Peanut Chickpea Protein Bowl (Printable)

Protein-packed bowl with crispy chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and rich peanut sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chickpeas

01 - 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
05 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Vegetables and Grains

08 - 2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
09 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
10 - 1 cup julienned carrots
11 - 1 cup sliced cucumber
12 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
13 - 1/2 cup cooked and shelled edamame
14 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

→ Peanut Sauce

15 - 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
16 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
17 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
18 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
19 - 1 teaspoon sriracha or chili sauce, optional
20 - 1 clove garlic, finely minced
21 - 2 to 4 tablespoons warm water

→ Toppings

22 - 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
23 - Lime wedges for serving
24 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine drained and rinsed chickpeas with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking halfway through cooking, until golden and crispy.
03 - While chickpeas roast, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sriracha if using, minced garlic, and 2 tablespoons warm water. Gradually add additional water until the sauce reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
04 - Cook brown rice or quinoa according to package directions if not already prepared. Slice and arrange all vegetables on a cutting board for assembly.
05 - Divide cooked rice or quinoa among four serving bowls. Arrange roasted chickpeas, red cabbage, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, edamame, and cilantro on top of each portion.
06 - Drizzle peanut sauce generously over each bowl. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts and sesame seeds if desired. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The roasted chickpeas stay crispy even when they sit in the sauce, which honestly felt like a small miracle the first time it happened.
  • You can prep everything ahead and assemble right before eating, making it perfect for those mornings when you actually have time to pack lunch properly.
  • It's filling enough that you won't be hungry two hours later, and it tastes good enough that you actually want to eat it.
02 -
  • Don't skip shaking the chickpeas halfway through roasting, because the ones touching the pan directly will get brown and crispy while the others stay pale and soft, and you want the whole batch to be consistently crunchy.
  • Start with 2 tablespoons of warm water in the sauce and add more gradually, because thick peanut sauce that you then water down tastes different than sauce that was creamy from the beginning.
03 -
  • If the peanut sauce breaks or looks grainy, pour it into a blender with a little more warm water and blend until it's completely smooth and silky again.
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for about a minute right before topping the bowls because warm toasted sesame seeds taste completely different from the raw ones.
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