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    Home » Asian Vegan Recipes

    Crunchy Salad with Firecracker Chickpeas and Peanut sauce

    Published: Jun 28, 2015 · Modified: Mar 4, 2019 by Richa 56 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    Chickpeas tossed in sweet spicy firecracker sauce and cooked to thicken the sauce. Firecracker Chickpeas Served with a crunchy lettuce, carrot, red bell pepper salad, a light drizzle of peanut sauce and garnished with cilantro/scallions. Jump to Recipe   

    Chickpeas tossed in sweet spicy firecracker sauce and cooked to thicken the sauce. Firecracker Chickpeas Served with a crunchy lettuce, carrot, red bell pepper salad, a light drizzle of peanut sauce and garnished with cilantro/scallions #vegan #veganricha #glutenfree | Vegan Richa

     

    Make this! Oh yes, did I mention the Firecracker sauce. It is divine, and spicy… that name has “fire” in it. 

    You can also use the firecracker sauce as the dressing. For variation, use kale, greens, other veggies. Use lentils to make firecracker lentils. Serve over rice instead of salad. Add some blanched veggies to the thinned out sauce. Many variations! Depending on your salad and appetite, this serves 2 or 1. the recipe is easily doubled! 

    Firecracker Chickpeas! Yes! Crunchy Veggies, yes, and creamy PB Sauce. Use sunbutter to make a nut-free dressing. 

    Crunchy Salad with firecracker Chickpeas and Peanut sauce | Vegan Richa

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    Steps:

    Arrange the Salad ingredients to preference in a serving bowl. Top with firecracker chickpeas. Those chickpeas are spicyyy and addictive! And the bowl is totally not practical 🙂 I love the salad to a larger bowl to eat. 

    Crunchy Salad with firecracker Chickpeas and Peanut sauce | Vegan Richa

    Dress with peanut sauce or firecracker sauce, cilantro and scallions. Serve

    Crunchy Salad with firecracker Chickpeas and Peanut sauce | Vegan Richa

    Recipe Card

    Print Recipe
    5 from 12 votes

    Crunchy Salad with firecracker Chickpeas and Peanut sauce

    Crunchy Salad with firecracker Chickpeas. Easy chickpeas tossed in firecracker sauce served over salad and Peanut sauce dressing. Vegan Gluten-free Recipe Free of Dairy, egg, soy, gluten, grain, yeast.
    Prep Time25 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time40 minutes mins
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: fusion
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 244kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    For the Salad:

    • Chopped lettuce or other crunchy greens
    • Grated or thinly sliced carrots
    • thinly sliced red bell pepper
    • thinly slices zucchini or cucumber
    • chopped cilantro or scallions for garnish
    • peanuts for garnish optional
    • 1 recipe Peanut sauce
    • Or this Peanut Sauce

    For the firecracker chickpeas:

    • 15 oz (425.24 g) can chickpeas drained (save the aquafaba for meringue) or 1.5 cups cooked
    • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) oil
    • 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt or to taste depends on if chickpeas were salted
    • 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) cayenne
    • 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) garlic powder
    • 1 tsp cornstarch or other starch
    • 1 tbsp hot sauce such as frank's hot sauce
    • 1.5 tsp sriracha or other asian chile garlic sauce
    • 1.5 to 2 tbsp rice vinegar
    • 2 to 3 tbsp raw sugar or brown sugar or other
    • 2 tbsp water

    Instructions

    • Chop up the veggies, toss and place in serving bowl.
    • In a skillet, add the chickpeas, oil, salt, cayenne, garlic and mix well. Cook over medium heat for a minute. Add cornstarch and mix to coat.
    • Add the sauces, vinegar, water, sugar and mix well. Cook until the sauce thickens, stir occasionally. 4 to 5 minutes. Taste carefully and adjust heat and sweet if needed.
    • Cool slightly, add to the salad bowl.
    • Make the peanut sauce. Adjust consistency to preference for the dressing by adding more or less water. or add some coconut milk
    • Drizzle the salad with peanut sauce, cilantro or scallions and serve.
    • Alternatively, add a few tbsp more water to the firecracker chickpeas during cooking and use the firecracker sauce to dress the salad.
    • For variation, use kale, greens, other veggies. Use lentils to make firecracker lentils.

