These creamy chickpea salad sandwiches are a quick and easy vegetarian lunch option that's endlessly adaptable!
Don't you just love it when the simplest recipes end up creating the most delicious meals?! That's definitely the case with these creamy chickpea salad sandwiches - they couldn't be easier to make, but this simple lunch definitely end up being greater than the sum of its parts.
Vegetarian sandwiches
I sometimes get in a bit of a rut when it comes to vegetarian sandwiches. There are often the same few options available in the shops, which are usually the same kinds of things I default to making at home - cheese, cheese and tomato, cheese and onion, maybe egg mayonnaise if you're lucky...
Don't get me wrong, I love cheese (evidently), but it's always nice to discover a new lunch option for those days when you just don't fancy eating the same old sandwich again.
These creamy chickpea salad sandwiches are perfect!
Creamy chickpea salad
This chickpea salad sandwich filling is so easy to make, and you can adapt it however you see fit to create your own personalised sandwich. My version has four main ingredients:
- chickpeas (obviously!) - I use tinned ones for a quick and easy lunch
- finely chopped red onion
- finely chopped green pepper
- mayonnaise (or vegan mayo) to create a creamy dressing
You can also add whatever herbs and spices you like - I used garlic granules and dried parsley.
I'll admit, the recipe doesn't sound overly exciting - I'd even say that green peppers are my least favourite pepper.
But, somehow all these simple ingredients add up to give a really tasty sandwich. It's fresh, it's crunchy, it's creamy, and it has heaps of flavour. It just goes to show, you can throw just about anything into this chickpea salad, and you'll probably end up with a winner.
Quick and easy vegetarian lunch
I always try to keep my recipes as quick and easy as possible - I know that I always gravitate towards really straightforward recipes with no unnecessary steps, so I guess that's probably what you like too!
Using tinned chickpeas means you don't need to spend time soaking or cooking your chickpeas (though you can totally cook your chickpeas from scratch if you prefer!). The whole recipe only takes about 5 minutes to make - maybe 10 if you're a slow chopper.
I also made sure I only included veggies that I could throw straight into the bowl without any pre-cooking. Red onions have a less intense flavour than regular onions, so they're better for eating raw, and peppers are great uncooked too.
All you need to do is chop your veg, throw everything into a bowl, and mix. It couldn't be simpler.
How else can I serve this creamy chickpea salad?
Obviously I used my chickpea salad as a tasty vegetarian sandwich filler, but if you're not a sandwich fan, or you just don't have a loaf of bread in the house, it can be served in other ways too!
Here are a few ideas for other ways to serve your creamy chickpea salad:
- serve in a tortilla wrap, bagel, pitta, or any other kind of alternative bread
- wrap in large lettuce leaves - lettuce wraps make a great low-carb sandwich alternative
- dollop on top of a hearty green salad, with diced tomatoes, cucumber, etc.
- serve as part of a buffet lunch, along with lots of other salads and sides
- spoon it on top of a baked potato
The chickpea salad will keep in the fridge for about 3 days, so feel free to choose a few different options! I always like to serve my leftovers in a new way if I can, to keep things interesting.
How can I adapt this recipe?
The best thing about a recipe like this is how easy it is to adapt. You can pretty much mix any ingredients in with your chickpeas, and you'll end up with a really tasty salad.
You never need to make it the same way twice.
If you do swap the veggies, make sure you go for something else that's great served raw, so you don't add any additional cooking steps - try spring onions, red or yellow peppers, sweetcorn, black olives, grated carrot, diced cucumber, etc. You could even add some grated cheese!
You can also change up the herbs and spices in the dressing to give a totally different flavour profile - maybe try a Mediterranean-inspired version with a dollop of pesto, or curry-flavoured coronation chickpeas!
And Greek yogurt makes a nice swap for the mayo, if you're not a mayonnaise fan.
Really, as long as you've got the chickpeas in there somewhere, you'll make an awesome chickpea salad. Though... black beans might be a pretty nice alternative too...
How would you adapt this creamy chickpea salad to make it your own?
Creamy chickpea salad sandwiches
If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!
Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 1 green pepper, finely diced
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained (480g, or ~ 2 ½ cups, in total when drained)
- ½ teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- Black pepper
- Salt
- 3 tablespoon mayonnaise or vegan mayo
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl, and mix well until everything is well combined. You can mash the chickpeas slightly with the back of a fork if you want to, or leave them whole.
- Serve chilled, as a sandwich filling or on its own. Keeps in the fridge for 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Meg says
This sandwich was surprisingly delicious! It was exactly as the comments say-- refreshing and so easy to make. All vegetarians crave a solid deli sandwich but alas, the same taste is dishearteningly elusive even with meat alternatives. I've recently turned to bean sandwiches to get my fix for an easy lunch and this has been the best one! Definitely something I will turn to in a pinch for a good easy lunch next time I need one. Thank you!
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Thanks Meg, really glad you enjoyed it! :)
Anna says
I was getting bored of cheese sandwiches. This is a refreshing change!
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Thanks Anna!
Megan says
This is so timely. I usually stop on my way home in the late morning from my exercise class and get lunch at the same place everyday. They just raised the prices and are charging me extra for cheese and I am kind of annoyed by it and was thinking I have to start making something at home! This will be perfect as I need it to be quick and I love a pita or some good bread. I never thought to try beans as a salad on a sandwich but it looks delish!
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Haha I'm glad this recipe came along at the right time for you! It's so quick to make and would be perfect to make for a few lunches in advance :) Enjoy!
Penny Boylan says
Love this recipe! Sooo good to have something else other than cheese or eggs in a sandwich. When I made it I split it in two and added half a teaspoon of curry powder to one half - ta daa - coronation chickpeas. Really yummy. The other half I added a Quorn spinach and red pepper slice to my sandwich. Also really yummy.
Thank you.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Thanks so much for the lovely comment Penny! If you're a fan of coronation chickpeas, you might like this one too :) https://www.amuse-your-bouche.com/coronation-tofu-salad-sandwiches/
Penny Boylan says
Ooh lovely, will check that out too. This was actually my first coronation anything, been a veggie since I was 6 so hadn't tried the chicken version before I converted. Really liked it so am sure your tofu version will be good too.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I've never had 'real' coronation chicken either, but the tofu version is really tasty - much tastier than it sounds ;)
Liz says
I used non-fat yogurt instead of mayonnaise and it was amazing! Great recipe!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Yay thank you, glad you enjoyed! :)
Katie says
This looks absolutely incredible! Beef jerky and tuna/chicken salad sandwiches are the two things I've missed most since becoming a vegetarian. I can't wait to try this!
Emily says
I made this for lunch today, and though it's simple, it's incredibly delicious! I only had a small (110g) tin of chickpeas so I added two identically-sized tins of red kidney beans and cannelini beans, which worked well together.
Sandy says
I made this today for my brother and I for lunch. It was good! ^_^ There was also some left over so mom had it as a side to go with her lunch :)
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Yay thanks Sandy! Glad you enjoyed it, it's one of my favourite quick and easy lunches! :)
LittleMonsterx14 says
my two favorite things, delicious and easy! i am adding this to my must try list!
Ttrockwood says
I’ve been making something similar for years- i use a bit if tahini instead of mayo, and add in some roasted sunflower seeds which gives a nice bit of crunch. I like to semi mash some of the chickpeas a bit too.
My favorite is to bring a tupperware of the chickpea salad and then another container of cucumber slices and bell pepper to scoop it up
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Love the idea of adding toasted seeds! That sounds great.
Eileen says
I keep seeing recipes for chickpea salad sandwiches too, and I've never tried one--but I think I may need to change my tune! :)