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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!

Chickpea salad sandwich on a wooden board

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.
Bowl of chickpea salad

More Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes

Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
4.94 from 72 votes

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Prep 5 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Total 15 minutes
This vegan version of my Costco chicken salad is just as creamy and delicious, but totally meat-free.
6 servings

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.
    Chickpeas strained in a colander over a saucepan
  • Transfer drained chickpeas to large bowl. Using potato masher or fork, mash chickpeas until desired consistency is achieved.
    Mashed chickpeas in a large bowl
  • Add celery, onion, parsley, vegan mayonnaise, vegan Dijon mustard, and salt to mashed chickpeas. Stir well to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients.
    Chickpea salad ingredients in a large bowl with a potato masher
  • Chill chickpea salad if desired, or serve immediately on bread or in lettuce cups with preferred toppings.
    Chickpea salad sandwich cut in half, with one half stacked on top of the other

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

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 153calProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 553mgPotassium: 169mgTotal Carbs: 15gFiber: 5gSugar: 1gNet Carbs: 10gVitamin A: 141IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg
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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130 Comments

  1. 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.5 stars

  2. 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!5 stars

    1. Ooh, jalapeños sound fantastic, we’ll have to give that a try sometime. Thanks so much, Candice!

  3. 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!5 stars

    1. 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!

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