by This one-pan, super quick to make Marry Me Chickpeas recipe is my vegetarian spin on the viral Marry Me Chicken recipe, and I promise, it’s just as delicious! We’re using canned chickpeas to help this recipe come together even faster and full fat coconut milk for that classic flavor and richness!
Friends… It’s not often that I’m lost for words, but I seriously don’t think I’ve ever made a more delicious recipe than this one. It’s creamy, comforting, and bursting with sundried tomato basil flavor!
Oh, and did I mention this easy vegetarian main dish takes, like, 20 minutes to make?! AND it’s well balanced with protein and fiber from the chickpeas, plus healthy fats from the coconut milk, which makes my Registered Dietitian heart very happy!
I love serving it with naan bread, but rice is also delicious with it, too!
Once you fall in love with the chickpea version of this dish, graduate to make it with tofu in my Marry Me Tofu!
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Time to Get Cooking!
Okay, this recipe seriously couldn’t be easier, which is part of the reason that I love it!
Healthy Marry Me Chickpeas with Canned Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 540 ml chickpeas, I used canned, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced
- 400 ml full fat coconut milk
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 14 g basil, julienned
Optional
- 4 pieces naan
Equipment
Instructions
- Start by sautéing your onion in the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat until translucent, which is usually about 3-4 minutes. Add your garlic, oregano and chili flakes and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add your chickpeas, sundried tomato, coconut milk, tomato paste, salt and pepper to the pan, and bring the mixture to a low simmer. Once it's simmering, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the basil and spinach and stir in to wilt. Serve with naan, on its own or with another grain of your choice and enjoy!
This sounds great I would like to get all these recipes
Luckily they’re all right here on my blog- Thanks Deshone! Let me know if there’s a specific one you’re looking for.
Ok this recipe was amazing. I had to substitute the coconut milk with almond milk and I did not have sun dried tomatoes so i used diced fire roasted tomatoes. Still rocked!! Thank you
I’m so happy to hear that you loved it, John! Those substitutions sound great.
Thank you for this recipe it help me a lot
My pleasure!
Thank you for the ideas in substitutions. I’m not a fan of coconut milk and my partner is allergic. V
How long keep after cooking.
This is an excellent recipe. 🙏
I’m so glad you love it, Deborah! These should last for about 4-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Can you use low fat coconut milk? Or will it not be good enough as not as thick?
And can I freeze after it’s cooked too? It would only be me so if I cooked 4 portions I’d need to freeze
Hi Sarah, you definitely can use low fat coconut milk, but it won’t be quite as thick and creamy! Yes, you can freeze, just omit the spinach and add the spinach when you’re heating up each individual portion instead!
This was so tasty!
I didn’t have sundried tomato’s but it was a great dish
Hi Renae, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, even without the sundried tomatoes!
I eye balled a lot of the measurements called for, and omitted the chili flakes/spinach/Basil while subbing sun-dried for fresh vine campari tomatoes cut into wedges. served with basmati rice and separately cooked carrot/potatoes mix. Family loved it, fed the 4 of us.
I’m so glad you loved it and these swaps worked for you Ashlee!!
Definitely trying this today. I love chickpeas but need to eliminate the olive oil. I’m Whole Food plant based, no oil and no sugar. Due to hypertension no nuts. I’m always happy to find new recipes.
I hope you like it, Alexis!
Can you substitute anything for the sundried tomatoes?
Hi Nelly, I haven’t tried substituting the sundried tomatoes with anything. They add quite a bit of flavor to this dish, so it won’t taste exactly the same without them. With that being said, you could try subbing them with roasted bell peppers, or omitting them completely, understanding that it won’t taste the same. Let me know if you try it!
I used to make almost exactly this recipe at least once a week about 10 years ago. But add whatever other veg I had left and sometimes a different type of bean.
Called it lazy bean stew… Never knew it was already a thing…
Haha, I love the name lazy bean stew! That’s so cool that you’ve been making something similar. I hope you like this version!
Love the sound recipe but I have an intolerance tto anything with coconut in, can I use soya cream instead.
Will try finding your sight.
Hi Moira, I’ve never tried it using soy cream, but I’d imagine it would be similar, but a bit less creamy! Let me know if you try it out.
Hey! I made this with heavy whipping cream and it was delicious and creamy. So if you can tolerate the lactose, that could be a good option.
