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Home » Recipes » Salads

Sesame Ginger Chickpea Salad

Published: Mar 30, 2021 by Lexi

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This vegan sesame chickpea salad is made with fresh, crunchy vegetables like cabbage, edamame, carrots and mandarin oranges, plus an Asian-inspired sesame ginger vinaigrette and a crunchy sesame brittle! It's flavorful, easy to make and SO delicious.

overhead view of vegan sesame chickpea salad in a large bowl with edamame, cabbage and sesame brittle.

Why we love this recipe

This sesame chickpea salad is packed with SO many flavorful ingredients common to several Asian cuisines. A few of our favorite additions include napa cabbage for crunch, scallions, edamame for extra plant-based protein and sweet, tangy mandarin oranges.

The sesame ginger vinaigrette is made with sesame oil, rice vinegar, miso, tamari, sriracha and ginger. It's SO good and would be perfect as a marinade for tofu!

For extra crunch and flavor, we also make a homemade sesame ginger brittle, which is really hard not to eat in one sitting.

It's the perfect balance of salty/sweet/nutty and would be great on just about any salad. I love the textural contrast it adds here!

overhead view of vegan sesame chickpea salad in a salad bowls with edamame, cabbage and sesame brittle.

This sesame chickpea salad is easy to make, perfect for meal prep and great as a light lunch or dinner. You can also easily add protein for a fuller meal!

It's also 100% vegan and gluten free, so it's suitable for just about any dietary restrictions.

Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this sesame chickpea salad:

Ingredient Notes

  • Cabbage: we used a mixture of red (purple) cabbage and napa cabbage, but you could certainly use all of just one. You could also use savoy cabbage in this recipe. (Use leftover cabbage in these summer rolls or this vegan coleslaw!)
  • Chickpeas: we use canned chickpeas in this recipe for a quick & easy option. Check out this tutorial if you want to use dried beans instead!
  • Edamame: I use frozen, shelled edamame in this sesame chickpea salad. It's MUCH easier than shelling on your own! If you want to leave them out, you can sub with another can of chickpeas.
  • Pea pods: we used snow peas in this recipe, but you could also sub with sugar snap peas. Feel free to leave out if you don't have any.
  • Mandarin oranges: I LOVE the sweetness mandarin orange slices add to this sesame chickpea salad! Since they have such a thin skin, you don't need to segment the citrus or remove any of the pith. Simply peel and slice in half!
  • Sesame seeds: we prefer white sesame seeds in the brittle. Black sesame seeds tend to be a bit more nutty and bitter and just don't work quite as well in this recipe.
  • Miso: miso paste adds a rich, salty, umami flavor to the dressing. We prefer a milder white or yellow miso in this recipe.
  • Tamari: tamari is a gluten free alternative to soy sauce. If you're not gluten free, feel free to substitute with an equal amount of soy sauce.

Step-by-step instructions

Here's how to make this vegan sesame chickpea salad in a few simple steps:

(1) Add ⅔ cup white sesame seeds, ¼ cup agave, 3 teaspoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon ground ginger and ½ teaspoon salt to a small bowl.

(2) Stir until evenly coated.

before and after mixing together ingredients for sesame brittle in small bowl.

(3) Spread onto a quarter baking sheet lined with parchment paper in an even, thin layer. Bake at 275˚F for 23-25 minutes.

(4) Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking up into small shards. 

sesame brittle on a sheet pan before and after being baked.

(5) Add 2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce and 2 tablespoon white miso to a small mixing bowl and whisk well. If the miso paste isn't incorporating, use the back of a spoon to break up the clumps.

(6) Add in ⅓ cup sesame oil, 3 tablespoon rice vinegar, ½ tablespoon sriracha, 2 teaspoon coconut sugar, ½ teaspoon ground ginger and ½ teaspoon garlic powder and whisk until smooth.

before and after whisking together ingredients for sesame ginger dressing.

(7) To a large mixing bowl, add 1 ½ cups napa cabbage, 1 ½ cups purple cabbage, 1 cup shredded carrot, 1 cup thinly sliced peas, ¾ cup edamame, 1 bell pepper, 5 mandarin oranges (halved), 1 can rinsed chickpeas, ¼ cup scallions and 2 tablespoon cilantro.

(8) Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss well to coat. Top with sesame brittle and enjoy. 

before and after mixing together ingredients for sesame chickpea salad in a large serving bowl.

