Vegan Butter Chickpeas (Easy!)
A vegan take on classic Butter Chicken that's made with whole food, plant-based ingredients! The sauce is rich, creamy, and packed with warm, savory flavor for an ultra-satisfying meal.
Servings: 4 large bowls
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion
- 15 oz. can chickpeas
- 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
- 14 oz. can coconut milk (regular, unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter (creamy, natural)
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 1/3 Tbsp. curry powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder*
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp. tamari
For serving:
- Cooked rice (and/or flatbread), cashews, and fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cook your rice according to package instructions. (Or prepare it ahead of time.)
- Dice onion.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion for 7-8 minutes. (I use 3 Tbsp. water/broth for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.)
- When onion is softened, add the curry powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika (or other seasonings of choice*). Stir and heat for 1 minute, adding a splash more liquid if necessary.
- Rinse and drain chickpeas. Add chickpeas and diced tomatoes (with juice) to skillet. Stir and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Carefully add coconut milk, peanut butter, and tomato paste. Stir until well combined.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally as the sauce thickens.
- Before serving, stir in the tamari.
- Serve warm over brown rice, topped with cashews and fresh cilantro if desired.
Notes
*Spices: Modify the accent spices as desired. I use garlic & smoked paprika, but play around with cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, garam masala, ginger, chili powder, etc. I've found this to be a pretty forgiving recipe.
Acidity & sweetness: Add a fresh squeeze of lemon juice for acidity, and/or 1 Tbsp. maple syrup for sweetness.
Yield: This recipe makes about 4.5 to 5 cups. For us, that's about 4 large bowls or 5-6 smaller/medium bowls.
Nutrition: Estimated nutritional content is calculated without rice, cashews, and toppings.
Recipe adapted from Earth of Maria.
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Calories: 471 kcal | Carbohydrates: 35 g | Protein: 14 g | Fat: 35 g | Saturated Fat: 23 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g | Potassium: 932 mg | Fiber: 11 g | Sugar: 10 g | Vitamin A: 590 IU | Vitamin C: 18 mg | Calcium: 117 mg | Iron: 6 mg
