This Pesto Chickpea Salad is ready in a flash! Mash chickpeas with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and almonds for a flavorful meal!
author’s note
A Can Of Chickpeas Never Tasted So Good!
If you’ve been following my site for any amount of time, you know I share a lot of vegetarian recipes. I’ve got several vegetarian family members, so it’s always been important to me to have good meatless options.
Chicken salad is probably the recipe I make most in my house, so I knew I needed a solid vegetarian version. My mind immediately went to chickpeas, and I knew that was the direction to take.
I already have a pesto chicken salad sandwich that I love, so I took those same flavors and worked them into this version… and honestly, it might be one of my favorite salad mixes ever. I find myself craving it all the time and making it just as often as the chicken version.
Pesto Chickpea Salad Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swap or Tips |
|---|---|
| Chickpeas | Also called garbanzo beans, they’re the same! |
| Basil pesto | Use store-bought for ease or homemade if you have it. |
| Sun-dried tomatoes | Use oil-packed for the best flavor. |
| Mayo | I love Hellman’s/Best Foods mayo. |
| Dijon mustard | Don’t skip, it adds a subtle tang. |
| Lemon juice | Fresh is best but bottled works. |
| Sliced almonds | Try chopped walnuts or pecans. |
| Honey | Balances flavors, adjust to taste. |
Quick Tip
Thoroughly rinse and drain the chickpeas. Wet chickpeas will water down the sandwich mixture and make it less flavorful.
How To Make Pesto Chickpea Salad
- Prep chickpeas: Drain, rinse, and dry well so the filling isn’t watery.
- Mix: Add chickpeas, pesto, mayo, Dijon, lemon, honey, salt, and pepper to a bowl and mash with a fork.
- Add texture: Stir in sliced almonds for crunch.
- Toast bread: Lightly toast bread or rolls for the best texture.
- Assemble: Layer with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and a scoop of the chickpea mixture.
- Serve: Enjoy right away while everything is fresh.
chelsea’s recipe tip
Pesto Chickpea Salad: How to Serve
- Spoon the mix on toasted whole-grain bread or ciabatta rolls
- Add toppings like tomato, soft avocado, and lettuce
- Other topping ideas: Pickled red onion, extra avocado, mayo, pesto, pickles, banana peppers, or small greens
- For a low-carb meal, use butter lettuce leaves and make wraps
- Fill warm pita or naan with the mix and veggies, then fold like a taco
- Add the mix to small toasted rolls for a fun snack or side
- Serve as a dip with crackers in a small bowl
Storage
- Store this pesto chickpea salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Give it a quick stir before using. Add a squeeze of lemon to freshen it up if needed.
More Quick Sandwiches Or Wraps:
Pesto Chickpea Sandwiches
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas also called garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, see note 1
- 1/4 cup basil pesto see note 2
- 3 tablespoons mayo I recommend Best Foods/Hellman’s
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- Serving suggestions see note 3
Instructions
- Drain, rinse, and pat dry the chickpeas. Pour into a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients except the almonds. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). Mix everything together with a fork, mashing chickpeas as you mix (you might need to use some muscle here; press them down firmly!). It’s okay if not all the chickpeas are mashed—I like lots of texture here! Once sufficiently mashed and mixed, stir in the sliced almonds.
- Toast the bread/sandwich rolls. Layer your sandwich faves—I like lettuce, tomato, and a ripe avocado sprinkled with some salt and pepper. Divide mashed pesto chickpeas among 4 sandwiches. Add the top piece of bread/sandwich roll. Enjoy immediately!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is so good! It beat my expectations! Even my husband loved it!
Yay! So happy to hear this! Thanks Stephanie!
As your sister, this is the only thing I eat for lunch these days 😂 thanks for such an awesome recipe, this sandwich beats panera any day!
Thank you so much Callie! 🙂
Super delicious!! Made this for lunch today and what a treat!! I absolutely love the sun-dried tomato and basil pesto combination. Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to making this again. 🙂
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much Megan! 🙂