Herby Rice Salad with Crispy Za’atar Chickpeas
This Herby Rice Salad is full of fresh flavor and topped with crispy za’atar chickpeas. An easy weeknight meal loaded with plant-protein.
If you struggle with getting greens in, this recipe is for you. It might even surprise you because often times when we think about health, we think of a giant kale salad and forget that some of the longest lived populations around the world are heavy users of herbs…not so much kale.
Health Benefits of Herbs
Herbs are potent with antioxidants even for the smaller amount you use. The bonus, many of them also taste amazing and can be added to a dish to significantly improve your nutrient intake. For example, parsley is rich in vitamin K and a great source of vitamin A and C as well as containing a number of powerful antioxidants. Many of these nutrients have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. So start loading the up in your meals!
Why You’ll Love This Herby Rice Salad
- A salad for people that like to prioritize flavor. If you want to get your greens in, you don’t always have to settle for greens like lettuce, spinach or kale. We are optimizing our intake of greens by opting for more flavorful herbs that are packed with nutrition.
- Easy to make. Can be made in just 30 minutes whether you decide to use the recommended short cuts below.
- Made with simple ingredients. Between the chickpeas and rice, you can load in a lot of flavor without adding too much to the dish. This is a compact recipe that still delivers on flavor.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas to make this recipe really easy, but feel free to use homemade cooked chickpeas.
- Za’atar: A Middle Eastern spice blend made with dried sumac and toasted sesame seeds. Due to it’s popularity, this blend is becoming easier to access even in local grocery stores within the spice aisles. Brands like McCormick carry this blend and you can even find it at your local Walmart.
- Spices: I used cumin and coriander to accompany the chickpeas.
- Rice: For best flavor, I recommend white Jasmine rice. You can also use your favorite alternative, just make sure you are not opting for a sticky variety.
- Lemon: It’s important to use fresh lemon in this recipe as we need both the zest and juice.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: Helps to add just a little more tang to the rice. Feel free to use a splash of apple cider vinegar if you prefer.
- Herbs: I used a blend of parsley and mint. You can also do this with cilantro, dill or chives if you want to change up the herb blend you use, just note that it will change the flavor of the rice depending on what is used.
- Shallot: You can also use red onion or scallions as a replacement.
- Sweetener: I recommend a liquid sweetener. My go to options are maple syrup or agave, but please feel free to omit or use the one you love to help balance out some of the tang.
How to Make Herby Rice Salad
Prepare the chickpeas. Preheat oven to 425F. Place your chickpeas in a clean kitchen towel and gently pat the chickpeas dry and discard any excess chickpea skins that happen to peel off naturally. Add the chickpeas to a parchment lined baking tray and coat in the oil, spices and a pinch of salt. Toss the chickpeas to evenly coat in the spices then spread them out on the tray in an even layer and place in the oven on the middle rack to bake for 25-30 minutes until golden, making sure to toss them half way.
Cook the rice. Rinse your rice at least 3 times or until the water is running clearer, then place in a pot, rice cooker or pressure cooker along with a generous pinch of salt and cook according to package or product instructions.
Salt the tomatoes. Add your diced tomatoes to a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Toss to coat and allow to sit while preparing the other ingredients. Discard excess liquid when ready to assemble the bowl.
Make the rice salad. To a medium sized mixing bowl, add your minced herbs, shallot, the lemon zest and juice, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, grated garlic, oil and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine then fold in the rice until evenly incorporated. Adjust salt and pepper to taste then set aside.
Make your dressing. Add the hummus to a small bowl and whisk it together with 2 tablespoons of water. If you prefer your dressing to be thinner, add extra water in 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Assemble bowls. Add a smear of your favorite hummus on the bottom of your plate then top with a few spoons of rice then the crispy chickpeas. Top with the tomatoes, some pickled onions, extra herbs and a drizzle of your dressing then serve.
Expert Tips
- Try different spices. If you are unable to find za’atar, try using your favorite spice mix instead. You can also do an equally delicious seasoning profile using 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon coriander to flavor the chickpeas.
- Prep the rice in advance. Double the rice recipe and use it as the base of your meals throughout the week. It’s packed with nutrients, making it an easy way to sneak in nutrition to a meal throughout the week.
