Grounded Chow

Instant Pot Tomato Butter Chickpeas

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Creamy buttery tomato sauce with fresh herby chickpeas is my definition of comfort food. This dish feels fancy and luxurious, but is so easy to make and prep for the week ahead. Serve with a fresh green salad and crusty garlic bread and you have yourself a real treat.

I can’t ever remember to soak my chickpeas, so instead I just cook them a little longer in the pressure cooker. I hear there are great digestion benefits from soaking them overnight first, so maybe when I learn to plan better I can say that for sure. I like to add an inch of dried Kombu (kelp), which is also thought to make beans more digestible, but this is totally optional.

If you don’t have access to fresh herbs, sub in smaller amounts of dried herbs! You could also use a can of cooked chickpeas and just heat them up for a bit with the herbs and broth, but I must say I don’t know if it will be quite as flavorful and delicious. I blend my sauce after it cooks down for a silky smooth and butter feeling, but you could also leave it chunky. Less dishes in that case!

I first tried this dish as a side at a nice Italian restaurant in Portland where I was piecing together a meal of sides. It blew my expectations with it’s simple deliciousness, and I knew it would be a regular rotation at home. Make a batch of this next weekend and enjoy it for lunch throughout the week, or whip it up quick on a busy weeknight. Eitherway, you’ll thank yourself later!

I hope you love these beans as much as I do! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think by commenting below, or tagging me in your photos on Instagram, @groundedchow!

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Instant Pot Tomato Butter Chickpeas

Deliciously herby chickpeas tossed in a silky, creamy tomato butter sauce. Pairs well with green salad and garlic bread.
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian, Vegan
Keyword chickpeas, instant pot, plant-based, tomato butter, vegan
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker

Ingredients

For the Tomato Butter sauce

  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 2.5 T vegan butter (I love Miyoko’s or Earth Balance)
  • 1/2 T nooch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 c water
  • pepper to taste
  • a few basil leaves for garnish

For the Chickpeas

  • 1 c dried chickpeas, rinsed
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 springs fresh thyme
  • 2 spring fresh oregano (optional)
  • 4 c veggie broth

Instructions

  • To start the tomato sauce, heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook for 2-3 mins. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the can of tomatoes and butter. If needed, swish a tiny bit of water in the can to get all the tomato bits out.
    Bring to a simmer then turn down low. Cook on low until chickpeas are done. If it starts looking dry, add 1/8 cup water. Repeat as needed. (I used 1/4 c water total).
  • Add the rinsed chickpeas, fresh herbs, and broth to your instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 55 minutes. Natural release for 20 minutes, then manually release the rest.
  • When the beans are almost done (about 5 minutes before you manually release the pressure), blend the sauce. Add to blender and run until smooth, scraping down as necessary. If you prefer a chunky sauce, skip this step! Return the blended sauce to the pot.
  • Remove the chickpeas from their cooking liquid using a spider or strainer and add to the pot with the tomato butter sauce . The herbs will have fallen off their stems. Remove any stems from the beans. I like to keep the herb leaves in the mix. Mix to coat all the chickpeas in the sauce.
  • Dish into bowls and top with basil garnish. Serve with crusty bread and green salad and enjoy!