Buffalo Chicken Bean Salad (Print View)

Chickpeas in spicy buffalo sauce with celery, carrots, and blue cheese for a bold, protein-rich salad.

# Components:

→ 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, for serving)

→ Sauce & Cheese

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

→ Garnish

09 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# Directions:

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 mixture. Toss well to coat evenly.
04 - Gently fold in half of the crumbled blue cheese into the salad.
05 - Divide salad greens (if using) evenly among serving plates as a base.
06 - Top the salad greens with the buffalo chickpea mixture. Sprinkle with remaining blue cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in 15 minutes flat, so you can make something genuinely exciting on a workday without stress.
  • The buffalo-mayo mixture creates this tangy, spicy richness that makes plain salad feel like an indulgence.
  • Chickpeas mean you're getting real protein and satisfaction, not just leaves that disappear five minutes later.
02 -
  • Do not skip rinsing the chickpeas—the starch coating makes everything taste metallic and gluey, and two minutes of rinsing transforms the whole dish.
  • If you let this sit more than a few hours before serving, the vegetables release water and the whole thing becomes soggy, so either eat it fresh or pack components separately.
03 -
  • If buffalo sauce seems too intense, start with less and taste as you go—you can always add more heat, but you can't take it back.
  • Chill everything before assembling if it's hot outside; a cold salad on a warm day feels like genuine self-care.
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