- Swap the grain. Feel free to use brown rice, quinoa, farro or millet as an alternative to white rice.
- Save time. Use pre-cooked frozen or shelf-stable grains instead of cooking them from scratch to save time. Just make sure you have an equivalent of 3 cups cooked for your salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store the rice salad in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 4 days. The roasted chickpeas can be stored in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To restore some of the crispiness of your chickpeas, reheat leftovers in the oven at 350F for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Yes, to both. You can eat this hot or cold, just note that heating the rice up again may cause your salad to lose some of it’s vibrant green color.
How to Serve
I love to serve this salad with the simplest dressing. In fact, this is just one of the main silly dressing hacks I’ve learned while being plant-based and that is to thin out your hummus into a dressing. Best part, this combo pairs perfect with this salad bowl.
Just take a few tablespoons of your favorite flavored hummus and add to a bowl with a few tablespoons of water. Whisk until nice and creamy. You can add more seasonings if desired, but I’ll take this and pour over my bowls when I can’t be bothered to make a more elaborate dressing. If you want to make your own toppings, this also works great with:
- Pickled Onions
- Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Lemon Garlic Marinated Tofu (for more protein)
More Easy Vegan Weeknight Meals
- Crispy Black Bean Tacos
- Easy Baked Peanut Tofu
- Roasted Cauliflower Bowls with Orange Chipotle Tahini Sauce
- Roasted Gnocchi with Caramelized Cauliflower
Herby Rice Salad with Crispy Za’atar Chickpeas
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Herby Rice Salad is full of fresh flavor and topped with crispy za’atar chickpeas. An easy weeknight meal loaded with plant-protein.
Ingredients
Za’atar Chickpeas
- 1, 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp za’atar
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp of avocado oil
Rice Salad
- 1 cup uncooked white Jasmine rice
- 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley, woody stems removed and finely minced
- 3 tbsp fresh mint, minced
- 1/2 a small shallot, minced
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (omit if desired)
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Assemble
- 1 large tomato, seeds removed and diced
- Pickled Onions
- Hummus
Instructions
- Prepare the chickpeas. Preheat oven to 425F. Place your chickpeas in a clean kitchen towel and gently pat the chickpeas dry and discard any excess chickpea skins that happen to peel off naturally. Add the chickpeas to a parchment lined baking tray and coat in the oil, spices and a pinch of salt. Toss the chickpeas to evenly coat in the spices then spread them out on the tray in an even layer and place in the oven on the middle rack to bake for 25-30 minutes until golden, making sure to toss them half way.
- Cook the rice. Rinse your rice at least 3 times or until the water is running clearer, then place in a pot, rice cooker or pressure cooker along with a generous pinch of salt and cook according to package or product instructions.
- Salt the tomatoes. Add your diced tomatoes to a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Toss to coat and allow to sit while preparing the other ingredients. Discard excess liquid when ready to assemble the bowl.
- Make the rice salad. To a medium sized mixing bowl, add your minced herbs, shallot, the lemon zest and juice, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, grated garlic, oil and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine then fold in the rice until evenly incorporated. Adjust salt and pepper to taste then set aside.
- Make your dressing. Add 2 tablespoons of hummus to a small bowl and whisk together with 2 tablespoons of water. If you prefer your dressing to be thinner, add extra water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- Assemble bowls. Add a smear of your favorite hummus on the bottom of your plate then top with a few spoons of rice then the crispy chickpeas. Top with the tomatoes, some pickled onions, extra herbs and a drizzle of your dressing then serve.
Notes
Try different spices. If you are unable to find za’atar, try using your favorite spice mix instead. You can also do an equally delicious seasoning profile using 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon coriander to flavor the chickpeas.
Prep the rice in advance. Double the rice recipe and use it as the base of your meals throughout the week. It’s packed with nutrients, making it an easy way to sneak in nutrition to a meal throughout the week.
Swap the grain. Feel free to use brown rice, quinoa, farro or millet as an alternative to white rice.
Save time. Use pre-cooked frozen or shelf-stable grains instead of cooking them from scratch to save time. Just make sure you have an equivalent of 3 cups cooked for your salad.
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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