A sensational one-pot vegetarian dish. Marry Me Chickpeas and Beans is made from onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, chickpeas, beans, tomato paste, cream, parmesan and spinach.

This recipe for Marry Me Chickpeas and Beans is a riff on our super popular Marry Me Chicken and Pasta, which in turn was inspired by our Tuscan Chicken! The base ingredients remain the same; onion garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, cream, parmesan and spinach. The difference with this version is that it's vegetarian. But don't let that fool you into thinking it wont be filling! The chickpeas and beans are both great sources of protein, keeping you fuller for longer.
Ingredient notes:

- Sun-dried tomatoes: This is what gives the sauce that salty and tangy depth of flavour. I would go so far to say it's an irreplaceable ingredient.
- Beans: I like to use cannellini beans in this recipe. But you could also use red kidney beans, black beans or navy beans if you prefer.
- Cream: Don't skip this ingredient either! This makes the dish super flavoursome. Unless of course you are dairy free/intolerant. Then you can substitute it for your preferred dairy-free cream (as well as replacing the parmesan with nutritional yeast or a vegan parmesan).
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
In a large saucepan over a medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant. Sprinkle in the Italian herbs, chilli flakes and salt. Stir to combine.


Add the chickpeas, cannellini beans and tomato paste. Stir well to coat everything in the seasonings. Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water, then add to the saucepan. Stir to combine.


Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until wilted.


Pour in the cream and add the grated parmesan. Stir until combined, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread on the side, or spoon over mashed potatoes or rice.

Recipe FAQs:
Yes. Swap the cream for a dairy-free cooking cream or coconut cream, and leave out the parmesan or replace it with a dairy-free alternative.
Absolutely. You can swap the chickpeas or cannellini beans for other canned beans such as butter beans, kidney beans or four-bean mix. Just make sure they are drained and rinsed first.
This recipe is already vegetarian. To make it vegan, use a dairy-free cream and replace the parmesan with nutritional yeast or a vegan parmesan alternative.
Storage:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Top tips:
If you prefer a creamier sauce with less tomato flavour, simply leave out the crushed tomatoes.
Related Recipes:
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Marry Me Chickpeas and Beans
Marry Me Chickpeas and Beans made from onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, chickpeas, beans, tomato paste, cream, parmesan and spinach.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- ¼ cup boiling water
- 60g baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 200ml cream
- 20g parmesan, grated
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over a medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the Italian herbs, chilli flakes and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add the chickpeas, cannellini beans and tomato paste. Stir well to coat everything in the seasonings.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water, then add to the saucepan. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until wilted.
- Pour in the cream and add the grated parmesan. Stir until combined, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with crusty bread on the side, or spoon over mashed potatoes or rice.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- If you prefer a creamier sauce with less tomato flavour, simply leave out the crushed tomatoes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 239Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 707mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 8gSugar: 6gProtein: 12g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya










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