VEGAN BUFFALO CHICKPEA SALAD WITH COOL TAHINI RANCH

Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Salad with Cool Tahini Ranch image

Addicting chickpeas, drenched in red hot sauce and then spooned over crisp lettuce and veggies. So good! But the kicker is that cool tahini ranch. I think this is my favorite salad ever.

Provided by Kare for Kitchen Treaty

Time 20m

Number Of Ingredients 22

Ingredients

1/3 cup tahini
3-4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup red hot buffalo sauce (divided)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 small clove garlic (minced)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 cups shredded romaine (or a combo of romaine and red leaf lettuce, as pictured)
1 batch Spicy Buffalo Chickpeas
1 celery stalk (diced (about 1/2 cup))
1/2 medium cucumber (peeled and diced (about 1 cup))
1 medium ripe avocado (peeled and sliced)
1/2 small red onion (sliced into half-rounds (soak in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes if you prefer to reduce the bite))
1 batch Cool Tahini Ranch

Steps:

Make the dressing. Add all dressing ingredients to the bowl of a small food processor or blender. Puree until blended, adding additional almond milk if needed to thin it. Set aside.
Cook the chickpeas. Set a medium saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil. Add the chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of the buffalo sauce, garlic or garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until warmed through and golden brown in places, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in additional 2 tablespoons buffalo sauce. Set aside.
Assemble the salad. In a large salad bowl or on individual plates (your choice), arrange a bed of lettuce. Scoop the warm chickpeas over the top. Arrange celery, cucumber, avocado, and onion over each. Drizzle generously with dressing. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 /4 of recipe, Calories 402 kcal, Sugar 5.9 g, Sodium 729 mg, Fat 26.6 g, SaturatedFat 4.4 g, Carbohydrate 34.2 g, Fiber 12.2 g, Protein 12.1 g