Hi Deanna, that’s so great to know! I appreciate you sharing.
Amazing!
I’m so happy to hear that!!
I need to try these recipes. I love chickpeas.
If you like chickpeas I’m sure you’d love this recipe, Ruth!
I made this recipe this weekend for my boyfriend and I! He is not vegan/ plant based and we both loved it! This comes together quickly and will definitely enter my meal rotation.
I’m so happy you both loved it, Melanie! It’s quickly become one of my favorites.
Great recipe! So easy to do and had a great taste!
Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Martin!
I don’t like coconuts. Can I substitute almond milk for th coconut milk?
I’d recommend using soy milk instead since it’s creamier than almond milk, but please note that I haven’t tested the recipe with soy milk so can’t guarantee it’ll turn out the same! Let me know if you try it.
Absolutely delicious! I added a bit more chilli, to my tastes, and it tastes just as good the day after for my lunch. 👌👌 I will say, as a main meal I split into three portions not four, but I’m happy with that!
Hi Megan, I’m so happy that you enjoyed it! I totally agree, it makes great leftovers.
Made this for dinner last night and it was a hit! Loved it! Thank you! I skipped the sun dried tomatoes, used half a can of coconut cream with half can of hot water, didn’t have fresh basil so used dried basil and it still tasted amazing!!
I’m so happy to hear that you loved it, even with adjustments!
Definitely making this tomorrow. I’m coeliac and vegetarian. We have vegan friends coming so it will be great. Ill make gluten free and vegan naan.
That’s wonderful, Sue, definitely let me know how it turns out!
I’m thinking of making this for a lunch group gathering. Will this freeze well? Ok to make ahead and reheat?
Hi Mary Ann, you can definitely make this ahead and reheat! I haven’t tried freezing it so can’t speak to that, but let me know if you try it out.
Does my sun dried tomatoes have to be in oil?
Hi Lola, no they don’t!
So good!!! Also tried making a whole different dish using bow tie pasta, shrimp, edamame beans, spinach and fresh tomatoes with the sauce and that’s also super yummy. The sauce base is really versatile!! Thank you for sharing this 🙂
Hi Laurie, I’m so happy to hear that you loved it!! That’s such a fun way to use the sauce, I’ll have to try some other ways to incorporate it into different recipes, too!! 🙂
Very tasty!
I’m so glad you liked it!
This was delicious!! I was skeptical at first but determined to try and wow the first bite blew me away!
Does this have a strong coconut flavor?
Hi Susan, no it doesn’t! I’ve found that the flavor gets masked by the herbs, spices, and sundried tomatoes quite a bit.
I just tried this recipe tonight and it’s delicious! Wow! Thank you so much for sharing.
Didn’t have the sundried tomatoes, as I didn’t have them and used dried basil instead, but it turned out great!
This recipe is a keeper.
Thank you again
Hi Amy, I’m so glad to hear that you loved it and that the substitutions you made worked well, that’s so great!
Made it today. Delicious! Definitely will make it again 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that, thanks for letting me know, Jeff!
Best meal I’ve made in a long time! Made according to instructions.
I’m so happy to hear that you loved it, Chloe! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Easy to make and delicious! 😋
So happy to hear that, thanks for letting me know, Lynn!
This is amazing.
Question!! The calories are based roughly on what serving size??
I’m so glad you loved it, Nic! The calories are based on one serving size- There’s about 4 servings in the recipe 🙂
Absolutely delicious, I made this for the family after a gym session and everybody loved it. Thank you!! I’m definitely going to be making this regularly.
I’m so glad it was a hit, Debbie! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
I cooked this dish today. I am not a gourmet cook by any means. This delicious. I will deinitely make it again and again.
Hi Muneerah, I’m so glad you loved it! It’s definitely in my weekly rotation as well 🙂
amazing!!! easy and cheap for a uni student!
I’m so glad you loved it, Cate!!
What can I use instead of coconut milk?
You can try using unsweetened soy milk instead, but I’ve never tried this personally so am not sure whether the taste, texture, etc will be the same!
Very rich and satisfying!
Hi Brittany, it really is! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
So delicious!
Hi Angelli, I’m so glad you loved it, thank you for letting me know!
I just made this tonight for me & my husband and it was SOOO delicious!!!
