Crunchy Thai Chickpea Salad (Printable)
Protein-packed chickpea salad with crunchy vegetables and zesty Thai peanut dressing, ready in 20 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad Base
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
→ Peanut Dressing
09 - 3 tablespoons creamy natural peanut butter
10 - 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
12 - 2 teaspoons maple syrup
13 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
14 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - 2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed for consistency
# Directions:
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 natural peanut butter, tamari soy sauce, fresh lime juice, maple syrup, toasted 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 prepared peanut dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently until all components are evenly coated.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours to allow the flavors to meld together before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing comes together with just a whisk and tastes like something from a restaurant that charges eighteen dollars for a salad.
- It holds up beautifully in the fridge overnight, making it the rare lunch that actually tastes better on day two.
02 -
- If you dress the salad and wait more than a few hours, the cabbage will start releasing water and diluting everything, so keep the dressing separate if you are prepping ahead.
- Adding the water too fast to the dressing will leave you with a thin soup instead of a coating sauce, so patience at that stage saves the entire dish.
03 -
- Crush a few of the chickpeas lightly with the back of a fork before mixing, because the crumbled bits absorb dressing like tiny flavor sponges.
- Toast the peanuts in a dry skillet for two minutes until fragrant, which takes them from good to the thing people ask about first.