Peanut Chickpea Rice Bowl (Printable)

Hearty brown rice bowl with chickpeas, peanuts, and colorful vegetables in zesty peanut dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup brown rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/4 tsp 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 tbsp creamy peanut butter
12 - 2 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
13 - 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
14 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar or lime juice
15 - 1 tsp sesame oil
16 - 1–2 tbsp warm water (to thin, as needed)
17 - 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
18 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
19 - Pinch of chili flakes (optional)

# How to make it:

01 - Rinse the 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 30–35 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
02 - While rice cooks, prepare the peanut dressing: 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.
06 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a refreshing cold bowl later.

# Recipe Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Its one of those rare meals that actually tastes better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep
  • The peanut dressing is addictive enough youll want to put it on everything
02 -
  • For the silkiest dressing, whisk the peanut butter with the warm water first before adding any other ingredients—this prevents it from seizing up into clumps.
  • The vegetables will release water as they sit, so if you're meal prepping, store the dressing separately and add it just before eating.
03 -
  • Toasting the chickpeas in a dry pan for just three minutes before adding them creates this amazing crispy exterior that I honestly prefer to the plain version.
  • If the dressing tastes too sharp initially, let it sit for ten minutes—the flavors meld and mellow into something perfectly balanced.
Return