Very forgiving recipe, as I had to make some substitutions, I thought I had a can of coconut milk but upon opening it realized it was rancid despite being within expiry, yuck. So, I used unsweetened vanilla bean almond milk and added 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to infuse some coconut flavor. And instead of chili flakes (which I also didn’t have) I used 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne. Good balance of savory and slightly sweet. We really enjoyed it and it will go on our “Meatless Mondays,” dinner rotation going forward 🙂
Hi Agness, I’m so glad you loved the recipe and that the substitutions that you made worked well for you, it sounds delicious!
Is there a way to have the ingredients in tsp, cups, oz, etc.? I can Google ml switch, but it would be easier if there was an option within the recipes. Thanks for considering. This looks really good, and a nice start to a dietary change.
Hi Ann, I’ll look into adding this as a functionality, thank you for the feedback!
Thank you so much!
My pleasure, Ann!
I followed the recipe exactly, but found that one onion was just too much. Also, the sundried tomatoes added a sweet flavor to the dish that I found to be overpowering.
Hi Nina, thanks for your comments! The onion flavor might have been too much if it wasn’t cooked down enough to soften, or if your onion was large. The sundried tomatoes do add a little sweetness which I’ve found pairs great with the herbyness of the dish, but it’s totally personal preference!
This was really great. I always have a jar of sun dried tomatoes in our pantry as fresh ones are very expensive in NZ in winter. I also like to use all our food in the fridge so I added some ham of the bone chopped very small. I will try again as just veggie as I love both. A great recipe.
I’m so glad you loved it, Denise! Those adjustments sound really delicious, too!
This is phenomenal! I was shocked at how delicious for a pretty easy recipe.. I’m putting this in my rotation – so so good.! Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Anna, I’m so glad you loved it! It’s definitely in my weekly rotation, too!
Hi is tomato paste tomato puree?
Hi Maria, no, they aren’t exactly the same! Tomato paste is a much more concentrated form of tomato puree. It can be found in the canned food section of the grocery store, close to where the canned tomatoes are. If tomato puree is all you have on hand, it will likely still work, but keep in mind that the flavor won’t be as concentrated so you’ll have to use a bit more. I hope that helps!
Thankyou xx
My pleasure, I hope you love it!
I omitted the onion – no hands for chopping while holding a nursing baby, and threw everything into the instant pot and it was phenomenal. I am pretty addicted to heavy cream and generally scoff at the idea that it could possibly be replaced by coconut milk- but dang that was delicious. Very light coconut taste, I think the tomatoes really help to cover it. I had it over pasta and will for sure add it to my rotation.
I’m so glad you loved it Abby!! It is surprising how good it tastes without heavy cream- It really isn’t too coconut forward and I’m so glad you agree!! I actually have a recipe for ‘Marry Me Pasta’ as well that you might like!
Mine is very runny, have I missed something?
Most likely, yes! It should be thickened and scoopable, like in the photos. Did you use extra coconut milk? Or forget to drain and rinse the chickpeas? Or did it not simmer for long enough? Did you cover when simmering so they couldn’t reduce? Some of these things could have contributed!
I will try it again! May have got a measurement wrong.
Keep me posted how it goes!
Big hit from the family: tasty, filling and so easy to make. Definitely on the weekly menu.
I’m so happy to hear that, Simone, it’s one of my family’s favorites too!
This looks great, I’m going to try it on the next couple of days. Can you tell me how many cups the 540 ml of chickpeas comes out to? Thanks!
Hi Lizzie, it’s one standard sized can of chickpeas, or about 2 cups!
Really enjoyed this recipe. Definitely going to put it into the meal prep rotation.
I’m so glad you loved it, Cassandra!
So tasty. Cooked it twice under one week. That good and fast. Thank you.
Wow that makes me so happy, thank you for letting me know, Maya! 🙂
Delicious. I skipped the spinach and basil, and blended about 50% of it to make it a creamy soup.
I’m so glad you loved it, Alyssa! I actually have a Marry Me Gnocchi Soup that you should definitely try next if you like this blended as a soup!
This recipe is easy to make and tastes really delicious. Thank you. I think next time I will add shiitake mushrooms as well. It was easy to make and quickly ready to eat.
I’m so glad you loved it! Mushrooms would be amazing in it, I’ll have to try that, too!
