This chickpea in tomato sauce recipe is rich, hearty, and packed with flavors! An easy one-pan recipe that only calls for 7 ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes. Serve it on pasta, with baked potatoes, or on toast!
For more tomato-based sauce, I recommend checking out my vegan tomato sauce and vegan spaghetti sauce!
If you are looking for something comforting and tasty yet still hearty, this chickpea in tomato sauce is right up your alley! The best part is that it is easy to prepare and ready no time! I love serving it with cooked pasta, but you can pair it with almost anything.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Bold, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying to have
- Fuss-free and is ready in under 30 minutes
- Versatile and pairs beautifully with any main or side dishes
- Stores well and is freezable
- Healthy, a great source of plant-based protein
🍅What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Chickpeas - both canned chickpeas or chickpeas cooked from scratch can be used in this recipe. For more detailed information on cooking chickpeas from dried, I recommend checking out this post on how to cook chickpeas by Feel Good Foodie.
- Tomato sauce - It is simply pureed tomatoes along with some herbs. You could substitute it with passata or tomato puree instead.
- Maple syrup - To balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. You can use another sweetener in place or omit it entirely to keep this recipe sugar-free.
🔪How to make
Here is a quick rundown of the steps involved in making tomato sauce chickpeas. As usual, the full detailed recipe will be in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Heat a cast-iron skillet/non-stick pan. Start by sauteing onion until translucent, then adding in garlic.
Next, add diced tomato, tomato sauce, chickpeas, salt, and pepper into the pan. Let the mixture simmer for 20-25 minutes, covered, stirring it every couple of minutes.
Turn off the heat, then stir in maple syrup. Give it a taste, adding more salt if needed. Your chickpea in tomato sauce is ready to be served.
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✔Helpful tips
- If you prefer a smoother sauce, I recommend substituting the canned diced tomatoes with crushed tomatoes or an equal amount of tomato sauce.
- Stir it every 5 minutes or so while cooking to prevent ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- If you like a thinner sauce, add some water or vegetable broth until desired consistency is achieved.
- Stir in some fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or dill right before serving to boost the flavor profile of this tomato sauce chickpeas dish.
✨Variations and add-ins
Herbs and spices - Dried rosemary, bay leaves, cumin, smoked paprika, and paprika are some of my personal favorites! Feel free to use other seasonings that sound good to you.
Make it spicy - Add a generous pinch of chili powder or chili flakes or a drizzle of hot sauce right before serving.
Smoky - A teaspoon or so of liquid smoke will get the job done!
High protein - To bump up the protein content of this tomato chickpeas, add in your favorite meat substitutes like chunks of vegan Italian sausages or seitan chorizo.
Vegetables - Almost any veggies will work in this recipe! Bell peppers, carrots, peas, baby spinach, and frozen veg mix are some of my go-to.
❄Storing suggestions
Fridge - Store tomato chickpea in an airtight container, and it will last in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Freezer - This recipe is freezable too! Do portion it out into small containers before freezing, so you will only be taking out what you need. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Reheating - For frozen ones, let them thaw completely in the fridge overnight or on the countertop for a couple of hours. You can then heat it on the stove or in the microwave oven. Add a splash of water if the mixture looks dry.
🍝How to serve
- Use it as a pasta sauce to top cooked pasta of choice.
- This chickpea in tomato sauce also works great as a topping for buttered toast.
- Serve it alongside rice, like this Mexican rice and beans or steamed rice for a quick and easy meal.
- It can also be used to stuff baked potatoes or topping for salads.
- Lastly, you can serve it with main dishes like vegan mac and cheese, seitan beef, or vegan chicken pieces.
📖 Recipe
Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- cast iron pan or a non-stick pan
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes about 410g/14.5oz
- ½ can tomato sauce aka passata/tomato puree (200g/7oz)
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed (about 1 ½ cup cooked)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Heat up ½ tablespoon of neutral-tasting oil in a cast-iron skillet/non-stick pan over medium high heat. Once pan is heated, add onion in and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.1 medium onion
- Add garlic in next and fry for a minute until fragrant.3 cloves garlic
- Pour in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then stir in chickpeas. Let it simmer for 20-25 minutes, giving it a stir every couple of minutes.1 can diced tomatoes, ½ can tomato sauce, 1 can chickpeas
- Remove from heat, then stir in maple syrup. Add in more salt and pepper, if desired. It is ready to be served.1 teaspoon maple syrup
Notes
- If you prefer a smoother sauce, I recommend substituting the canned diced tomatoes with crushed tomatoes or an equal amount of tomato sauce.
- Stir it every 5 minutes or so while cooking to prevent ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- If you like a thinner sauce, add some water or vegetable broth until desired consistency is achieved.
- Stir in some fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or dill right before serving to boost the flavor profile of this tomato sauce chickpeas dish.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Jennie says
We just had this for dinner served atop a mix of quinoa and farro and it was absolutely delish! Forgot to add the syrup but was fantastic anyway(may add it next time). Sprinkled some herbs de province in. Thank you for such an easy, healthy delicious recipe. Is definitely going into my regular rotation menu file.
Ashley says
So good! I had it with a piece of toasted buttered sourdough. To personalize it I added a cup of spinach, a teaspoon of basil, and a half teaspoon of sage, then substituted the syrup for honey (:
Robin says
I’ve made this a few times. It’s one of my new favorite go-tos for lunch. I made it over a bed of brown rice but I’m also looking forward to making it over pasta. I actually forgot to add the maple syrup but I don’t think it needs it. So good—thanks!!
Jim Mee Sha says
I am so happy to hear that!
Amy says
I made it and my husband and me and we really liked it very much. I didn't add the maple syrup however because it was very tasty without the adding the sweet flavor. Thanks for this delicious recipe
Meesha says
So happy to hear that!