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This simple chickpea salad sandwich is a creamy and filling vegetarian lunch idea that we whip up all the time! Like a chickpea tuna salad but totally vegan, made with a few flavorful but simple ingredients. My husband asks me to make this for him to take to work ALL the time!
What Makes This Sandwich So Good
- This salad is based on my popular Costco-style chicken salad recipe, but it’s completely vegan!
- Even dedicated meat-eaters will love the flavor and textures in this chickpea salad sandwich. Chunks of rich chickpeas, creamy mayonnaise, tangy Dijon mustard, and fresh veggies make it a perfect lunch or dinner recipe.
- Chow down right away, or use it for meal prep! You can refrigerate the chickpea salad in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Key Ingredient
Chickpeas – You may not have guessed this, but chickpeas are a pretty crucial component of this sandwich. These legumes are high in protein, full of nutrients, and are a great source of fiber. Chickpeas are also known as garbanzo beans, so you may see them labelled that way at the grocery store, but they’re the same thing.
Chef’s Tips
- Keep your toppings simple! Our chickpea salad sandwich has so much flavor in it that you really don’t need to add much of anything else. Personally, I love the crunch you get from romaine lettuce. Tomatoes and pickles are great options, too!
- Don’t skip the simmer! If you’re using canned chickpeas, the simmering really makes a difference. You can absolutely cook chickpeas from dry if you prefer not to use canned ones, though. If the texture of your chickpeas is a little dry, you can add more mayonnaise to help offset it.
- Got an Instant Pot? Give this No-Soak Instant Pot Chickpeas recipe from our sister site, Easy Healthy Recipes, a try!
- If you’re not on a vegan diet, you can use just regular mayonnaise. It won’t make a difference in the flavor of your chickpea salad sandwich.
More Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
- Hummus Without Tahini
- Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Chickpea Gyros
- Vegan Latkes (Potato Pancakes)
- Cajun 15-Bean Vegetarian Gumbo
- Seitan Grilled Chicken with Vegan BBQ Sauce
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- Crispy Baked Tofu
- Vegan Seitan “Chicken”
- BBQ Jackfruit Bowls
- Bean and Cheese Taquitos (4 Ingredients)
- Vegan Enchiladas
Chickpea Salad Sandwich
This vegan version of my Costco chicken salad is just as creamy and delicious, but totally meat-free.
servings
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- colander or fine mesh sieve
- Large bowl
- potato masher or fork
- silicone spatula or spoon
Ingredients
- 2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas approximately 3 ¾ cups
- 2 tablespoons minced celery
- 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 4-5 tablespoons mayonnaise vegan if desired
- 2-3 teaspoons Dijon mustard vegan if desired, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
Instructions
- Add 2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas and their liquid to medium saucepan. Place saucepan on stovetop over medium heat.
- Simmer chickpeas 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes, pour chickpeas into colander and drain well.
- Transfer chickpeas to large bowl. Using potato masher or fork, mash chickpeas until desired consistency is achieved.
- When satisfied with consistency of chickpeas, add 2 tablespoons minced celery, 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion, 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 4-5 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2-3 teaspoons Dijon mustard, and ½ teaspoon salt to mashed chickpeas.
- Stir ingredients together until fully incorporated. Taste salad mixture and increase amounts of ingredients as desired.
- When satisfied with flavor of salad, cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Chill chickpea salad 1 hour. Alternately, transfer chickpea salad to serving bowl and serve immediately on bread or in lettuce cups with preferred toppings.
Video
- Leftovers: Refrigerate any leftover chickpea salad in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 196calProtein: 7gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 682mgPotassium: 235mgTotal Carbs: 20gFiber: 7gSugar: 0.3gNet Carbs: 13gVitamin A: 154IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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This was absolutely fabulous! I’ve made it several times now, not only is the recipe delicious as written but you can also use it as a base and switch it up. I’ve added dried cranberries and pecans/walnuts, halved grapes, finely diced apples….finely diced gherkins….the options are endless! I’ve also used flat bread, pitas and made lettuce wraps. This is healthy, versatile and, bonus, inexpensive!! Thank you so much for sharing❤️
Ooh, all of that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Christina! 😊
This was way better than I thought it would be. But I substituted for real mayo and honey Dijon mustard. I added avocado slices to my sandwich as well.
Yumm! Thanks for sharing, Jen!
I love this recipe!!! I like to make it on Sunday so I can eat it for lunch throughout the week. It’s even good on crackers! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
That’s such a great idea! We’re so glad you love it, Natalie! 😊
The first time I made this I followed the recipe, so good. The second time I did not dress the entire batch. I took enough out for my meal then dressed it as stated here, then the next day ranch dressing, the next honey mustard etc. I was so tired of cheese sandwiches this chickpea salad is a welcome change. Also good on crackers.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jen! Thanks for sharing! 😊
I tried this today and halved the recipe. It was very easy and tasted delicious. This is a keeper. Do you have any recipes similar for black beans.
We’re so glad it’s a keeper! Unfortunately, we do not- but we will keep that in mind for future recipe ideas! 😊
I loved this recipe! Very simple to make and very delicious!
We’re so glad you loved it, Alfreda! 😊
ANZIOUS TO TRY THIS HOPE WE FIND
VEGAN MAYO
Vegenaise is usually available at most grocery stores nowadays, thankfully, but if yours doesn’t carry it, you can find it online!
Could I substitute non-fat plain yogurt for the vegan mayonnaise?
We didn’t make it that way so I can’t say how it might affect the overall flavor of the recipe. Let us know if you try it!
So delicious! I’ll be making this often!