Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwich Recipe

Both budget-friendly and full of nutrients and plant protein, chickpeas have been the star of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food for centuries. Having a long shelf life and also versatile, chickpeas have popped up in everything from soups to dips to veggie burgers. Who knew the humble legume could offer so much? With that in mind, chickpeas can also go great in sandwiches as well, especially as a hearty vegan meal for lunch.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for a vegan chickpea salad sandwich and says, "When it comes to lunches, I lean on meals that I can make ahead and store in my fridge, so they are ready to go. This chickpea salad mixture is quick to whip together on a weekend and lasts well all week in an airtight container." The creamy mashed chickpeas with crunchy celery, onion, and pickles is a delicious sandwich or lettuce cup filling.

To make this recipe, we'll need some chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans). You'll also need dill pickles, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, cumin, and bread. This recipe calls for vegan mayonnaise instead of regular. As far as produce, you want celery and red onion, but you can also include a few extra veggies that strike your fancy. "I love adding fresh toppings to this sandwich like watercress, sprouts, lettuce, radishes, and tomatoes, so pick up any of those items if they sound good to add," Hahn shares.

Open the can of chickpeas and put them in a colander. Rinse well and shake out any excess water. To mash the chickpeas, you can simply use a fork, a chopping tool, or a food processor. "One word of caution if you use a food processor: Use the pulse function and just pulse a few times to break down the beans. We're looking for a chunky mixture here, not a smooth texture," Hahn explains. Then, pull out a cutting board and dice the celery, red onion, and pickles.

Now that the chickpeas are mashed and the vegetables are diced, we can combine everything into a bowl to create our amazing sandwich filling. Go ahead and mix together the mashed chickpeas, celery, red onion, pickles, vegan mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and cumin. At this point, you can store the mixture in the fridge for up to five days and have it ready to go as you need it. Or, you can go to the next step and assemble away!

To complete your sandwich, pull out your bread of choice and scoop out some of the chickpea mashed mixture and layer it on one of the bread slices. Add your toppings of choice and close the sandwich. "I love this sandwich with toasted bread, but also love the filling mixture served in lettuce cups. It actually also makes a great dip with crackers," Hahn shares. Because the mixture lasts well in the fridge, it's a great idea to double the recipe while you're at it. Whether you follow a vegan diet or not, you will love this recipe and be adding it to your weekly meal prep list.