This healthy marry me chickpeas recipe is made with real ingredients (no pricy vegan substitutes) and a unique technique for a lusciously thick and creamy vegan sauce.
What is marry me chickpeas?
Marry me chickpeas is the non-meat version of marry me chicken; a dish developed by Delish in 2016.
Marry me chicken went viral in 2023 and quickly spawned vegetarian and vegan versions using chickpeas.
All versions consist of a protein (yes, chickpeas are protein) in a creamy sauce with chopped sun dried tomatoes and herbs.
Apparently it gets its name from the photographer declaring “I’d marry you for that chicken” after tasting it.
Why this is THE BEST marry me chickpeas recipe
While vegetarian versions use cow tit juice (yuck), vegan versions often call for expensive dairy and cheese substitutes.
My recipe for marry me chickpeas is based on a previous recipe I made for creamy vegan pasta.
That simple pasta recipe calls for sun-dried tomatoes, coconut milk and vegetable broth blended together into a thick and creamy pasta sauce.
It also makes an excellent base for this marry me chickpeas recipe! Just add some herbs, seasonings and diced up sun dried tomatoes and you have the best and most flavorful version of this dish!
The real secret is blending the sun dried tomatoes into the sauce which makes for a delicious umami, tomato-based cream sauce that does not taste like coconut at all.
Ingredients
No expensive vegan substitutes needed for this dairy-free recipe! Everything is easily accessible in any supermarket.
Chickpeas: Two cans of chickpeas is enough for 4 servings. That’s approximately 3 cups of cooked chickpeas. Yes, you can use dried chickpeas if you cook them in advance.
Sun dried tomatoes: I use the sun dried tomatoes in oil and then use the oil in the jar to cook the garlic. One 250 gram jar is enough for this recipe.
Coconut milk: For the creamiest marry me chickpeas, use full fat coconut milk.
Vegetable stock: A good-quality vegetable stock will add more flavor. Use low sodium since miso paste is also a bit salty.
Herbs: The original recipe calls for fresh thyme. I don’t have that available to me so I substitute dried thyme. Additionally, a handful of chopped fresh basil is added at the end.
Red chili flakes: This dish has a light heat. You can omit or increase the red chili flakes depending on your spice preference.
Garlic: There’s no onion in this recipe (weird) so I upped the garlic to 4 cloves for extra flavor.
Miso: White miso is an umami bomb and imparts a cheesy flavor that replaces the Parmesan that’s often called for in marry me recipes.
Salt and pepper: To season. Taste your dish before adding salt as the miso paste and stock can both add saltiness.
How to make marry me chickpeas
This easy meal comes together in just 20 minutes for a quick weeknight dinner.
Prep: Drain and rinse two cans of chickpeas.
Drain the sun dried tomatoes but reserve the oil
Finely chop the garlic and slice or tear the basil leaves into smaller pieces.
Sauce: Place ⅔ of a cup of the sun dried tomatoes, the vegetable stock and the coconut milk in a blender. Blend until you have a smooth, thick sauce.
You can also use a food processor or immersion blender to make the sauce.
Cook: Take about a tablespoon of the reserved sun dried tomato oil and heat it over medium-low heat in a large pan.
Add the garlic and fry until soft and fragrant. Add the dried thyme and red chili flakes and fry for another 10 - 20 seconds to bring out the flavors.
Add the chickpeas, remaining chopped sun dried tomatoes and pour in the prepared sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until the chickpeas are hot - about 5 minutes.
Put the miso paste in a small cup and spoon in about a tablespoon of the hot sauce. Stir to dissolve the miso then add it to the chickpeas.
Taste the dish and add salt and pepper as needed.
If you think the sauce has reduced and you prefer a thinner sauce, add a couple splashes of vegetable stock until you reach the desired consistency.
Finally, stir in the fresh basil.
Variations and substitutions
Milk: Many other marry me chickpea recipes call for vegan cream substitutes. You can use that in place of the coconut milk. I wouldn’t substitute plant-based milk, however, because it’s not thick enough.
Herbs: In place of the thyme you can use oregano or Italian seasoning.
Beans: This sauce is delicious and can be used with other types of beans such as white beans or butter beans. You could also use tofu. It also makes a great pasta sauce!
Miso: This is used as a Parmesan replacement but you can omit it, substitute with nutritional yeast or a vegan Parmesan product.
FAQs
No, you cannot taste the coconut. Blending the coconut milk with sun dried tomatoes is the secret to masking the coconut flavor.
Canned chickpeas are already cooked and ready to use. The only prep necessary is to drain the chickpeas into a colander and give them a rinse under fresh water.
I rate this recipe as a having a mild heat. You can adjust the heat level to your preference by omitting the red chili flakes, or adding more!
Miso paste is a Japanese fermented seasoning made from soybeans. In this recipe, it adds a cheesy flavor. You can buy miso paste in most supermarkets. You might find it in the international food aisle or in the refrigerated section.
Make ahead and storage tips
This sauce is really good and you can store it in your fridge for tossing with pasta or chickpeas anytime for a quick meal.
Leftovers of marry me chickpeas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.
You can freeze marry me chickpeas for up to 3 months but I recommend not adding the basil if you intend on freezing. You can add fresh basil once the chickpeas are thawed and ready to serve.
How to serve marry me chickpeas
My favorite way to serve marry me chickpeas is over long-grain rice such as basmati or jasmine.
You can also serve it alongside some crusty bread and a fresh green salad.
As a side dish, serve your choice of roasted of steam vegetables.
Marry Me Chickpeas
Ingredients
For the sauce
- ⅔ cup (100 grams) chopped sun dried tomatoes, drained from oil and oil reserved
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) full-fat coconut milk
- ¾ cup (175 ml) vegetable stock
For the chickpeas
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cans (15 oz / 400 grams) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup () chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste
- A small handful (0.35 oz / 10 grams) fresh basil, chopped or torn
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the ingredients for the sauce in a blender and blend until thick and creamy. You can also use an immersion blender.
- Take a tablespoon of the reserved sun dried tomato oil and heat it over medium-low heat in a large pan.
- Fry the garlic until soft and fragrant then add the thyme and red pepper flakes and fry for another 10-20 seconds to bring out the flavors.
- Add the chickpeas, sauce and remaining chopped sun dried tomatoes. Cover and simmer until the chickpeas are heated through - about 5 minutes.
- Place the miso paste in a small cup and add about a tablespoon of the hot sauce. Stir to dissolve the miso then add it to the chickpeas.
- Stir in the chopped basil. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary. I added ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- If the sauce reduces too much or you prefer a thinner sauce, add a couple splashes of vegetable stock to thin.
Dee says
This was just delightful! Followed the recipe as is, adding some salt at the end. My sauce was a bit too thick (I may have cooked it a bit longer than necessary) but a good splash of broth fixed that. Served it with some basmati.
I will say that I am a "taste-as-you-go" cook and was very skeptical at times so I was very pleased when the final dish came out so robust and flavorful.
This is going in my regular rotation.