Marry Me Chickpeas | One Pot One Portion
These one-pan marry me chickpeas are a great, easy weeknight dinner that is super comforting and satisfying. Make it for yourself or double up and make it for someone you love- there's a reason they're called 'marry me' chickpeas. But don't forget to show yourself the love you would show someone else, even if that's just through your dinner. Cooking for one can still be completely delicious!
Hello readers! I'm Eleanor..
If you like this recipe, make sure to follow me on my socials for more!
About this dish
My recipes are all about the joy of cooking solely for yourself, so you might be wondering why I would choose to share a recipe for ‘marry me' chickpeas. Because you know that I’m all about solo dinners and solo dates and this recipe doesn’t change that. These single-serve marry me chickpeas are a reminder to give yourself the same energy that you would give the person you want to marry, you know? And even if you’re loved up, I can almost guarantee that there’ll come a time when you’re cooking for one, so why not make that meal completely delicious. When it's also made in one pan? There's really no excuse!
If you like this recipe you might also like my Spiced Chickpea Noodle Soup, my Triple Lemon Chickpeas with Burrata & Green Olives, and my Tamarind Pasta with Chickpeas and Crispy Garlic.
Why you want to make this recipe
20 minute meal
This recipe only takes about 20 minutes. This is a 20 minute one-pan meal that you make on the hob, so requires as little effort as you could possibly imagine.
One Pot Recipe
As with all of my recipes, this is a one pot dish or one pan dish, which makes every meal time easier and more enjoyable.
Single-Serve
Again, as always, this recipe is for single-serve tacos so you can make this just for yourself! Though it would be very easy to scale up to serve multiple people if needed
Ingredients and Tools
Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans
- Chickpeas, also called Garbanzo Beans, are a legume used across the world in many cuisines and dishes. I think the best brand you can buy are Bold Bean Co chickpeas, but if you can't find them then any jarred chickpea is usually slightly nicer than canned.
Double/Heavy Cream
- Cream adds the creaminess to the recipe, and is maybe the main reason it tastes SO good! You can substitute this for a vegan alternative, like soy cream, if you prefer.
Dried Mixed Herbs
- Mixed herbs, along with the chilli flakes add flavour and depth to the dish. You can use a mixed herb blend or choose a single Italian herb like basil or oregano.
Parmesan
- Parmesan adds depth of umami flavour, plus a little bit of saltiness.
Flatbread
- I like to serve this with a soft flatbread to scoop up all the sauce!
Step by step instructions
Add little olive oil to the pan over a medium heat, then add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly soft. Then add the garlic and cook for two more minutes.
Add the tomato purée, chilli flakes and dried mixed herbs and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes before adding in the chickpeas and double/heavy cream.
Let that simmer on a low heat for around 10 minutes. You don’t want the chickpea sauce to become too thick so you may need to add more water depending on how much liquid your chickpeas were stored in. You want the consistency to be like a creamy curry.
Once simmered, add in the lemon juice and Parmesan along with the fresh basil, stir together and cook for a final two minutes before tasting and seasoning with salt and black pepper.
Serve up with an extra drizzle of cream and a few leaves of fresh basil, and scoop everything up with your favourite bread.
Variations, substitutions or modifications
Gluten-Free:
This recipe is already gluten-free! Just serve with your favourite gluten-free bread.
Vegetarian:
This recipe is also already vegetarian thanks to the chickpeas being the main source of protein.
Vegan:
To make it vegan, do the above and substitute the double/heavy cream for a vegan alternative, and either use a vegan cheese instead of parmesan, or use a tsp of nutritional yeast.
FAQs
What are Chickpeas?
- Chickpeas, also called Garbanzo Beans, are a legume used across the world in many cuisines and dishes.
Are Chickpeas Gluten Free?
- Yes chickpeas are naturally gluten-free!
Can you freeze chickpeas?
- You can freeze both cooked and uncooked chickpeas. If storing cooked chickpeas, drain them from their liquid and let them dry slightly before sealing in an air tight container/freezer bag and freezing.
Can I make marry me chicken?
- You could substitute the chickpeas for diced chicken, or use a mixture of both if you'd prefer.
Can I make a double portion?
- You can easily double up this single-serve recipe just by doubling the ingredients.
If you like this recipe you might also like my Spiced Chickpea Noodle Soup, my Triple Lemon Chickpeas with Burrata & Green Olives, and my Tamarind Pasta with Chickpeas and Crispy Garlic.
Ingredients
For one serving, you need:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 White Onion, finely diced
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped/minced
- 1 tbsp Tomato Puree/Tomato Paste
- 1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes/Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 tsp Dried Mixed Italian Herbs
- 120-150g Cooked Chickpeas, plus their liquid
- 2 tbsp Double/Heavy Cream
- 25g Grated Parmesan
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon
- Handful of Fresh Basil, chopped
- Salt
- Black Pepper
To serve:
- Extra Basil
- A Drizzle of Cream
- Flatbread or Crusty Bread of your choice
Instructions
- Add little olive oil to the pan over a medium heat, then add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly soft. Then add the garlic and cook for two more minutes.
- Add the tomato purée, chilli flakes and dried mixed herbs and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes before adding in the chickpeas and double/heavy cream.
- Let that simmer on a low heat for around 10 minutes. You don’t want the chickpea sauce to become too thick so you may need to add more water depending on how much liquid your chickpeas were stored in. You want the consistency to be like a creamy curry.
- Once simmered, add in the lemon juice and Parmesan along with the fresh basil, stir together and cook for a final two minutes before tasting and seasoning with salt and black pepper.
- Serve up with an extra drizzle of cream and a few leaves of fresh basil, and scoop everything up with your favourite bread.
More Recipes like this!
