or make my homemade vegan parmesan cheese, both work!
- Fresh basil – Fresh basil has a much more vibrant flavour than dried.
How to Make Marry Me Chickpeas
Let’s take a quick look at how to make this recipe. I’ve included step-by-step photos with abbreviated instructions. Scroll down to the recipe card for full, printable instructions.
- Start the sauce. Blend the cashews, 1/2 cup of broth, 2 sun-dried tomatoes, and nutritional yeast until smooth.
- Cook the aromatics. Sauté the onion in olive oil until it’s softened, then stir in the garlic, remaining sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Cook until fragrant.
- Simmer. Stir in the chickpeas, cashew mixture, and coconut cream. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Finish. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Tips and Variations
- Give it a kick. Add red pepper flakes when you add the garlic to the pan to infuse your marry me chickpeas with a little bit of heat.
- Add greens. For added nutrition, toss in some baby spinach or chopped kale during the last few minutes of cooking. They’ll wilt into the creamy sauce.
- Make it nut-free. Replace the cashews with 1/4 cup of silken tofu.
Serving Suggestions
I think serving these chickpeas over brown rice, cooked quinoa, or cauliflower rice would be fantastic for soaking up that creamy sauce. You can also serve marry me chickpeas with a side of crusty bread, like my no-knead bread or olive bread.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Store marry me chickpeas in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Enjoy friends! If you make this marry me chickpeas recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Marry Me Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 10 raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, or raw sunflower seeds if allergic to cashews
- ½ cup vegetable broth, 120 ml
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped plus 2 whole tomatoes for the sauce, 70 g
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or vegan butter for more flavour
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 425 grams
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut cream or full fat coconut milk, 425 grams
- ⅓ cup vegan parmesan cheese, homemade or storebought (I use Violife for storebought)
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the soaked and drained cashews with ½ cup broth, 2 whole sun-dried tomatoes and nutritional yeast. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or saucepan, heat the olive oil or vegan butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened and translucent.
- Add the minced garlic, remaining chopped sun-dried tomatoes, Italian herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and ground black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the drained chickpeas, creamy cashew blend and coconut cream or milk to the skillet. Stir well to combine.
- Bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the mixture cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and flavors meld together, stirring occasionally. Add in your vegan parmesan cheese (optional, but tastes amazing!), stirring in to combine for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasonings as you desire.
- Garnish with fresh basil. Serve with toasted bread or rice.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Store marry me chickpeas in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
It remind me of your coconut chickpea curry with its decadent delicious flavours . This creamy bowl of deliciousness had everyone going back for seconds!
SO happy to hear this Judy! Thanks so much for sharing!!
What can I use instead of cashew. I am allergic
Hi Carlisa,
You can use soaked raw sunflower seeds instead!
Thanks for adding the nut free option!!!
You’re so welcome Mie! So happy it’s helpful!!
I want to make this recipe, but I want to add anothet flavor layer without usingbthe red pepper flakes. What type of Curry do you think would balance well with the sun-dried tomato flavor?
All of your recipes look so good!
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for sharing! I don’t know that I would necessary recommend curry in this recipe to be honest, but if I had to choose, BUT I do see how this could be similar to like a butter chickpeas recipe. In that case you could try Indian curry for it! I can’t say for sure this would work perfectly with the recipe base as is, but as tomatoes are also found in Butter Chickpeas, it could work!
very tasty and simple to prepare. I”ve combined with rice.
Thanks so much for sharing Stefano!! SO happy to hear this!
This dish is delicious! My boyfriend made this dish for me as a surprise. He did make some adjustments such as not using nutritional yeast and using regular parmesan. The coconut milk is a great alternative for heavy cream. It leaves the dish with a hint of a coconut taste but it’s not overpowering AT ALL. The sundried tomatoes help balance out the coconut flavor. And it’s fabulous with pita bread. Give it a try. You won’t regret it.
Such a great review – thanks so much Aminata! I know a lot of readers wonder if the entire dish tastes like coconut so this is very helpful feedback!