Description

A summer roll inspired roasted carrot salad loaded with shredded cabbage and Brussels sprouts. All tossed together with a creamy peanut hoisin sauce and crispy chickpeas.

Ingredients

Scale

Avocado oil for roasting
Kosher salt

Crispy Chickpeas

1, 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dry thyme
1/2 tsp five spice

Salad Base

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces on a bias
1 pound Brussels sprouts or green cabbage, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 pound red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 pound delicata squash, thinly sliced (optional if you don’t feel like extra chopping)
1 tsp five spice, divided
2 tsp freshly grated ginger (about a 1 inch piece)
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dry thyme
1/3 cup cilantro, stems removed and minced
3 scallions, thinly sliced or 1/4 cup fried
1/3 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Peanut Hoisin Sauce

3 tbsp natural peanut butter, salted
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 clove garlic, grated
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
1/2 tsp white pepper

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F and line 3-4 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Bake the chickpeas and carrots at the same time. Place the rinsed chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Transfer the chickpeas to one baking sheet and smash them with a fork to rough them up. Roast on the top rack in the oven for 15 minutes to dry the chickpeas out. Drizzle the tray with 1 tbsp of oil, then add the thyme, five spice, and a generous pinch of salt. Use a spoon to toss the chickpeas until evenly coated. Roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Allow the chickpeas to cool completely.
Add the carrots to the 2nd tray. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp five spice, 1 tbsp of oil, and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat then set the carrots cut side down on the baking tray. Roast on the bottom rack for 20-25 minutes, or until the bottoms have caramelized.
Bake the Brussels sprouts and anything else afterwards. Add the shredded Brussels sprouts and cabbage to the 3rd tray. Top with the remaining 1/2 tsp of five spice, ginger, thyme, a generous pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp of oil (or more if needed). Toss to evenly coat, then spread the shreds out into a single layer on the tray and roast on the top rack for 12-15 minutes.
If roasting the squash, scatter the sliced squash on another tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon (or more oil as needed) and a pinch of salt, then toss together to evenly coat. Spread the squash out in a single layer on the tray then bake on the bottom rack for 15 minutes or until the edges start to get golden brown. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt when out of the oven.
While everything is roasting, make the dressing. To a blender cup add the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, garlic, lime and juice, sesame oil, and white pepper. Blend until completely smooth. To make it pourable, add 2 tbsp of cold water and blend again until creamy. Taste and adjust salt to your liking.
Assemble and serve. Transfer the roasted carrots and squash to the tray of Brussels sprouts (you can also transfer everything to a large bowl if easier). Top with the cilantro, scallions, peanuts, and 1/3 of the hoisin peanut sauce. Toss everything to combine. To serve, divide the salad between bowls, top with a portion of the chickpeas, and drizzle more dressing as desired.

Notes

Make sure your veggies have enough space to roast. Don’t overcrowd your baking sheet. You want your veggies to have direct contact with the pan and to have space between each piece so they end up caramelizing instead of steaming on top of each other.

Why are my chickpeas not crisping up? It’s likely due to excess moisture from the chickpeas. Dry them really well with a kitchen towel then dry roast before adding oil halfway through. Let them cool completely before properly storing, which will help keep them more crisp.

Consider these time saving suggestions. Use a mandoline for fast veggie shredding or buy those veggies pre-shredded or chopped (I’m a big fan of bagged pre-shredded cabbage/Brussels sprouts and bagged sliced carrots ). You can also find a variety of basic peanut sauces that can work for this salad if you don’t want to make a sauce yourself. And don’t forget to check your snack aisle for crispy chickpeas to save some extra steps.

Adjust the consistency of your dressing. When first blending, the dressing will be on the thicker side. To thin it out, I like to use cold water or if you have leftover coconut milk, feel free to use that for an even richer sauce (similar to what is sometimes used to make the peanut dipping sauce for Vietnamese summer rolls).