15-Minute Creamy Lemon Garlic Chickpeas | Vegan Dinner

These 15-Minute Lemon Garlic Skillet Chickpeas are creamy, bright and packed with savory garlic and fresh lemon flavor. Tender chickpeas and spinach simmer in a rich, silky sauce for an easy, protein-packed and budget-friendly plant-based dinner that’s perfect with warm crusty bread.

Ingredients

For the chickpeas

2 (15-ounce) cans Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter

4 Cloves Garlic, finely minced

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, optional

1/2 tsp Salt, or to taste

For the Lemon Butter Sauce

1-1/4 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk

2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter

2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

Zest of 1 Lemon

1 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Vegan Parmesan, optional but delicious

2 packed cups Baby Spinach

1/4 cup chopped Fresh Parsley

Fresh lemon slices for serving

If you need a quick dinner that tastes like you spent much longer in the kitchen, these Lemon Garlic Skillet Chickpeas are it. This easy one-pan meal combines tender chickpeas, fresh garlic, lemon and spinach in a creamy sauce that comes together in just 15 minutes.

It's cozy and satisfying while the fresh lemon keeps the sauce bright and flavorful. Serve it straight from the skillet with toasted sourdough for dipping, and you've got an easy plant-based dinner made mostly with affordable pantry staples.

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons vegan butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Add the chickpeas, onion powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and salt. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

You want some of the chickpeas to pick up a little golden color.

Pour in the soy milk and add nutritional yeast and another 2 tablespoons of vegan butter.

Stir and bring to a gentle simmer.

Now take the back of your spoon and lightly mash about ¼ of the chickpeas right in the skillet. This is important. It naturally thickens the sauce without needing flour or cornstarch.

Cook for another 2–3 minutes until creamy.

Reduce the heat to low.

Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and vegan Parmesan.

Adding the lemon toward the end keeps the flavor bright and fresh rather than cooked away.

Fold in the spinach and cook for about 1 minute, just until wilted.

Finish with fresh parsley. Taste and adjust the lemon and salt.