Buffalo Chicken Bean Salad (Printable)

A spicy chickpea and vegetable salad with buffalo sauce and blue cheese highlights.

# Ingredient List:

→ Beans & Legumes

01 - 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 cups mixed salad greens (optional)

→ Sauce & Cheese

06 - 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
07 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt
08 - 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

→ Garnish

09 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# How to Make:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpeas, diced carrots, celery, and finely chopped red onion.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together buffalo wing sauce and mayonnaise or Greek yogurt until smooth.
03 - Pour the buffalo sauce mixture over the chickpea and vegetable blend. Toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Gently fold in half of the crumbled blue cheese to maintain texture.
05 - If using, distribute salad greens evenly among serving plates as a base.
06 - Top the salad greens with the buffalo chickpea mixture, then sprinkle with remaining blue cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It delivers all the bold flavors of buffalo wings without any cooking or mess.
  • The chickpeas give you serious protein and fiber, so you actually feel full instead of grazing an hour later.
  • You can prep it in advance and it tastes even better the next day once the flavors soak in.
  • It's endlessly adaptable, swap the blue cheese, add chicken, or pile it into lettuce cups for crunch.
02 -
  • Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly or the salad will taste like can water, it's a small step that makes a huge difference.
  • Let the salad sit for at least 10 minutes before serving if you have time, the flavors marry and the chickpeas get even more flavorful.
  • If you're sensitive to heat, start with half the buffalo sauce and add more to taste, it's easier to add spice than to fix an overly fiery bowl.
03 -
  • Use a whisk to blend the buffalo sauce and mayo completely, lumpy dressing never coats as well.
  • Taste the salad before adding all the blue cheese, some brands are saltier than others and you might want to adjust.
  • Chop the veggies small so every forkful has a little bit of everything, it makes the whole bowl more cohesive.
  • If you're making this for a crowd, double the recipe and serve it in a big bowl with tongs, it disappears fast.
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