Expert Tips & FAQs

  • Topping: If you don't want to make the sesame brittle, feel free to toss in a handful of cashews or another nut for some crunch!
  • Brittle: to speed up the cooling process for the brittle, transfer to the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
  • Make ahead: this sesame chickpea salad actually tastes better after it has a while to sit so the vegetables can soak up the flavor of the sesame ginger dressing. You can make the base of the salad a few hours or day ahead of time, but we suggest waiting to add the brittle until just before serving so it doesn't get soggy.
  • Storage: after about a day and a half, this salad gets pretty soggy, so if you're storing for longer than 24 hours, we suggest waiting to add the dressing until just before serving.
  • Substitutions: this sesame chickpea salad is made with quite a few different vegetables, which all add different texture, flavor, and of course nutrients, to this recipe. That said, feel free to leave out a few for a simpler salad. It's still great with just cabbage, edamame, carrots and mandarins!
  • Add a protein: this sesame chickpea salad is actually quite filling, but to make it a truly full meal, add your favorite protein! I LOVE adding these tofu nuggets or homemade grilled tofu.
close up view of vegan sesame chickpea salad in a large bowl with edamame, cabbage and sesame brittle.

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overhead view of vegan sesame chickpea salad in a large bowl with edamame, cabbage and sesame brittle.

Sesame Ginger Chickpea Salad


★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This vegan sesame chickpea salad is made with fresh, crunchy vegetables like cabbage, edamame, carrots and mandarin oranges, plus an Asian-inspired sesame ginger vinaigrette and a crunchy sesame brittle! It's flavorful, easy to make and SO delicious. 


Ingredients

Units Scale

Salad:

  • 1 ½ cups chopped napa cabbage
  • 1 ½ cups chopped purple cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrot
  • 1 cup thinly sliced snow peas
  • ¾ cup shelled edamame
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 5 mandarin oranges, peeled & halved
  • 1 14.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup finely chopped scallions
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Sesame Miso Dressing:

  • 2 tbsp mild white miso
  • 2 tbsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • ⅓ cup sesame oil
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • ½ tbsp sriracha
  • 2 tsp coconut sugar
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp garlic powder

Sesame brittle: 

  • ¾ cup unhulled white sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp agave syrup
  • 1 tsp sesame or olive oil
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp fine grain kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 275˚F and line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. 
  2. Add all ingredients for sesame brittle to a small bowl. Stir until evenly coated. Spread onto the baking sheet in an even, thin layer. Bake for 24-26 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking up into small shards. 
  3. Add tamari and miso to a small mixing bowl and whisk well. If the miso paste isn't incorporating, use the back of a spoon to break up the clumps. Add in remaining dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth.
  4. Add all of the salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss well to coat. Top with sesame brittle and enjoy. 

Notes

Topping: If you don't want to make the sesame brittle, feel free to toss in a handful of cashews or another nut for some crunch! 

Brittle: to speed up the cooling process for the brittle, transfer to the freezer for 10-15 minutes. 

Make ahead: this salad actually tastes better after it has a while to sit so the vegetables can soak up the flavor of the sesame ginger dressing. You can make the base of the salad a few hours or day ahead of time, but we suggest waiting to add the brittle until just before serving so it doesn't get soggy. 

Storage: after about a day and a half, this salad gets pretty soggy, so if you're storing for longer than 24 hours, we suggest waiting to add the dressing until just before serving. 

Add a protein: this salad is actually quite filling, but to make it a truly full meal, add your favorite protein!

Nutrition: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.  This information should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Salads
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Asian American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 571
  • Sugar: 30.3 g
  • Sodium: 590 mg
  • Fat: 25.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 74.4 g
  • Fiber: 18.8 g
  • Protein: 19.3 g

Keywords: sesame chickpea salad

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Maralee

    June 10, 2022 at 8:08 pm

    It’s 102 degrees today and this is the perfect meal. Love this dressing! Struggling with getting the sesame brittle to firm up but I didn’t have any agave syrup so used honey. Maybe that’s a problem. It’s in the freezer now (hoping that will help). Thank you so much!!!

    Reply
  2. Meagan

    January 23, 2022 at 7:43 pm

    So. Much. Flavor. And can feed a family for days.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Katharina

    November 08, 2021 at 9:48 am

    This recipe is so good! Thank you for that. :)) Love everything about it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      November 10, 2021 at 1:55 pm

      Aw thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed!

      Reply

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