Chinese Chickpea Salad (vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free, oil free)
Jul 07, 2020 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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Try this meatless, Chinese Chickpea Salad!
I wanted to turn a classic salad recipe into a meatless, vegan friendly salad so today we’re talking Chinese Chickpea Salad. It’s my twist on a Chinese Chicken Salad–a crunchy, colourful salad with mandarin slices and an Asian inspired sauce. Get it? Chick-pea?
What’s funny about Chinese Chicken Salad is that it’s actually a dish that was born in America. Very little about it is traditionally Chinese, aside from the use of Asian sauces in the dressing. I used to think that mandarin oranges were the ingredient that made it Chinese (because, you know, they speak Mandarin in China), but after to moving to China and living there for roughly 10 years, not a single Chinese Chicken Salad was seen.
In any case, there is a lot to appreciate about this not-so-Chinese salad. It’s textural, vibrant in colour and really refreshing too! I incorporated all of the classic elements of the salad, and basically substituted the chicken for chickpeas. I also opted for mandarin oranges in water, versus the mandarin oranges in syrup, just to lower the sugar content of the salad, but either or will work! You can also use freshly peeled mandarin slices if you have the time.
This Chinese Chickpea Salad is an easy, balanced meal to enjoy yearlong. It’s vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free and can be made oil free as well.
What’s in this Chinese Chickpea Salad?
- Chickpeas (canned, or home-cooked will work)
- Cabbage
- Mandarin oranges
- Carrots
- Green onion
- Almonds
- Sesame seeds
- Soy ginger dressing
Secrets to success
My best tip is to dress this salad promptly before eating, and be sure to massage dressing in to make the cabbage easier to eat. It will also turn the cabbage a nice pink colour, which is a treat for the eyes!
If you like this recipe, try…
- Creamy Cashew Broccoli Salad
- Vegan “Scallops” on Edamame and Corn Salad
- Radiant Radish Salad with Tamari Citrus Vinaigrette
- Crunchy Asian Kelp Noodle Salad
- Crunchy Rainbow Soba Noodle Salad
- Garden Poké Bowls
If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and feature them! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too.
Chinese Chickpea Salad (vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free, oil free)
Ingredients
- salad
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1/3 cup mandarin slices
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 2-3 green onions use the green tops, sliced
- 3 tbsp sliced almonds toasted
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- dressing
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp minced ginger
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- optional 1/4 lime, juiced
- optional 2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- First, prepare salad by tossing together all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Next, whisk together all dressing ingredients then pour over salad and lightly massage to evenly coat.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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