Pumpkin Butter Chickpeas (Vegan)

Vegan pumpkin butter chickpeas are the perfect cozy plant-powered meal. These vegan butter chickpeas are rich and creamy thanks to a sauce made with pumpkin, cashew cream, tomato, and garam masala. Serve this dish over white rice and top with pomegranate, cilantro, and yogurt for the perfect warming dinner.

Cozy season continues with these pumpkin butter chickpeas! The temperature has really started to drop here in O-Town (Ottawa), and I could not be happier. I just love cold weather! 

This is a very inspired vegan take on butter chicken. My recipe does not contain any butter or cream; rather, creaminess is achieved from cashew cream and pumpkin puree. Cashew cream is simply cashews and water blended together, and takes just a couple of minutes to make. You may use canned coconut milk in its place, but I love the cashew cream in this recipe because it’s richer in protein and minerals like magnesium than coconut milk. 

All in all, this recipe for pumpkin butter chickpeas takes about 30 minutes to prepare. It’s a one-pot wonder, checking off most of your nutritional boxes… although I do recommend serving it up with some white rice and/or naan bread to make it that much more satisfying. Oh, and you will find that it makes a very generous amount, so you will probably get some lunch leftovers the next day. Leftover homemade vegan Indian food for lunch? It’s simply the best.

ingredients you’ll need

You’ll need extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil, onion, garlic, ginger, sea salt, pepper, garam masala, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, pumpkin puree, chickpeas, cashews, water, spinach or kale, lime juice, and a dash of sugar at the end. The sugar helps mellow the acidity of the tomatoes and really helps to balance the flavours. 

the method

In a large pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Add the salt, pepper, garam masala, and tomato paste. Cook for two more minutes. 

Stir in the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, pumpkin, and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Loosely cover with the lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. 

To make the cashew cream, combine the cashews and water in a blender. Blend until smooth. Stir the cashew cream into the pot. Add the spinach or kale and cook until bright green. Mix in the lime juice and sugar. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired. 

Serve pumpkin butter chickpeas over rice and garnish with pomegranate, lime wedges, yogurt, and cilantro. 

more cozy vegan meals

• African Peanut, Chickpea, and Sweet Potato Soup
• Cozy Beans, Greens, Mushrooms, and Miso Gravy on Toast (Vegan)
• Thai Chickpea and Squash Red Curry

Finally, I hope that you love these vegan pumpkin butter chickpeas! If you make this recipe, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made. 

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Butter Chickpeas (Vegan)

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Allison
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Vegan pumpkin butter chickpeas are the perfect cozy plant-powered meal. These vegan butter chickpeas are rich and creamy thanks to a sauce made with pumpkin, cashew cream, tomato, and garam masala. Serve this dish over white rice and top with pomegranate, cilantro, and yogurt for the perfect warming dinner.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 28-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 14-oz cans, drained and rinsed)
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked and drained (see note)
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups fresh spinach or kale, chopped
• Juice of ½ a lime
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar

For Serving

• Cooked white rice and/or naan bread
• Plain yogurt (use non-dairy if vegan)
• Pomegranate arils
• Lime wedges
• Cilantro

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Instructions

1. In a large pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Add the salt, pepper, garam masala, and tomato paste. Cook for two more minutes.
2. Stir in the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, pumpkin, and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Loosely cover with the lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
3. To make the cashew cream, combine the cashews and water in a blender. Blend until smooth. Stir the cashew cream into the pot. Add the spinach or kale and cook until bright green. Mix in the lime juice and sugar. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired.
4. Serve pumpkin butter chickpeas over rice and garnish with pomegranate, lime wedges, yogurt, and cilantro.

Notes

You can soak raw cashews in cool water for 8 hours or use the quick soak method of soaking them in very hot, recently boiled water for 45 minutes.