Peanut Chickpea Rice Bowl (Print Version)

Hearty brown rice bowl with chickpeas, crunchy peanuts, fresh veggies, and zesty peanut dressing ready in 45 minutes.

# 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
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

→ Peanut Dressing

11 - 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
12 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
13 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
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

# How to Prepare:

01 - Rinse brown rice under cold water. Combine rice, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. 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 - 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 dressing reaches a pourable consistency.
03 - Shred the carrot and cabbage, thinly slice cucumber and scallions, and roughly chop cilantro.
04 - Divide cooked rice among four bowls. Top each with chickpeas, peanuts, carrot, cabbage, cucumber, and scallions.
05 - Drizzle generously with peanut dressing. Garnish with cilantro and extra peanuts if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate for a cold bowl.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you spent way more time in the kitchen than you actually did.
  • The peanut dressing is velvety and addictive, the kind of sauce you'll find yourself making extra of just to drizzle on everything.
  • Every bowl feels different depending on what vegetables you choose, so it never gets boring even when you make it weekly.
  • It's naturally vegan and high in protein, which means you feel genuinely nourished, not just satisfied.
02 -
  • Don't skip the water to peanut butter ratio—if your dressing is too thick, it won't coat the rice evenly and the bowl becomes unbalanced flavor-wise, so add water gradually and taste as you go.
  • The rice should cool slightly before assembly if you're adding raw vegetables, otherwise the heat wilts the cucumber and cabbage into something sad and limp.
03 -
  • Make extra dressing intentionally—you'll want it for roasted vegetables, grains, or just as a dipping sauce for whatever vegetables you have in your crisper drawer.
  • If your peanut butter is separated with oil on top, stir it back in before measuring, because using just the thick bottom portion will throw off your dressing consistency.
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