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A bowl of marry me chickpeas with bread and a napkin.

Marry Me Chickpeas

5 from 1 vote
Marry me chickpeas is a vegetarian twist on a popular dish, featuring tender chickpeas and spinach in a tomato broth plus a splash of cream.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup cream , milk, coconut milk, or vegan cream
  • 3 cups baby spinach leaves roughly chopped

Method
 

  1. In a large Dutch over pot over medium-low heat, warm the 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add the 5 cloves garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
  2. Stir in the 1 medium yellow onion, 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add the 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, 1 cup vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 cup cream or milk, and 3 cups baby spinach leaves and stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, until warm and the spinach has wilted. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Notes

    • Simmer it down - I like a very thick, brothy stew-like marry me chickpeas, so I let the pot simmer for longer than the recipe directions indicate. However, you can cook it for as long or as little as you like!
    • Add more broth - If you do like a looser stew, or feel like it's cooked down too much, add a bit more vegetable broth to thin it out.
    • A touch of lemon - Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon after the stew has cooked down for a bit of brightness, or serve lemon wedges on the table so diners can choose to add the lemon if they wish.
    • Finish with a garnish - When serving, try topping bowls with parmesan cheese, chopped, toasted, sliced almonds for crunch, a shower of fresh chopped herbs, or a little sprinkling of lemon juice.
    • Vegan/dairy-free - It's so easy to make this recipe vegan and dairy-free. Simply swap non-dairy milk or cream for the cream (I like to use coconut milk!).
    • Other beans - As noted, try another bean like white beans (navy or butter beans), although then technically this would not be marry me CHICKPEAS!