Peanut Chickpea Rice Bowl (Printer-Friendly)

Hearty brown rice bowl with chickpeas, peanuts, and fresh veggies in zesty peanut dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup brown rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Legumes & Nuts

04 - 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can drained and rinsed
05 - 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

→ Vegetables

06 - 1 cup shredded carrot
07 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
08 - 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
09 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
10 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, optional

→ Peanut Dressing

11 - 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
12 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
13 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
14 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or lime juice
15 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
16 - 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water
17 - 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
18 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
19 - Pinch of chili flakes, optional

# How to Prepare:

01 - Rinse brown rice under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
02 - While rice cooks, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and chili flakes in a small bowl. Add warm water gradually until the dressing reaches a pourable consistency.
03 - Shred the carrot and cabbage, thinly slice cucumber and scallions, and roughly chop cilantro if using.
04 - Divide the cooked rice among four bowls. Top each with chickpeas, peanuts, carrot, cabbage, cucumber, and scallions.
05 - Drizzle generously with the peanut dressing. Garnish with cilantro and extra peanuts if desired. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a refreshing cold bowl later.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's endlessly customizable, so you can raid your fridge and still end up with something delicious.
  • The peanut dressing is so good you'll find yourself making extra just to drizzle on everything for days.
  • You get real protein and staying power from the chickpeas and peanuts without any of the heaviness.
  • It takes about as long as ordering takeout, but tastes like you actually planned something thoughtful.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the rice or you'll end up with a gluey, disappointing situation that no amount of dressing can fix.
  • Add the water to the dressing gradually because you can always add more but you can't take it back, and nobody wants a dressing that slides off like it's trying to escape.
  • Cold bowls hit different; if you're making these ahead, chill everything separately and assemble just before eating so the vegetables stay crisp instead of getting sad.
03 -
  • Toast your chickpeas in a dry skillet for a few minutes before adding them to the bowl; it brings out their nuttiness and makes them way more interesting than they have any right to be.
  • The peanut dressing actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have had time to mingle, so make extra and keep it in the fridge for drizzling on everything for days.
Go Back