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 Chickpea Salad 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.
Chickpea Salad Sandwich Ingredients
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
- Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Chickpea Gyros
- Vegan Latkes (Potato Pancakes)
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- BBQ Jackfruit Bowls
- Bean and Cheese Taquitos (4 Ingredients)
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Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- Colander or sieve
- Large bowl
- Potato masher
Ingredients
- 2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas about 3 3/4 cups
- 4-5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
- 2-3 teaspoons vegan Dijon mustard plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons yellow onion minced
- 2 tablespoons celery minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Simmer the chickpeas in liquid from their cans for 10 minutes. Drain chickpeas in a colander or strainer.
- Transfer drained chickpeas to a large bowl and mash.
- Add mayo, mustard, onion, celery, parsley and salt to bowl. Mash all ingredients until well combined.
- Serve on bread, in lettuce cups, or in a pita.
Notes
- Vegan: Be sure to use vegan mayonnaise and Dijon mustard without honey.
- Simmering: Important as it makes canned chickpeas much softer.
- Storage: Keep chickpea salad in airtight container in fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
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Kim says
Wow! This was amazing. Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ll be making a big bath for the week from now on. It definitely takes the place of tuna salad I had been missing since going vegan.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Awesome! This is perfect to make ahead for meal prep. Glad you enjoyed it!
Andrea Jackson says
OMG! I love this recipe! I tweak it a little since I didn’t have Dijon mustard so I used regular mustard and Cajun seasoning. Taste just like “tuna” or “chicken” salad! Thank you for this!
Tammy l Thompson says
Good Morning! I have made this recipe numerous time by others. This is the best. My daughter and fiance are staunch Carnivores and make my grandchildren eat the same. Well since I’ve been making this recipe, my grandchildren love it for lunch. I make Mok “Tuna melts” for them. A healthy lunch never hurt anyone! Thank you for being you!
Cheryl Malik says
That’s wonderful! So happy to hear your grandchildren are enjoying this recipe. Thank you for the great review!
Trina says
It’s delicious. I used only 1/4 t of the mustard and green onions. So good!
Cheryl Malik says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Brianne Warford says
This was so amazing!! And so customizable! I definitely will be making this again! 😋🌱
Alisha says
I made this and it was so good! I even ate it on a rice cake and as a veggie dip. So delicious!
Cheryl Malik says
That sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed!
Christine Fekete says
Absolutely delicious!!! Just made my second batch!!!!
Cheryl Malik says
The best kind of feedback! Thanks!
Susan says
Do you serve warm, or is it better chilled?
Cheryl Malik says
Hi Susan, either one!
Tita says
Love it!!!! Had this on croissant & nutty bread. Both were great. I used apple, celery & pecans. I used onion powder instead of the real thing so my husband would eat it. Big hit!
Cheryl Malik says
So glad you loved it. Thanks for the great review.
Juliet T. Gilbert says
Recently, I spotted your Chickpea Sandwich spread and saved it on my Pinterest board because this sandwich spread looked so good in the photo! I made it today for our lunch! It was so EASY to prepare and it was ready in no time! This recipe is very very GOOD. I am so happy to have learned about this recipe so I can make it often to enjoy! My husband thanked me today and said that he really liked the sandwich! Your recipe is so good so I moved it to my other Pinterest board called, “Family Favorites” for quick browsing! I will make this when my adult vegan children and grandchildren visit; I know they will love the recipe also! It will be perfect served as an hors d’oeuvre on crackers!!!
Cp says
I’ve made this 3 times this week, amazing!!
Cheryl Malik says
That’s wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it.
Amara says
I made these sandwiches for my family last night and everyone loved them. My kids finished the whole recipe by just eating it out of the bowl! I’m hoping to make a big batch and save some in the freezer. Any idea how that would effect the outcome or how long it would last? Thanks!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Amara, that should work! Just make sure you freeze it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months. When ready to eat, just allow it to defrost in the fridge. 🙂
Macie says
Made this today for lunch was super yummy, and incredibly easy to make. Will be making again. Instead of putting it on bread it taste really good on pretzel chips:)
Phyllis Brandt says
This salad is delicious and healthy. I love making it and do it regularly!
Lori says
This is super yummy. I added a few diced cornichons to the recipe, otherwise made it as listed. I
A definite do over!
Melissa says
This is even better than chicken salad. I make this about every week and eat with crackers, flat bread or whatever. Love, love, love this.
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you love it! 🙂
Rachel Soule says
I loved this recipe! My husband did too. I added avocado to the sandwich as well. I think adding tomato slices would have made this perfect because chickpeas have kind of a ‘dryness’ to them and tomatoes would have added that moisture. I’ll definitely make this again!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Thanks for sharing, Rachel! We discovered that tomatoes added to this sandwich were amazing!
Mariasha says
Can this be made with a combo of yellow mustard and Dijon? That’s all I have in my fridge right now 😫😫
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Yes, that will work!
Susan says
Ive never heard of cooking the chickpeas. I use Goya and they are so much plumper and larger than other brands. I use an immersion blender to mostly break it up and leave a few chunks. That way it incorporates the skins into the salad.
Amelia Camurati says
This works too!
Jessica Lopez says
Simming the beans was the step I have been missing. Without this, the beans can feel a bit grainy. So glad I found this, thanks for posting!
Cheryl Malik says
You are so welcome! I’m glad you loved it!
JJ says
My daughter (who hates beans:) and I love this recipe! Thanks so much for it. I am vegan and she is vegetarian. We eat it on soft pita.
Amelia Camurati says
So glad!!!
Carol Tarcza says
I recently stumbled across your blog and I’m glad I did. I lived in Memphis from 2004-2015 and I miss the food there.
I wanted a healthy lunch recipe that I could make ahead of time for the week and decided to try this today. It’s so yummy. I’ll admit I made a few tweaks but only because it was easy and foolproof. I added extra onion, celery, parsley, mustard and decided not to measure the mayo but eyeballed it. I also tossed in a sprinkle of pepper. It was so delicious and super easy to make! I’ll definitely be making it again.
Cheryl Malik says
I’m so glad you liked it! I try to do Memphis-inspired recipes pretty regularly, so I hope they can give you the fix you’re craving!
Isabel says
This is my first time reading and doing a recipe from this blog. I love this one! I did it with the ingredients that I had, that means that it wasn’t vegan, but still IS DELICIOUS! I use a little bit of olive oil and garlic powder because I like those, and it turn out pretty well. I can’t stop thinking of the many ways you can eat this, like with whole weat crackers, tortilla chips or tacos, maybe use it like a dip too! Thank you for sharing this recipe!