    Video

    Notes

    If you don't have hot sauce and or sriracha, make your own by blending 3 tbsp vinegar, 1 to 2 tsp cayenne or to taste, 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp lime juice, 1/2 tsp parika, 1/8 tsp salt into a smooth puree and use.
    Calories based on one serving

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Crunchy Salad with firecracker Chickpeas and Peanut sauce
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 244 Calories from Fat 81
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 9g14%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Sodium 619mg27%
    Potassium 664mg19%
    Carbohydrates 33g11%
    Fiber 8g33%
    Sugar 12g13%
    Protein 11g22%
    Vitamin A 6540IU131%
    Vitamin C 54.2mg66%
    Calcium 74mg7%
    Iron 2.2mg12%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Crunchy Salad with firecracker Chickpeas and Peanut sauce | Vegan Richa

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    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Christie

      January 22, 2022 at 7:19 pm

      5 stars
      Fantastic, delicious recipe!!!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        January 26, 2022 at 11:07 am

        Awesome !

        Reply
    2. Lisa

      September 06, 2021 at 2:15 pm

      5 stars
      Soooo good! Can’t wait to make this again. The firecracker chickpeas are easily adaptable to make less spicy. It’s fool proof as well — I accidentally put in all the chickpea ingredients at once in the skillet and it still worked out just fine.

      Reply
      • Richa

        September 06, 2021 at 6:51 pm

        Yay

        Reply
    3. Sylvia

      September 05, 2021 at 8:31 am

      5 stars
      I can’t wait to try this! I have tried some of you other recipes and love them. I follow you on instagram.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 06, 2021 at 10:43 am

        let me know how it turns out for you

        Reply
    4. Keren

      February 03, 2021 at 4:49 pm

      5 stars
      Amazingly delicious! The combo of flavors is fantastic!

      Reply
    5. Ali

      July 25, 2020 at 9:56 pm

      5 stars
      Ooh this was yummy and so pretty! I made it with no cayenne, and it was still at the top end of my chilliability. So thanks for including the tip about not adding the cayenne 🌶. And that peanut sauce is divine!
      I have your cookbook and love it.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        July 26, 2020 at 9:56 am

        🌶.chilliabilty – my new favourite word! 🌶.🌶.🌶. i”m glad that you’re enjoying my cookbook – Thank you so much for your support 🌶.

        Reply
    6. Jane

      January 29, 2019 at 3:44 pm

      5 stars
      Literally just finished eating this salad, SO good! I used almond butter and kept everything else the same. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!

      Reply
      • Richa

        January 29, 2019 at 4:41 pm

        awesome!

        Reply
    7. Geri Garrett

      October 07, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      I’m confused. The recipe for peanut sauce doesn’t contain coconut milk. So do you make that sauce and add coconut milk? Or is it a different peanut sauce?

      Reply
      • Richa

        October 07, 2018 at 6:44 pm

        The sauce is thick, so thin it out with coconut milk, i think some words got mushed there in the widget, i’ll update it

        Reply
    8. Maneesha

      March 30, 2018 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Richa! I made this last night as an appetizer, and my family loved it! I love the combo of the firecracker chickpeas and the peanut butter dressing! Bring on the spicy! Thanks for a great recipe again!

      Reply
    9. Nina

      December 24, 2017 at 6:34 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Richa,

      This was super delish. My daughter loved it. And asked me to make her more chickpeas. Thanks again!

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 24, 2017 at 11:15 pm

        Thats awesome! long time.

        Reply
    10. Richa

      August 26, 2017 at 11:55 pm

      Great idea with chipotle cashew dressing!

      Reply
    11. Jo

      August 26, 2017 at 5:39 am

      First time I made it people were licking their plates.
      Second time I tried a Chipotle cashew dressing that was drizzled over everything.
      WOW….what a great recipe to work with.
      Thank you for all your wonderful creations.
      Five stars is not enough.

      Reply
      • Richa

        August 26, 2017 at 11:56 pm

        Great idea with chipotle cashew dressing!

        Reply
    12. Marie

      July 17, 2017 at 7:45 am

      5 stars
      This is fantastic!!!!!!!! I made this last night for hubby and I while the kids were gone b/c I thought they might not like- Oh I think they will. Definitely going into my regular rotation of recipes. Great Summer night dinner. I didn’t change anything and just the right amount of heat and sweet. Brought leftovers today for lunch and my mouth is watering thinking about it. Thanks for a great recipe.

      Reply
      • Richa

        July 17, 2017 at 10:03 pm

        yay!

        Reply
    13. Vasudha

      April 23, 2017 at 2:07 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for my house of 56 people and multiplied all of the ingredients by 10. Usually, salad is the only thing that isn’t finished after dinner, but when I made your recipe people helped themselves to seconds and there wasn’t a single piece of baby spinach remaining in the bowl! I love how the heat is offset by the sugar. This is a masterpiece.

