Chinese Chickpea Salad

CHINESE CHICKPEA SALAD

This delicious salad comes from the beautiful food blog, Pickle and Honey.  The crunchy romaine lettuce, colorful purple cabbage and carrots and the sweet mandarine oranges topped with spicy roasted chickpeas make this a perfect dinner salad. I will definetly be making this again. One special note, if you have leftover roasted chickpeas, be aware that the spic mellows over night so they won’t be as spicy as the day you roast them.  I would also recommend adding a few roasted peanuts on top for some extra crunch.  Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS

for the roasted chickpeas:

  • two 15 oz. cans cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained well (about 3 cups)
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons chili sauce (or to taste)

for the dressing:

  • 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • fine grain sea salt to taste

for the salad:

  • 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 1 cup snow peas, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • one 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • one 10.5 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
  • ½ cup almonds, toasted and chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, toss together all of the chickpea ingredients until evenly coated. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet and spread them into an even layer. Don’t worry about the extra liquid; it will thicken to form a sticky glaze. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring once half-way through.

While the chickpeas bake, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl or glass jar. Set aside to marinate while you assemble the salad.

In a large bowl, toss together all of the salad ingredients along with the warm roasted chickpeas. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss once more to combine. Serve immediately topped with sesame seeds and crispy noodles. Be sure to add the crispy noodles just before serving so they won’t get soggy.