Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
Delicious, nutritious, and ultra satisfying chickpea salad made with fiber-loaded whole foods like tahini, almonds, and sunflower seeds, along with refreshing bits of celery, aromatic red onions, and briny pickles. Insanely easy to make and comes together quickly, it’s also incredibly versatile and while it’s the perfect filling for sandwiches, it can also be served on toast/crackers, or as part of a bowl. Vegan and naturally oil-free.
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve practically been living off of chickpea salad sandwiches. Here’s why. I started picking up a giant loaf of sourdough every time I go food shopping at Park Slope Food Co-op, which, of course, leaves me with leftover bread for days (literally). Then, when lunchtime inevitably rolls around and I (once again) have nothing planned, I find myself digging through the fridge/pantry for something to pair with that giant loaf of sourdough. No matter what, I always have a can of chickpeas stashed away in the pantry (it’s a lifesaver!), so between the chickpeas and a few fridge/pantry staples, I can quickly mix up a super nourishing and tasty salad. Add that to the sourdough bread along with some favorite toppings like lettuce, tomato, sprouts, and avocado, and lunch is ready.
There are endless ways to make a good chickpea salad, but the variation I’m sharing here is my go-to favorite since it uses tahini, whole grain mustard, and complementary add-ins like pickles and fresh dill. Insanely delicious and full of whole plant foods, this salad is nourishing and loaded with fiber!
Why You’ll Love this Chickpea Salad
Delicious and satisfying. Not only does the salad taste amazing, it’s loaded with different flavors and textures to make it extra satisfying. From briny pickles and earthy, crunchy celery, to nutty toasted almonds and sunflower seeds, spicy red onions, and fresh soft dill, this salad will delight the taste buds - guaranteed.
Made with whole foods & loaded with plant diversity! Not just insanely tasty, this salad is also made entirely with a deep variety of whole foods! From the chickpea and tahini base to the add-ins, every ingredient adds extra nutrients and fiber (and flavor!). Plus you’ll get even more plant diversity if you serve the salad as part of a bowl or in a sandwich with avocado, greens, tomatoes, and sprouts.
Easy and quick to make. You can throw together this salad very quickly, and the process is practically foolproof! Just mash half the chickpeas, stir in the flavoring “dressing” ingredients (tahini, water, lemon juice, minced garlic, and S&P) along with the rest of the whole chickpeas, and fold in the remaining add-ins - that’s it!
Versatile. This salad is also incredibly versatile so you can serve it in a lot of different ways! My favorite way to eat it is as a sandwich filling, but you could also serve it with crackers, on a tartine/toast, or as part of a deli-style bowl or salad.
Substitution-friendly. Want to make this salad ASAP but don’t have every single ingredient? Make substitutions! You can easily swap the sunflower seeds for more almonds (or vice versa), the dill for another fresh herb like parsley, capers for pickles, whole grain mustard for Dijon mustard, etc. Just keep in mind some substitutions, like Dijon in place of whole grain mustard, won’t be a 1:1 substitution. For any substituted ingredients, I suggest starting by adding ⅓ to ½ of the amount in the written recipe, tasting, and adjusting the quantity upward to your liking (you can always add more in, but you can’t take anything out!). Of course, it won’t be the same salad, but I’m sure it will still end up being tasty!
Ingredient Overview
Chickpeas. The base of the salad! Chickpeas are protein-rich legumes loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them an ideal base ingredient - not to mention they’re super tasty, too. 😋 For the best texture, mash half the chickpeas and leave the rest whole.
Tahini (and water). The fatty and creamy base that replaces the traditional mayo found in most chickpea salads, while adding some healthy fats and a bit more fiber. A splash of water thins it out to give it the ideal consistency for this salad.
Lemon juice, garlic, whole grain mustard, and salt & pepper. To complement the tahini and dress the salad up! Lemon juice provides acid for balance, garlic adds a bit of zing, whole grain mustard adds a pungent mustard-y kick, black pepper gives it that aromatic edge, and salt helps to enhance all the flavors and bring everything together (because no one likes bland, unsalted food!).
Almonds and sunflower seeds. To add extra protein, crunchy textural contrast, and lots more nutrients! These get toasted beforehand to enhance their deliciously nutty flavor and add extra crunch. You could stick with either just almonds or sunflower seeds, but I opted for both to add some extra plant diversity. Plus they each bring different bits of flavors to make the salad taste more interesting!
Celery and red onions. Celery adds its super unique, savory and earthy flavor while red onions provide extra punch and aroma.
Pickles. For crunchy bits of that briny goodness.
Fresh dill. For added freshness and to complement the tahini, lemon, mustard, and pickles.
Vegan Chickpea Salad and Sandwiches
Vegan, Oil-Free*
Makes ~4 sandwiches
Ingredients
Chickpea salad:
1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas OR 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons well-stirred drizzly tahini
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt OR ½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons almonds
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1 large celery rib, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
¼ cup red onion, diced
¼ cup pickles, diced
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
To serve in sandwiches:
Bread, such as a rustic sourdough or a sprouted grain bread like Ezekiel
Avocado slices
Greens, such as lettuce, arugula, baby spinach, etc.
Sprouts or microgreens (broccoli sprouts are my favorite!)
Tomato slices
Vegan mayo*
Directions
If using raw almonds and/or sunflower seeds, start by toasting them. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds in a single layer and toast until lightly browned and fragrant, stirring frequently, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool until safe to handle, then use a knife to roughly chop them. Repeat the toasting process with the sunflower seeds, but note they will toast quicker in about 2-3 minutes. (Skip the toasting process if using pre-toasted/roasted almonds and seeds, but make sure to chop the almonds.)
Add half the chickpeas to a medium to large bowl and use a fork to mash them.
To the same bowl, add in the remaining whole chickpeas, tahini, water, lemon juice, salt, a few cracks of freshly ground pepper, whole grain mustard, and garlic and stir until combined.
Fold in the chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, celery, red onion, pickles, and dill. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.
Serve as part of a sandwich with desired toppings/condiments (see suggestions above) or with crackers, on a tartine/toast, or as part of a salad/bowl.
Notes:
*If serving in sandwiches, omit the mayo to keep everything oil-free.
If you’re loving my chickpea salad, don’t forget to leave a review in the comments below and tag me on Instagram (@teostinykitchen) with your sandwich, bowl, or other clever chickpea salad creations! And if you’re looking for more tahini-based goodies, check out my summer-y potato salad recipe.