      On a side note, I have been cooking for the past 4 months using your recipes to feed my housemates. Everyone loves them and no one complains that dinner is vegan since it’s so damn tasty!
      I have never tried my hand at cooking before this year but your recipes have inspired me. <3

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 23, 2017 at 4:37 pm

        Thats so Amazing!!! That firecracker sauce is awesome in many things. Happy Cooking!

        Reply
      • Christie

        August 28, 2022 at 2:49 pm

        5 stars
        This is, hands down, no competition, the best salad I’ve made or even had at a restaurant! Seriously – It could win awards. I’ve been cooking since the age of 13, and am a pretty dang good cook, but you are a flavor artiste 👩‍🎨 Your recipes are amazing – Thank you so much for sharing them!

        Reply
        • Vegan Richa Support

          August 29, 2022 at 10:41 am

          Wow! Thank you so much.

          Reply
    14. Shannon

      May 30, 2016 at 6:50 pm

      Wow – that is very, very firecracker-y!

      A little too hot for my blood, but I loved the peanut sauce (the one with the coconut milk) as a dressing for the salad. I could always make the chickpeas again with less heat, and this would be perfect.

      Thanks for sharing. Your site is becoming my go-to!

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 30, 2016 at 9:09 pm

        🙂 It has to live up to its name. Yes, definitely adjust the heat, no cayenne and less hot sauce. you can thin it out by adding more water, or just wash off some of the sauce off the chickpeas to make it edible.

        Reply
    15. Ana @ Ana's Rocket Ship

      October 03, 2015 at 2:03 pm

      Wow – this looks so delicious!!!!

      Reply
    16. Erika

      September 11, 2015 at 11:29 am

      5 stars
      This bowl is amazing! I make it at least once a week!! Love the flavors and textures.

      Reply
    17. Amanda (AmethystJean)

      July 19, 2015 at 2:27 pm

      This is amazing. I made it for a pot luck last week. I used paprika instead of cayenne because that’s what I had at the moment and it rounded out the flavour nicely. I also added beets that were hanging around my fridge. Not only were they begging to be used, I thought they would compliment the richness of the peanut sauce and the spiciness of the chickpeas. It was perfect. I will make the chickpeas a day ahead next time because the flavour was even better the next day. Thanks for another great recipe.

      Reply
      • Richa

        September 10, 2015 at 12:36 pm

        Awesome!!

        Reply
    18. Sam ~ it doesn't taste like chicken

      July 16, 2015 at 6:22 pm

      Peanut butter sauce is ALWAYS a good idea.
      Scratch that, peanut butter anything is ALWAYS a good idea!!

      Reply
    19. Neeta

      July 02, 2015 at 7:10 pm

      I am allergic to peanuts but really want to make this…thoughts, Richa? 🙂

      Reply
      • Richa

        July 02, 2015 at 7:16 pm

        use almond butter 🙂 i usually make the sauce with almond butter.

        Reply
        • Vicky Esperanza

          May 08, 2018 at 4:51 pm

          I think I will try to sub the PB with powder cause I am cutting all the oil out.

          Reply
    20. Meg @ Noming thru Life

      June 30, 2015 at 7:00 pm

      Uh YUM! I love firecracker sauce. But then to make it into a salad… BRILLIANT! Bravo Richa 🙂

      Reply
    21. Sarah | Well and Full

      June 30, 2015 at 5:39 am

      You had me at “firecracker chickpeas” 😉

      Reply
    22. Caitlin

      June 29, 2015 at 10:16 am

      looks incredible, lady. i bet the flavor is out of this world.

      Reply
    23. Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen

      June 29, 2015 at 12:33 am

      This looks like the perfect salad and packed with SO much flavor! Love it!

      Reply
    24. Farha - faskitchen

      June 28, 2015 at 10:54 pm

      frankly, I have never heard of the chana in peanut sauce.. but sounds really interesting and delicious, can’t wait to try

      Reply
    25. Cassie Tran

      June 28, 2015 at 3:37 pm

      OMG! This sounds amazing! Chickpeas and peanut sauce sound like the best combo!

      Reply
    26. Danielle

      June 28, 2015 at 2:54 pm

      Oh my god looks so good. Cant wait to try this… anything with peanut butter, I’m there!

      Reply
    27. Lynsi

      June 28, 2015 at 2:44 pm

      Holy crap this is a dinner this week. Thanks for doing some planning for me, Richa!

      Reply

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