Reminiscent of tuna or chicken salad, these plant-based chickpea salad sandwiches can be made vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free!

September 29, 2020 Updated May 9, 2021 Jump to Recipe
Reminiscent of tuna or chicken salad, these plant-based chickpea salad sandwiches can be made vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free!
One of the things I missed after going vegetarian was chicken salad.
But one of the things I didn’t ever really like about chicken salad was the chicken…
So how does that even work?
I think what it comes down to is I really enjoyed the overall flavors, textures, and the general idea of chicken salad, even though I wasn’t crazy about the main ingredient.
Before going vegetarian, I never would have thought that chickpeas could be the answer to my chicken salad dilemma. But chickpeas are the perfect substitute for chicken (or tuna) in chicken (or tuna!) salad. And this vegan chickpea salad is case in point.
The mild flavor of chickpeas goes beautifully with the herbs, veggies, and apple—yes, I do believe that apples hold a necessary place in these types of salads!—that I used to love in chicken salad. Just mash the chickpeas up so they’re not whole, but still have some texture, mix in the Vegenaise (or mayonnaise), add the celery, dill, scallions, red onion, and a few seasonings, and you’ve got my vegan chickpea salad all ready for some quick and versatile meals or snacks.
I love this vegan chickpea salad simply served over a bed of greens for a light lunch, or a just a spoonful served on top of Ritz crackers as a snack.
Open faced chickpeas salad melts are also fantastic with this recipe. But my favorite way to serve this salad is as a chickpea salad sandwich! A sandwich on some good sourdough bread with this vegan chickpea salad, thinly sliced tomatoes, and vegan cheddar (or regular cheddar) grilled in the frying pan is a quick, easy, and absolutely delicious meal I always look forward to.
These chickpea salad sandwiches are the perfect meal as we transition from summer into fall, so enjoy them this week! I know I certainly will. 😋
Of course, I’m going to recommend my favorite spatula for frying these sandwiches [aff. link]. Whenever I grill sandwiches or quesadillas in the skillet, this spatula is a necessary tool!
The smaller size of this spatula makes it perfect for just about everything—from flipping these sandwiches to sautéing veggies, to taking cookies off the cookie sheet (its intended purpose). It’s no exaggeration to say that I use this spatula in the kitchen every day.
My favorite onion salt to use in general, and especially in this vegan chickpea salad, is the Trader Joe’s brand. It’s studded with dried herbs that really enhance this recipe. I was really surprised to discover that you can find Trader Joe’s onion salt on Amazon, so if If you don’t have a local Trader Joe’s, you can find their onion salt here [aff. link]!
This Post Has 2 Comments
Interesting! I don’t think I’ve tried onion salt before. We do sprinkle garlic salt on the outside of grilled cheese sammiches, so I could see how onion salt would work well, too. Either way, this is a fun recipe! I do enjoy chicken salad, and I never would’ve expected chickpeas as the solution for a vegan chicken salad. That sandwich looks quite tasty, and I could totally go for it as a lunch option today!
Thanks David! Ohh that’s a great idea to sprinkle garlic salt on the outside YUM! I’ll definitely be trying that on my next sandwich!