CHINESE CHICKPEA SALAD

March 01, 2017 by Renee Tavoularis

Ingredients

For the ROASTED CHICKPEAS:

3 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon 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

For the TOPPING:

black sesame seeds
crispy noodles (use rice noodles if gluten-free)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375° 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.

Recipe reprinted with the permission of picklesnhoney.com