Thai Chickpea Crunch Salad (Printable)
Protein-packed chickpea salad with crunchy vegetables and zesty Thai peanut dressing, ready in 20 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad
01 - 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
03 - 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
04 - 1 cup shredded carrots
05 - 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
06 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
07 - 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
08 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
→ Dressing
09 - 3 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
10 - 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
12 - 2 teaspoons maple syrup
13 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
14 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - 2-3 tablespoons water, to thin dressing to desired consistency
# How-to Steps:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained chickpeas, diced red bell pepper, shredded purple cabbage, shredded carrots, diced cucumber, chopped cilantro, roughly chopped peanuts, and thinly sliced green onions.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce or tamari, lime juice, maple syrup, sesame oil, grated ginger, and minced garlic. Add water one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously, until the dressing reaches a smooth and pourable consistency.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently until all components are evenly coated.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours to allow the flavors to meld together.
# Expert Pointers:
01 -
- It comes together in under twenty minutes with zero cooking required, which means you can make it while your coffee is still brewing.
- The peanut dressing is the kind of thing you will want to eat off a spoon, and it clings to every single vegetable like it was designed to.
02 -
- The dressing seizes up and gets thick when it sits in the fridge, so stir in a splash of warm water before serving leftovers.
- Salted peanuts in the dressing will throw off the balance completely, so always use unsalted for the peanut butter and adjust salt at the end.
03 -
- Double the dressing recipe and keep the extra in a jar in the fridge for grain bowls, noodle salads, or emergency vegetable dipping throughout the week.
- Lightly smashing some of the chickpeas with the back of a fork before tossing helps them absorb more dressing and makes the texture incredibly satisfying.