Sesame Ginger Chickpea Salad

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.

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!

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.

(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. 

(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.

(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. 

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.

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