My new go to busy weeknight dinner recipe! I’ve been making it for months and absolutely love it 🙂 I sometimes add in some extra veggies I have lying around like a red pepper and fry with the onions and garlic.
Yay I’m so glad you love it Kirsten!!
Deliciouos! And if you squeeze some lemon juice just before serving, they are even better.
I love doing this too! Thanks for leaving a review, Diana!
This is so good and easy to whip up. I’ve been wanting to make this again since I first made it a few weeks ago. I didn’t have spinach, but I had swiss chard so I substituted that and it worked just fine.
Thanks for a great recipe Lauren!
Oh that’s so great to know that swiss chard works too, Jean! Thank you for leaving a review 🙂
Terrific recipe! I added some lemon to this. The chickpeas were a little hard at the end so I felt like I needed to leave it on quite a bit longer, which took away a lot of liquid. Any suggestions? Thank you
Different brands of canned chickpeas typically have different softness, so it may just be the brand you were using! You could sauté the chickpeas for a few minutes with the onion and garlic to soften them a bit more before adding the liquid ingredients so it doesn’t reduce too much. Let me know if you try it!
A forgiving recipe and very tasty. Used chickpeas cooked from scratch, didn’t have sun dried tomatoes subbed in tomato
paste, no fresh basil used dry, no coconut milk subbed in a bit of Grace creamed coconut, dropped in a few cubes of frozen spinach and it was terrifically good! Thanks for posting this great recipe.
Those substitutions sound amazing, Ellen! Thank you so much for letting me know you loved it!
New favourite chickpea recipe! We serve ours with a side of rice and naan. Love that it comes together so easily and fast!
This is definitely one of my favorite chickpea recipes, too! Thanks for letting me know you love it, Krista!
How many does this serve? Does it freeze well? Thanks
Hi Sophie, this recipe serves 4! I’ve never tried freezing it, but I would imagine it would turn out well, just don’t add spinach if you’re planning to freeze- add it when you’re reheating. You may also need to let it simmer together when reheating for 5-10 minutes in case the coconut milk separates during freezing. Let me know if you try it out!
I make this recipe on repeat. It has great flavor and comes together quickly.
I’m so glad you love it, Marysue!
INCREDIBLE. I had high expectations and this by far exceeded them!
YAY I’m so happy to hear that Gabrielle!!
Was a bit watery, great taste though
Hi Nina, did you use full fat coconut milk in a can? And did you let simmer for the full amount of time as instructed? If so, you may just need to simmer for a few minutes longer, as all coconut milk may have a slightly different thickness/consistency. Happy you enjoyed it!
Delicious! One of my favorites and it is so easy to make!
Its truly one of my favorites too! Thanks for letting me know, Kim 🙂
How many cans or grams is 540 ml of chickpeas?
Hi Ken, one can is typically 540 ml, or about 2 cups of cooked chickpeas.
Thank You!! You inspired me. It is very good.
I’m so glad you loved it, Kate!
This is fantastic! I had a jar of Bold Beans so added them including the water so then only did half the coconut milk to keep the calories down – worked really well. Shall be making on repeat!
Yay I’m glad you loved it, Jac!
This was incredible!!! Thanks! I added a dash of turmeric and ginger and omggg
Turmeric and ginger are such great additions!! I’m so happy you loved it!!
Easy, great recipe.
So glad you liked it, Natalie!
Hi – Made this last night. So delicious- thank you. Could you tell me the size of a serving in the nutritional info. Thanks
I’m so glad you loved it Joanna! This recipes makes 4 servings so the nutritionals are for a quarter of the recipe.
Just made it….without chili flakes and sundried toms as didnt have them….but very good….eating it now………thanks
Hi Marta, I’m so glad you love this!! I’m glad it’s good even without those additions.
I don’t have any spinach. Will it still work?
Hi Doris, definitely! The spinach wilts so much anyway that it’s really just there for extra nutrition if you have it 🙂
Oh wow, what an amazing recipe! So, so delicious 😊
Thanks for letting me know, Birgit, I’m so glad you love it!
I made this but had no sundried tomatoes so I roasted a red pepper as another person suggested.
It was fantastic! It’s even better the next day! This is definitely going into my meal rotation.
Yay I’m so glad you loved it!! Roasted red peppers would be such a great addition!