Cucumber Boats with Crispy Chickpeas
These Cucumber Boats are a fun and easy lunchbox recipe stuffed with rice and topped with crispy chickpeas and sweet and spicy tahini sauce.
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the tastiest, and it doesn’t get simpler than these rice and chickpea stuffed cucumber boats. Cucumbers are a perfect vehicle for condiments, but they can also become the perfect vehicle for holding delicious fillings too. So it makes it great for using it as a base for a truly balanced and filling lunch.
Why You’ll Love These Cucumber Boats
- Fun and easy to make. Requires only a few ingredients and no special equipment needed. Just stuff and enjoy!
- Budget friendly. Just requires a handful of affordable ingredients that you can stuff into your cucumber.
- Customizable. This is just one idea, but there are so many different ways to stuff and make your cucumber boat your own.
- A great snack or lunch option. Meal prep the ingredients separately for quick to assemble cucumber boats throughout the week.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas can make this recipe come together quickly. You can also try roasting other pulses like lentils or even use some thawed edamame to top your boats with for extra protein.
- Cucumbers: The best cucumber to use are English cucumbers. They are less watery and give you enough space for stuffing.
- Rice: I used a combination of white and Forbidden black rice. But you can use other types of rice or whole grains to stuff your cucumber with like quinoa, millet or regular brown rice.
- Spices: For the chickpeas I used a combination of garlic and onion powder, Old Bay seasoning, and smoked paprika. Adjust the spices based on what you have on hand.
- Sweet and Spicy Tahini Sauce: Use any sauce you like, but this tahini sauce is perfection. You just need tahini, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup and chili garlic sauce or sriracha for some heat.
How to Make Cucumber Boats with Crispy Chickpeas
Preheat oven to 375F. Dry off your chickpeas in a clean kitchen towel. Transfer the chickpeas to a baking sheet and drizzle with oil, onion and garlic powder, paprika, Old Bay Seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss chickpeas to evenly coat and then spread them out in a single layer on the tray. Place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
Prepare the sauce by combining the tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl. Whisk together until the sauce starts to thicken significantly then whisk in the water. Add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to get desired consistency.
To assemble, cut your cucumber into boat shaped pieces. To help the cucumber lay flat, shave or peel off from the bottom of the cucumber so it can lay flat. Deseed the cucumber with a spoon and then stuff each boat with 2-3 spoons of rice. Wet your hands and press the rice into the cucumber so it lays flat. Top with the roasted chickpeas and drizzle on the tahini sauce. Garnish with minced cilantro and scallions then enjoy.
Expert Tips
- To save time, use store bought roasted chickpeas. Prep your rice in advance as well and this recipe can be an easy no cook meal that you can through together at anytime.
- Cut or shave off a small portion of the bottom of your cucumber. This will help the cucumber lay flat and sturdy without rocking when adding in your filling.
- Adjust the seasonings to your liking. All measurements for the chickpea seasonings and sauce are based on my own preference. Feel free to adjust the saltiness, sweet and savory elements to your liking, just make sure to add small amounts in at a time as it is easier to taste and adjust as you go.
- Use wet hands when handling the rice. This will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands as you press it into the cucumber.
- Do scoop out the seeds of the cucumber. This is where you rest your filling and it will prevent everything from getting soggy. Save what you scoop out in the freezer so you can toss it into smoothies for extra nutrition.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any cooked rice you like to stuff your cucumber with. You can also use other grains like quinoa or millet. Each grain, even white rice, will have it’s specific nutrition profile that will be appropriate for different types of people. So go for what feels right for you.
White rice has been eaten by many healthy populations around the world. It is a steady energy source for many people and is enriched back with minerals such as iron and folate. Most individuals are normally eating rice in conjunction with other foods like protein and vegetables. Balancing that rice with other nutrient dense foods helps keep your blood sugars stable and helps you feel satisfied with your meal. This is why you often see rice paired with things like beans in other cultures because this combo helps to create that balance.
Also note that when any rice, even white rice, is cooled and refrigerated, resistant starches are formed. Based on research, resistant starches have been found to feed good bacteria in our gut, which helps to support digestion and a healthy gut microbiome.
It’s best to assemble cucumber boats the day of so that they don’t get soggy over time. You can prep the chickpeas, sauce and white rice in advance, which will keep well for up to 5 days in the fridge. If you want your chickpeas to stay crispy, just store them in a glass container with a partially open lid on the counter. Do note, if you live in a humid climate, your chickpeas will soften over time due to the moisture, just roast them again for a few minutes to crisp them back up.
Other Ideas for Stuffing Your Cucumber Boats
- Mashed Chickpea Salad
- Arroz con Fideos (recipe coming)
- Avocado Mango Salad with Chili Crisp Oil
- Tofu Cabbage Stir-Fry
- Chickpea Quinoa Salad
- Hummus and Lentils
- Rice and Edamame
More Easy & Quick Lunch Ideas
- Greek-Inspired Chickpea Tofu Wraps
- 15 Minute Gochujang Noodles
- 20 Minute Green Goddess Pasta Salad
- Vegan Burrito Bowl with Spiced Lentil Taco Meat
- Garlic Sesame Noodles
Cucumber Boats with Crispy Chickpeas
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 cucumber boats 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Cucumber Boats are a fun and easy lunchbox recipe stuffed with rice and topped with crispy chickpeas and sweet and spicy tahini sauce.
Ingredients
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (you can also use cooked lentils or edamame)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp each onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 cup cooked rice of choice (I used both white rice and black rice)
- Garnish: sliced scallions and cilantro
Spicy Garlic Tahini Sauce
- 3 tbsp good quality tahini
- 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp maple syrup (adjust to taste)
- 2 tsp chili garlic sauce or sriracha
- 3 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F. Place your chickpeas in a clean kitchen towel and pat them dry. Transfer the chickpeas to a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with the oil, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, Old Bay Seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the chickpeas to evenly coat and then spread them out in a single layer on the tray. Place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the sauce by combining the tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl. Whisk together until the sauce starts to thicken significantly, then slowly pour your water in while whisking. Add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed until the sauce is to your desired pouring consistency.
- To assemble, cut your cucumber lengthwise and then cut in half again at the width to get 4 equal boat shaped pieces. To help the cucumber lay flat, shave or peel a portion of the bottom of the cucumber so it can lay flat. Deseed the cucumber with a spoon and then stuff each boat with 2-3 spoons of rice. Wet your hands and press the rice into the cucumber so it lays flat. Press the roasted chickpeas into the rice and then drizzle on the tahini sauce. Garnish with minced cilantro and scallions and enjoy.
Notes
To save time, use store bought roasted chickpeas. Prep your rice in advance as well and this recipe can be an easy no cook meal that you can through together at anytime.
Cut or shave off a small portion of the bottom of your cucumber. This will help the cucumber lay flat and sturdy without rocking when adding in your filling.
Adjust the seasonings to your liking. All measurements for the chickpea seasonings and sauce are based on my own preference. Feel free to adjust the saltiness, sweet and savory elements to your liking, just make sure to add small amounts in at a time as it is easier to taste and adjust as you go.
Use wet hands when handling the rice. This will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands as you press it into the cucumber.
Do scoop out the seeds of the cucumber. This is where you rest your filling and it will prevent everything from getting soggy. Save what you scoop out in the freezer so you can toss it into smoothies for extra nutrition.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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