Marry Me Chickpeas – The Stingy Vegan

November 21, 2025

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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.

A grey ceramic bowl with marry me chickpeas in one half and rice in the other half. A small bowl of basil leaves, a blue napkin and a fork can be seen in the background.

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.

Pouring coconut milk into a blender with sun-dried tomatoes and vegetable stock.

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.

The blended marry me chickpeas sauce in the blender.

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.

Fried garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in a grey pan.

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.

Pouring chickpeas into the pan with the fried garlic.

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.

Pouring orange marry me chickpea sauce into the grey pan over the chickpeas.

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.

The pan filled with marry me chickpeas in an orange sauce. A pile of sun dried tomatoes lays in the middle of the pan.

FAQs

Can you taste the coconut milk?

No, you cannot taste the coconut. Blending the coconut milk with sun dried tomatoes is the secret to masking the coconut flavor.

How to prep canned chickpeas?

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.

Is it spicy?

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!

What is miso paste?

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.

Fresh chopped basil is spread over a pan of marry me chickpeas.

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.

A blue-green bowl of marry me chickpeas in an orange sauce. A bowl of rice is on the top and a fork and blue napkin are to the left.

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.