Chilli Cheese Masala Scrambled Eggs | One Pot One Portion
Chicken Salad Tostadas | One Pot One Portion
Like this recipe?
If you like this recipe, you'll love my cookbook! Full of delicious meals for all types of occasions, there's something for everyone
Meal Plans & More...
Subscribe to my newsletter for weekly meal plans, for one! I select 5 one pot one portion recipes that use similar ingredients and include your shopping list plus recipe notes, ingredient swaps and tips and tricks for using up leftovers. Take a look at the first one here...
Ginger Chicken Rice Bowl
Usually I would consider a brothy meal that you eat with a bowl and a spoon a form of comfort food, however, the flavours in this dish are so fresh and vibrant that it has to go in this chapter. I love the fiery freshness of ginger and it’s the predominant flavour in this rich chicken broth. The finished dish isn’t a soup as such, but there is just enough broth to make every mouthful deliciously juicy. It also takes minimal time to make so it’s a useful recipe to have on hand for days when you’re short of time.
Curried Chicken Skewers with Satay Slaw
I have an affinity for crunchy slaws, as I think they provide more interest, more texture and are more filling than many other salads. However, I’m not partial to excessive quantities of mayonnaise. Here I opt for coconut milk instead, which delivers the same creaminess in a less monotonous way. The fresh coriander and bite of roasted peanuts keep this slaw lively and interesting and are perfect with the lightly charred curried chicken skewers. This would also be great sandwiched between a burger bun, or on a soft flatbread.
Creamy Green Linguine
In a way, this linguine changed my life. It was the first recipe in the series to take off on social media, bringing new people and new opportunities into my life. It’s an exceptionally simple recipe that uses the same water to cook both the pasta and the vegetables, which you then use to create a velvety, carbonara-esque sauce with the cheese and egg. I’ve retested this and tweaked it since its original conception and, though I can’t promise it will change your life, I can promise it will be delicious.
Vegetable Pancake with a Chilli Crisp Egg
This vegetable pancake has its origin in Korea (where they’re known as yachaejeon) and is the perfect dish to use up odds and ends of any vegetables you have lying around. Cabbage, spring onions, carrots and courgettes work really well and provide a nice balance of moisture and crunch, but peppers, potatoes, mushrooms or leafy greens are good alternatives. Depending on the vegetables you use, you may need more or less water to make the light batter so adjust as necessary.
Prawn & Mango Salad
The perfect fresh, but still flavourful, summer salad! This is a beautiful fragrant salad with a creamy, zingy coconut milk dressing. With just a little bit of chopping and a minute of whisking, you’ve got a gorgeous summer lunch, perfect for working from home, taking lunch to the office or a sunny meal in the garden this weekend.
Some big praise!
Take a look at what some of my happy customers have to say about "One Pot, One Portion"!
"One Pot One Portion is, to borrow from The Parent Trap “a brilliant beyond brilliant idea”…I know many feel that it’s too much bother to cook ‘just’ for themselves — a sad admission, I feel — and to those people, and many others besides, I say: get this book and prove yourself liberatingly wrong!…Thank goodness for books! And thank goodness for Eleanor Wilkinson, a young talent to lift the spirits…There are so many people who could benefit from this book…this book is a boon and a blessing"
"A genius approach to bringing joy to every meal, Eleanor gets that good food is the best form of self-love."
I buy a lot of cook books and this is genuinely one of the best l've ever bought. I've tried 6 or 7 recipes so far and they're all winners. I'm well used to scaling recipes down to one portion, but not having to calculate measurements as l go along feels like a little luxury. One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up! Highly recommended.
I have been following Eleanor on IG for a while and have made several of her dishes before the cookbook came out. I was thrilled to see so many new things to try and have already made about 6 of them. Her recipes are approachable, the dishes are delicious, and they make me feel like I can cook! Highly recommend.
If you love eating good home cooked food but can't be bothered to cook just for yourself, then this is the book for you. Using ingredients that are easy to find, then mixing, cooking and eating from the same pan or dish means a minimum of washing up. Every recipe I have tried so far has been delicious and have all turned out well which isn't always the case with many cookery books. Definitely recommend!
Following Eleanor on Instagram and seeing her recipes come to life is one thing but then having them in my own kitchen is quite another. Not only are the recipes easy to follow and delicious she also help you not to waste food. This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?
Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This is perfect, as far as influencer chefs go, I find this book refreshing in what has become a cohort of lauded influencers who really aren't doing much more than the bog standard meals most people make anyway, or making googled recipes and adding their own "flair". This book is different as it's your normal fare you'd likely make yourself, given a little bit of a twist to speed up the process / use less utensils / ingredients / food waste, in really creative and tasty ways, all perfectly portioned for one.
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This recipe book is stunning and fulfils its role brilliantly in catering for individuals who want to eat delicious meals, but don't want to prepare family sized portions or devote their entire evening to cooking. Who'd believe you could make an entire roast for one person and only use one pan in the process! She is a genius and I couldn't recommend this book any more highly.
One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up!
This is the book I've been waiting for! I (very happily!) live alone, love to cook and read cookery books, but every recipe is for two people or more. This gorgeous book contains recipes perfectly proportioned for one person (and I'm always a very hungry one person!) which ensures more variety, less food waste, and pure, gluttonous joy.
It's so nice to finally have a recipe book that I can go to if I want a quick easy meal with minimal cleaning up required! Everything l've tried so far is delicious. And I salivate at the thought of everything in there!
Totally reignited my cooking mojo which had been MIA for a while. I'm going to buy my daughter a copy to take back to Uni too as everything is simple and delicious - perfect for a student!
Best cookbook for somebody single!
The fact I know I won't have loads to wash up really feels motivating and l've earmarked so many of the recipes already.
This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?