This chickpea salad sandwich recipe is perfect for a quick vegan meal or meal prep for the week. It’s filling, healthy and can be made in 15 minutes!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases; read my disclaimer policy for more information. This recipe was originally shared January 27th, 2018. The recipes, images, and text were updated December 17th, 2018.
This is one of the first recipes I shared on Cozy Peach Kitchen and it is still as good as ever. In fact, I’ve been eating this recipe (or some variation of it) for years!
It’s perfect for the revival of Meal Prep Monday, where I share my favorite meal prep recipes.
Before there was chickpea salad, there was chicken salad. Growing up, chicken salad sandwiches were my favorite lunch. With just shredded chicken, mayo, a little bit of mustard and dried dill, those sandwiches could easily fill up my belly and my heart.
As soon as I started eating vegetarian I started eating chickpea salad sandwiches.
Chickpeas are a great alternative to shredded chicken because they are packed with fiber, protein, and complex carbohydrates and are low in fat and calories.
Chickpea salad ingredients
Chickpea salad sandwiches offer up endless possibilities. You can easily customize this recipe by using the ingredients you already have in your kitchen.
Veggies: I use the classic combination of celery, onion, and carrots. You can also try out bell peppers, diced broccoli, or any other fresh veggie you have on hand.
Creaminess: I use olive oil mayonnaise and tahini, but you can use 100% tahini or 100% mayonnaise. If you like a reaaally creamy chickpea salad you can double the mayo.
Heat and tang: A little bit of spicy brown mustard adds an edge. Substitute with honey mustard or standard yellow mustard for a different flavor, or add a dash of hot sauce if you want to truly bring the heat!
Spices: I keep it simple with salt, pepper, and dill. Dill is traditionally used in chicken salad sandwiches, which is what this chickpea salad is based on.
Onions: Use any finely diced yellow, red, or white onion. If you want to use red onion but find it a little too spicy, just dice it up and cover in cold water for 10-15 minutes. This takes the “bite” out of the onion.
Extra add-ins: I use lightly toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds for extra crunch and depth of flavor. You can skip the nuts completely and try dried fruit like raisins or dry cranberries.
How to make chickpea salad sandwiches
- Mash, mash, mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher (this potato masher is convenient for so much more than just mashed potatoes). Leave a few whole chickpeas intact for texture.
- Add in the wet ingredients and spices. Stir all of the ingredients together and you have yourself chickpea salad.
- Chickpea salad is best served cold. Toast whole wheat bread and top with all the best sandwich makings: pickles, hot sauce, lettuce, and avocado.
You can also enjoy this chickpea salad sans-sandwich on a bed of spinach with a drizzle of tahini goddess dressing, or as a dip with crackers.
This recipe makes 5 sandwich servings, so you can prep this for a work-week of lunch. I pack my sandwich in these glass containers and bring this freezable lunch box to work to keep my sandwiches cool until lunch-time.
Looking for more meal prep recipes? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Vegan Quinoa Taco Salad
- Easy Chickpea Curry Wraps
- Warm Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
- Instant Pot Brown Rice and Black Beans
- Chickpea Avocado Salad
- Vegetarian Pasta Salad in a Jar
Classic Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups chickpeas 2 15 ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise substitute vegan mayo to make vegan
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 1/2 cup red or yellow onion, diced
- 1/4 cup carrot, diced
- 1/4 cup celery, diced
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dry dill
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 10 slices whole wheat bread
Instructions
- If using canned chickpeas, drain liquid and pat dry with a towel to remove excess moisture.
- Add the chickpeas, mayonnaise, tahini and brown mustard a medium bowl. Mash with a fork or potato masher (convenient for more than just mashed potatoes) until most of the chickpeas are pureed. Alternately, use a food processor to mash the chickpeas.
- Add remaining ingredients to the chickpea mixture. Stir until evenly distributed.
- Portion out 1/5 of the recipe onto a slice of whole wheat bread. Top with lettuce, tomato, and all of your favorite sandwich fillings.
Notes
- For added flavor, toast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a hot pan until lightly browned. This adds a nice crunch and toastiness to the salad!
- For meal prep: This recipe makes 5 sandwich servings, so you can prep this for a work-week of lunch. To prevent bread for becoming soggy, the sandwiches are best if made the day you plan to eat them. I pack my sandwich in these glass containers and bring this freezable lunch box to work to keep my sandwiches cool until lunch-time.
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