Whether you’re meal planning for the work week or making dinner, this chickpea salad sandwich recipe is sure to save the day. It’s easy, healthy, and ready in about 10 minutes.
All you need to do is mash canned chickpeas (or prep some dry chickpeas), then add minced carrots and celery. Toss everything with a dressing made of vegan mayo, and you have a satisfying and filling plant-based meal.
Enjoy the chickpea salad with bread and your favorite sandwich ingredients, like leafy greens and sliced tomato. You can also eat the salad with wraps, crackers, or even on its own. Want to customize your salad? Mix in a generous helping of coconut bacon or vegan Parmesan cheese for even more flavor. (While we’re on the topic of make-ahead meals, check our vegan grilled cheese sandwich.)
Read on for the full chickpea salad sandwich recipe, or check out the instructional video in this post.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Chickpeas. For the quickest option, used rinsed and drained canned chickpeas. Be sure to save the chickpea water for aquafaba chocolate mousse.
- Vegan mayonnaise. This ingredient makes the salad creamy and satisfying. Try our recipe for vegan mayo.
- Spices and herbs. Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and parsley add flavor and depth to the salad.
How to Make Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
This 3-step recipe takes just 10 minutes to make. Keep in mind that the recipe is extremely flexible, so feel free to adjust the ingredients based on your taste buds and what you have on hand.
1. Place the drained chickpeas in a bowl. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the chickpeas until it reaches your desired consistency.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and spices. Taste and adjust as needed.
3. Add the dressing to the chickpeas, along with minced celery, minced carrots, and parsley. Stir well. If you prefer a saucier salad, add more mayo or mustard as necessary.
4. To create a sandwich, layer the chickpea salad on bread with leafy greens.
Recipe Tips, Variations, and Substitutions
- Mix in chopped pickles. To brighten up your vegan chickpea salad, mix in chopped pickles.
- Add an acidic ingredient. Another option is to add a splash of lemon juice, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or pickle juice to your mayo dressing.
- Try other veggies. Chopped red onion and scallions work well in this salad.
- Reach for other herbs. Try using fresh dill with or instead of parsley.
- Mix in nutritional yeast. To elevate the flavor and color, add nutritional yeast to the salad.
- Chill before serving. Although you can certainly eat the salad right after you make it, the dressing’s flavors will develop and strengthen after it spends some time in the fridge.
How Do You Store Leftover Chickpea Salad?
Store leftover chickpea salad (without the bread) in an airtight container the refrigerator for about 4 days.
Serving Suggestions
- Vegan tofu bacon. For even more plant-based protein, add tofu bacon to your sandwich
- Vegan mayo. Make this recipe with homemade vegan mayonnaise
- Flax seed crackers. Serve this salad with crackers for a satisfying snack
Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas
- 1 stalk celery minced
- 1 carrot peeled and minced
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 to 2 teaspoon mustard
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the drained chickpeas in a bowl. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the chickpeas until it reaches your desired consistency.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and spices. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Add the dressing to the chickpeas, along with minced celery, minced carrots, and parsley. Stir well. If you prefer a saucier salad, add more mayo or mustard as necessary.
- To create a sandwich, layer the chickpea salad on bread with leafy greens.
Notes
- To brighten up your vegan chickpea salad, mix in chopped pickles. Another option is to add a splash of lemon juice, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or pickle juice to your mayo dressing.
- In addition to minced celery and carrots, chopped red onion and scallions also work well in this salad.
- Try using fresh dill with or instead of parsley.
- To elevate the flavor and color, add nutritional yeast to the salad.
- Although you can certainly eat the salad right after you make it, the dressing’s flavors will develop and strengthen after it spends some time in the fridge.
- This recipe makes 2 to 4 sandwiches, depending on the size of your bread.
- You can also serve this chickpea salad with rolls, wraps, pita bread, and crackers.
Recommended Tools & Products
Nutrition
About the Author
Kirsten Nunez
Contributing Writer
Kirsten is a journalist who focuses on healthy food and cooking. Her vegan and plant-based recipes have appeared on VegNews, eHow, Shape, and more. When she’s not creating and photographing vegan recipes for Clean Green Simple, you can find her experimenting in the kitchen and sharing plant-based meals with friends and family. More articles by Kirsten.
[email protected]
- 18 Scrumptious Vegan Thanksgiving Desserts - November 16, 2023
- 25 Vegan Thanksgiving Sides to Complete Your Holiday Dinner - November 16, 2023
- Best Vegan Frozen Food Meals at Trader Joe’s - October 17, 2023
Hi Kirsten,
I do love a delicious chickpea sammy and this one hits the spot. Thank you for the recipe!
Just an fyi, what spice did you intend after the garlic powder? You say 1/2 teaspoon but of what?
Thanks so much!
This was super yum. I might try smashing it with a fork for more texture as another person commented here next time. As smooth as is was it kind of just reminded me of a hummus sandwhich i slap together or the texture of deviled eggs taste like. So i added a bit of sweet relish and paprika. It was good! And made of stuff i always have on hand chickpeas, bread, condiments, and lettuce! Thx nice recipe 😉
Thanks for the recipe! It was easy and delicious!
How long do you cook chickpeas for?
Hi I love your blog, and have already bookmarked many of your recipes! I am vegan-GF! I was never a big fan of tuna salad, but loved chicken salad, so I was thinking of adding in some fresh diced, seedless red grapes, or possibly diced dried cranberries or cherries, and diced green onion (green part only). I like my sandwich salads chunky and fruity, so someone else who follows your blog might, too! Thanks fo all of your work and time!!!
Thanks for the great recipe! I loved it!
these are great!
This is amazing! I added some nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder and served it on toasted wheat bread with cucumber, tomato, avocado and lettuce. Best lunch ever! 😀
Made this for lunch today and it was awesome!!
This is SO smart!!! 😀 LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT! 😀
I can’t wait to try this! Since becoming a vegetarian one of the only things I get cravings for is a good chicken salad sandwich. If it works for tuna maybe it will work for chicken!
This sandwich is straight out of some kind of foodie dream for me… looks amazing!!
i really love your blog! i think you are my food soulmate! thanks for this recipe, it put in to action what i had been thinking about my friend, the chickpea! =)
I make a very similar version of this. It’s a nice change from a veggie sandwich and it’s one of my all-time favourites. Chickpeas are delish in so many different ways!
oddly enough, the only thing i ever missed after becoming vegetarian was tuna salad sandwiches. i’ve been making pretty much this exact sandwich for about a year now, and it’s so delicious! i smash up the chickpeas with a fork instead of blending them, and then i add some vegenaise, a splash of rice vinegar, chopped up celery, celery seed, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and fresh ground pepper. sometimes i throw in a little chipotle tabasco too. i like to eat it on oat-nut bread because the sweetness of the bread balances out the tanginess of the chickpeas. yum!
Thanks for mentioning that you can also smash them with a fork instead of blending them, I forgot to add that in the recipe. Chipotle tabasco would give it a great kick, I’ll have to try that next time!