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Chickpea salad sandwiches are made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. This recipe is ready to eat in just 10 minutes and keeps well in the fridge.
What is chickpea salad?
I think this recipe is one of the first things I learned to make as a vegan. I can’t even remember who told me about it. It’s almost like I knew it all along… Those words in my head that said, “You just use chickpeas instead of tuna!”
Growing up, tuna salad was a household staple, so it’s no surprise that chickpea salad has taken its place. Just like tuna, everyone’s chickpea variation is a little different. Some folks prefer to add carrots and other veggies to the mix. Others try to make it more like chicken salad and add grapes and such. I actually have a really great version of chickpea salad that I’ll have to share sometime that includes curry and dried currants.
My standard go-to version of chickpea salad includes the exact same ingredients I used to use for tuna which includes pickles, red onion, celery, dill weed, salt, pepper, vegan mayo, dijon mustard, and a splash of pickle juice.
I love the simplicity of chickpea salad. I almost always have the ingredients on-hand. The process to make the recipe is super simple. Plus, it stores well in the refrigerator.
Is chickpea salad gluten-free?
This recipe is naturally gluten-free. The only issue is that my preferred way of eating it is between bread which obviously is not gluten-free at all. As long as the vegan mayo you’re using doesn’t include gluten, you should be good to go on the gluten-free front.
If you’re looking for alternatives to sandwiches, you can always toss it on some gluten-free sandwich bread or some almond crackers. This recipe is also delicious on top of a bed of greens as well as a chickpea salad salad. Haha get it?
If you’re gluten-free and have a preferred way to each chickpea salad, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
Is chickpea salad healthy?
This recipe yields about 6 sandwiches worth of chickpea salad. It really depends on what your health and fitness goals are overall. While I’m not a nutritionist, I can tell you this: one sandwich amounts to 472 calories and contains 17 grams of protein. The actual caloric split between the bread and the chickpea salad is 50/50. I actually prefer to sometimes eat my chickpea salad sandwiches without the top piece of bread which helps a bit. The sandwich is really filling and sometimes I don’t always need to feel poofy from eating all the bread.
While there are healthier things a person could certainly consume, I consider this to be a totally acceptable healthy-ish meal. Especially if you serve it with vegetable-forward sides.
How do you make chickpea salad sandwiches?
Chickpea salad sandwiches are the perfect weeknight meal, especially during the summertime. In order to make the recipe, you’ll need a medium-sized mixing bowl, a spatula, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, a food processor, and a toaster. If you don’t own a food processor you can definitely still make this recipe. All you’ll need to do is coarsely chop the chickpeas instead. Maybe you can use a potato masher too?
The first thing you need to do is drain and rinse the chickpeas. This is one of those scenarios where I really do recommend rinsing out the chickpeas because it does affect the overall texture of the salad. Once you rinse the beans, add them to a food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. I have a very small food processor and it holds just over a can of beans, so I have to do this twice. I’ll never give up my tiny food processor though! It’s such a beast!
Next, you’ll add the pulsed chickpeas to the bowl along with finely chopped celery, red onion, and pickles. Add a splash of pickle juice to the mix along with dijon mustard, vegan mayo, salt, pepper, and dried dill. Stir to combine.
Lastly, toast the bread and add a few hearty scoops of chickpea salad. One thing I will say about this recipe is that it actually tastes better the next day once the spices have had a chance to meld.
Doctor it up!
Our chickpea salad recipe is just the beginning. From there you can adapt the flavor to your liking.
- Make it spicy: add a squeeze or two of sriracha to the chickpea salad mix. I like doing this when I’m working with a sweeter brand of mayo like Just Mayo. My boyfriend also likes adding it straight to his sandwich.
- Make it a melt: instead of toasting your bread via a toaster, use a skillet and add some vegan cheese slices to make a chickpea salad melt. This works great with Chao and Follow Your Heart slices.
- Make it light: Sometimes I don’t want to eat that much bread because it makes me feel kind of poofy. I’ll only use one slice of bread and serve the chickpea salad bruschetta style. You can also use reduced-fat Vegenaise in place of regular Vegenaise
What goes with chickpea salad?
If you’re looking for a side to serve with your sandwiches, I’d go with one of the following options:
Recipe jam
In this segment, I suggest a song for you to listen to while you make this recipe! You can even stream it right here in your browser. Today’s recipe jam is This Heat by Deeper.
If you try this recipe, I want to hear about it! Feel free to post your creations to Instagram or Facebook and tag Hell Yes It’s Vegan or #hellyesitsvegan. I look forward to seeing what you make!
Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
Equipment
- strainer
- food processor
- cutting board
- knives
- medium-sized bowl
- silocone spatula
- toaster (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 stick celery, chopped
- ⅓ cup red onion, chopped
- ½ cup dill pickles, chopped
- ½ cup vegan mayo, (I used Vegenaise)
- 1 Tbsp pickle juice
- 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp dried dill weed
- ¾ tsp fresh cracked pepper
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- more sea salt to taste
- 12 slices whole grain bread, (I used Dave's Killer Bread)
Instructions
- Add rinsed chickpeas to food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
- Add all ingredients except the bread to the bowl and stir with a silicone spatula until combined. Add more salt to taste if needed.
- Optionally toast your bread and assemble the sandwiches by adding a hearty layer of chickpea salad in between the bread. Serve immediately.