Home > Lunch > Chickpea Salad Sandwich Chickpea Salad Sandwich April 5, 2021 | 8 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. This Chickpea Salad Sandwich is loaded with a creamy chickpea filling that includes lots of fresh veggies and herbs. Pile it on some toasted bread with lettuce, tomato, and onion for a hearty, flavorful, and nutritious meal. We’re obsessed with chickpeas — try some of our favorite recipes using them next — General Tso Chickpeas, Chickpea Curry, or Vegetarian Gyros. Chickpea Salad Sandwich It’s no secret how much we love creamy Chicken Salad or Tuna Salad here on the site with all the dozens of recipe variations I’ve shared over the years (these Jalapeño Chicken Salad Sandwiches have been on repeat lately). And so it’s about time a vegetarian alternative made its debut on the site. Chickpeas are the secret ingredient replacing chicken or tuna, and it’s pretty incredible how meaty these sandwiches end up tasting. It’s hard to believe the filling is basically just veggies and chickpeas. I also wanted to make ensure these sandwiches are nutritious, so instead of drenching the chickpeas with mayo, we add a smashed avocado instead. Lots of flavor, healthy fats, and creamy texture — done! Chickpea Salad Sandwich Tips Use a really ripe avocado. This chickpea salad relies on a ripe avocado, not only for flavor but also for texture. If the avocado isn’t ripe, it won’t mash down and incorporate as well. You can tell an avocado is ripe if it yields to gentle pressure (like touching the tip of your nose). Thoroughly rinse and drain the chickpeas. Wet or watery chickpeas will water down the mixture and make it less flavorful. Finely mince the herbs. We want the herbs evenly dispersed throughout the mixture. Don’t want to take the time to do this by hand? Throw them in the food processor along with the chickpeas. Adjust flavorings to personal preference. We love the strong complementary flavors of lemon and Dijon in these Chickpea Salad Sandwiches. If you don’t love either flavor, simply leave them out. This recipe is very forgiving, so as long as quantities remain somewhat consistent, feel free to switch out herbs, spices, or other additions for ones you like more. Don’t forget to season. Add additional salt, pepper (and even garlic powder) until the chickpea salad filling flavors sing. Canned chickpeas contain different amounts of salt, so you may want less or more than what I’ve indicated in the recipe card. Serving suggestions We like this chickpea salad sandwich filling best on hearty toasted wholegrain bread. We love adding fresh, ripe tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, and sometimes I’ll throw on some bread and butter pickles (yum!). For a low-carb meal, layer this sandwich filling on butter lettuce leaves and enjoy it as a lettuce wrap. Add chickpea filling to warmed pita bread or naan with fresh veggies of your choice. Fold it up and eat it like a taco. Layer the chickpea filling on small toasted whole grain rolls for a fun appetizer or side dish. Veggie ideas: quick pickled red onions (recipe on these pinto bean tacos), matchstick carrots, micro-greens, baby spinach, banana peppers Tools that make this recipe easier! While none of these tools are needed to make a Chickpea Salad Sandwich, they do make the process easier! I love using a salad spinner to thoroughly dry the chickpeas before pulsing. Pulsing the chickpeas in a food processor takes mere seconds! A potato masher or even a fork will do the same job, but there is a bit less uniformity. Use a microplane and a citrus reamer or this citrus juicer to make getting lemon zest and juice quick and easy. More vegetarian recipes Vegetarian Sushi Bowls with a spicy mayo Bean and Cheese Burritos with seasoned rice Black Bean Bowls with coconut-lime rice Vegetarian Enchiladas with black beans and corn Caprese Quinoa Salad with a balsamic vinaigrette FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Chickpea Salad Sandwich 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe This Chickpea Salad Sandwich is loaded with a creamy chickpea filling that includes lots of fresh veggies and herbs. Pile it on some toasted bread with lettuce, tomato, and onion for a hearty, flavorful, and nutritious meal. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chickpea Salad Sandwich 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe This Chickpea Salad Sandwich is loaded with a creamy chickpea filling that includes lots of fresh veggies and herbs. Pile it on some toasted bread with lettuce, tomato, and onion for a hearty, flavorful, and nutritious meal. Course Dinner, lunch, Salad, Sandwich Cuisine American, Vegan, Vegetarian Keyword Chickpea Salad Sandwich Prep Time 20 minutes Total Time 20 minutes Servings 4 sandwiches Calories 245kcal Cost $6.83 Ingredients1 can (15 oz. 439g) chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed, and dried1/2 cup mashed avocado (1 large or 2 small)2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest1 tablespoon olive oil1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro1 teaspoon Dijon mustard1/2 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, fine sea salt1/4 teaspoon onion powder1/8 teaspoon pepperFor serving: Hearty whole grain/whole wheat bread, toastedFor serving: thinly sliced Roma tomatoes, green leaf lettuce, thinly sliced red onion, bread and butter pickles InstructionsCHICKPEA FILLING: Pulse the drained, rinsed, and dried chickpeas through the food processor until broken up and fairly chunky (See Note 1). Transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings to personal preference.ASSEMBLY: Toast bread. Add lettuce to one side and a generous amount of the chickpea filling on top. Add your sandwich favorites; we love sliced Roma tomatoes, red onion, and bread and butter pickles (Note 2). Add the other slice of toast on top and enjoy immediately! Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Alternatively, use a potato masher or the back of a fork to smash the chickpeas down. Note 2: Lots of other ideas for how to serve this chickpea salad in the blog post! Nutrition information includes only the chickpea filling (sandwich bread and fillings will greatly vary). Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 443mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 188IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
will be making this soon but without pickles and lettuce as am not a big fan of them i never had chickpea salad sandwich before perfect for my after office meals will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya Reply
I could hug you! This recipe was amazing! I’ve been a vegetarian for a year & a half & having been looking for a recipe to replace my traditional chicken salad sandwich. This does the trick for me. The combination of flavors & textures was perfect. It was easy to put together too. Thank you. Reply
Awe yay!! SO happy this was a hit! Thanks for the comment and for trying so many of my recipes! 🙂 Reply
I’d love to try this but I’m wondering how it holds up if making it in the morning and packing it for that day’s lunch. What about saving the leftover chickpea salad for tomorrow’s lunch? Will it turn brown because of the avocado, or is there enough lemon to keep it fresh for a few hours or a couple of days? Thank you! Reply
It stores really nicely and the avocado doesn’t brown quickly because we add the lemon juice! 🙂 Reply
