Chickpea bowls served with spicy peanut sauce and seasonal sesame oil greens for the delicious flavors of Thai take-out from home. Easy plant-based recipe!
1cupcooked chickpeasprepare dry chickpeas in advance or drain and rinse canned chickpeas to save time
½cupnatural creamy peanut butteror substitute with another nut or seed butter if desired
1limezest and juice
3teaspoonssoy sauceor gluten-free tamari, divided
1-2teaspoonscrushed red pepperdepending on level of spiciness desired
1teaspoonfresh grated ginger
6-10tablespoonswaterdivided (or as needed to thin to sauce consistency)
2cupschopped collard greensor substitute with another seasonal green
1tablespoontoasted sesame oil
For servingoptional: cooked brown rice or grain of choice (prepare in advance or reheat from frozen to save time), chopped peanuts, chopped green onions, torn basil leaves, sliced avocado
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400º F and prepare a baking sheet. If needed, dry chickpeas by rolling them between two paper towels. Spread chickpeas on a lined baking sheet and set aside.
Combine peanut butter, lime, 2 teaspoons soy sauce/tamari, crushed red pepper, and ginger in a small mixing bowl. Whisk with a fork, gradually adding one tablespoon of water at a time until sauce is thick and creamy yet pourable. (Sauce tends to thicken over time, so you may need to add additional water if you prepare it in advance.) Pour about 2 tablespoons of the sauce on top of the chickpeas and roll/mix until each is well-coated with sauce. Place baking sheet on center rack of the oven and roast chickpeas until crispy, about 22-26 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the collard greens. Combine chopped greens, sesame oil, and remaining 1 teaspoon of soy sauce in a small hot skillet and sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble the bowls. Spoon cooked brown rice (or another grain if using; prepare in advance or reheat from frozen to save time) between two bowls. Remove chickpeas from the oven and divide them between each of the bowls. Add greens and top each bowl with peanuts, green onions, basil leaves, and avocado as desired. Drizzle remaining peanut sauce over top and enjoy!