Peanut Stir Fry with Chickpeas
This vegan peanut stir fry with chickpeas is delicious, quick, and easy to make. Pair it with rice, quinoa or noodles for a healthy and balanced meal.
Stir fries have to be one of the quickest and easiest meals to make. Chop some veggies, add a protein, boil some grains then toss it all in sauce! Sound pretty darn simple to me.
In our house, this chickpea peanut stir fry is our go-to meal when we don’t feel like putting effort in to dinner, but still want something nutritious and delicious. It comes together in 30 minutes or less and the result is always so satisfying. And that peanut sauce…don’t even get me started. It is so good!
Chickpea Peanut Stir Fry Ingredients:
To make the stir fry portion of this recipe, you’ll need:
Sesame oil. I like to use this oil to stir fry the veggies and chickpeas because of the flavour it adds. If you don’t have it, you can really use whatever oil you want to.
Chickpeas. I mean, I think the recipe title speaks for itself.
Vegetables. The recipe below calls for red onion, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper. However, you really can use whatever you have on hand.
Grain of choice. This is optional, but I prefer to have a carbohydrate source with most meals. This stir fry is great with rice, quinoa and noodles! I’ve enjoyed each version equally.
Garnishes. I like to add chopped unsalted peanuts and cilantro to garnish. A small squeeze of lime is also nice!
Peanut Sauce Ingredients:
Peanut butter. Again, I think the title might speak for itself on this one.
Soy Sauce. I recommend using a reduced-sodium variety. Or tamari for a gluten-free option!
Sweetener. I usually opt for pure maple syrup, brown sugar or honey. Agave syrup would work as well.
Lime juice. For a little tangy-ness. I also use orange juice sometimes!
Sriracha. Or another hot sauce of your choice. This gives it a little kick!
Garlic & ginger. I prefer to use fresh for better flavour, but you could also use ground.
Hot water. This just helps thin out the sauce. You can use more/less depending on how thick you like your peanut sauce.
How to Make the Stir Fry:
First, do your prep. Chop your veggies, drain and rinse the chickpeas, and if you’re going to be cooking grains, boil some water. I recommend whipping together the peanut sauce during this stage as well. It’s as simple as whisking all sauce ingredients together in a bowl. You could also blend them in a food processor or blender!
Then, you cook! Hopefully your water is boiling and grains are cooking by now. Then start with the veggies and sauté them with sesame oil in a large pan or wok until tender. Next, throw in the chickpeas and stir in with the veggies for a minute or two.
Pour your peanut sauce over the veggie + chickpea mixture in the pan and toss it all together. You can save a little bit of peanut sauce for drizzling once served if you want.
Serve the stir fry over your grain, garnish, and enjoy this simple and easy chickpea peanut stir fry.
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Crispy Tofu Noodle Bowl with Peanut Lime Sauce
Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken + Sweet Potato Noodle Stir Fry
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Vegan Peanut Stir Fry with Chickpeas
Ingredients
For the Stir Fry:
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 2-3 medium celery stalks, chopped
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
For the Peanut Sauce:
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 3 tbsp soy sauce, reduced sodium preferred
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 large clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp srirachia
- 1/3 cup hot water, or more as needed
- cilantro and chopped peanuts to garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all peanut sauce ingredients and whisk to combine. Add more hot water to thin sauce as needed. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan or wok, warm sesame oil over medium high heat. Add chopped vegetables and stir fry.
- Continue to stir vegetables frequently until tender. Add chickpeas and stir fry another 3-5 minutes.
- Pour peanut sauce over chickpea vegetable mixture and stir to coat.
- Serve over grains like rice, quinoa or noodles and garnish with cilantro and chopped peanut (optional).
- Enjoy immediately. Stores well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
