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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
- Vegan Seitan “Chicken”
- BBQ Jackfruit Bowls
- Bean and Cheese Taquitos (4 Ingredients)
- Vegan Enchiladas
Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- colander or fine mesh seive
- Large bowl
- potato masher or fork
- silicone spatula or spoon
Ingredients
- 2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas about 3 ¾ cups
- 2 tablespoons celery minced
- 2 tablespoons yellow onion minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 4-5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
- 2-3 teaspoons vegan Dijon mustard plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pour both cans of chickpeas (and liquid) into medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, then pour chickpeas into colander or sieve and drain well.
- Transfer drained chickpeas to large bowl. Using potato masher or fork, mash chickpeas until desired consistency is achieved.
- Add celery, onion, parsley, vegan mayonnaise, vegan Dijon mustard, and salt to mashed chickpeas. Stir well to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients.
- Chill chickpea salad if desired, or serve immediately on bread or in lettuce cups with preferred toppings.
Video
- Be sure to use vegan mayonnaise and Dijon mustard without honey.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate any leftover chickpea salad in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Approximate Information for One Serving
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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Delicious. As with any receipt you may like to modify to suit your tastes. Since I want more veg flavors, I added more celery, parsley, and onion. I also like my salad a little more juicy, so I added additional mayo and mustard. Overall this is a delicious recipe and is very easy to make.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Rick.
Yummy! I added chopped apple and pistachio. My new favorite thing
Ooh, those additions sound delicious! Thanks for sharing, Corrine! 😊
Outstanding, simple, and truly delicious.
So glad you enjoyed it, Cindy! 😊
Delicious! I’m going to try with apple or grapes as suggested!
Yum, let us know how you like the additions!
I love this recipe and make variations of it often. If I’m in a hurry, I mash the chickpeas without boiling them. I like to add pickled jalapenos for a little zing!
Ooh, jalapeños sound fantastic, we’ll have to give that a try sometime. Thanks so much, Candice!
Try with grapes or green apple and curry powder. Delicious!
This is our go to recipe for “chicken” salad. A hit every time. I have tried others but this is the best. I am adding apple and maybe walnut tonight. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Ooooh, love the idea of apple and walnut added in! I’ll have to give that a try. Thank you so much for your review, Starr!
Absolutely delicious.
Thanks, Janine! Appreciate you taking the time to share your review!