This tasty Garden Veggie Chickpea Salad Sandwich is a plant-based powerhouse of a lunch! Make it in advance for a party or picnic or to take along as an easy weekday lunch for work or school.
Paul just informed me that I’m a millennial and it straight up ruined my day.
HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS?!
Somehow I thought I was exempt…
I mean sure I don’t answer my phone when it rings. I obviously Instagram my food every dang day. And of COURSE I don’t have cable, surviving entirely off Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video for all my entertainment needs. My laundry detergent is plant-based, my back yard is teeming with home-grown veggies, and after working out I trade my sweaty yoga pants for a clean but identical pair, because stretchy pants are LIFE, people! LIFE!
I guess I have no choice but to wave the white flag on this argument. I’m a millennial. The kind of millennial who makes tuna salad out of smashed chickpeas and veggies and offers no apologies because IT’S DELICIOUS, YO!
I’m hopelessly obsessed with this chickpea salad. There. I said it.
It’s so fresh and full of flavor that it puts every tuna or chicken salad I’ve ever had to shame.
Seriously!!! I have no problem eating it straight out of the bowl, though it’s also stellar in sandwich form, and atop a bed of leafy greens and veggies. Hellooooo versatility!
The first round of photos I took of this recipe failed to justify just how scrumptious this dish is so I had to reshoot the following week. Was this self-sabotage in an attempt to enjoy yet another round of chickpea deliciousness? Maybe.
Probably.
Absolutely.
Garden Veggie Chickpea Salad Sandwich
This sandwich is the BEST!
Another fun fact about this recipe? Everyone can enjoy it!
Ok fine, everyone except my primal paleo peeps who don’t do legumes. Man they’re missing out right now! This crunchy chickpea salad is vegetarian with an easy peasy swap to make it vegan. It’s also dairy-free and gluten-free and packed to the brim with all things veggie.
Whether you raid your garden, your local farmer’s market, or even the grocery store produce aisle, this salad is sure to rock your plate and veg up your eats!
Garden Veggie Chickpea Salad Sandwich
This tasty Garden Veggie Chickpea Salad Sandwich is a plant-based powerhouse of a lunch! Make it in advance for a party or picnic or to take along as an easy weekday lunch for work or school.
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD:
- 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained + rinsed
- 3 stalks green onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 1/4 cup chopped shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
- 1/4 cup store bought or homemade mayonnaise vegan or regular
- 1-2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1/8 tsp dried dill or fresh, to taste
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 3 TBSP unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
- 2 TBSP fresh chopped basil plus extra to taste
FOR THE SANDWICH:
- multi-grain sandwich bread
- arugula or romaine lettuce
- extra basil as desired
- optional tomatoes and/or red onion
TASTY SANDWICH SPREAD OPTIONS
- spicy mustard
- hummus
- mayo
Instructions
-
Drain and rinse your chickpeas and add them to a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher until texture appears flaked, almost like tuna salad. I use both a potato masher and follow up with a fork to make sure every chickpea is deliciously smashed. You could also use a food processor and skip the arm workout!
-
Chop your green onion, celery, shredded carrots, pepper, and pickles.
-
Add to the bowl with your chickpeas, then add mayo, dijon, yellow mustard, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir well to coat.
-
Fold in sunflower seeds and basil (as much or as little as you’d like) and adjust any ingredients to taste.
-
Pile high on bread with all your sandwich fixings or enjoy as a wrap, with crackers, on a salad, or simply dive into the bowl spoon-first – anything goes!
Recipe Notes
This makes a FABULOUS make-ahead dish for lunches during the week and is great on the go too. Pack a sandwich or salad for lunch/school or make it ahead to serve at a party or picnic.
The salad will be great for approx. 4 days in the refrigerator so make it for now, or for later!
Nutrition facts below are an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Simply adjust as needed based on extras and swaps! xo
Adapted from (affiliate) The Oh She Glows Cookbook
special diets and swaps
- Vegansaurus Chefs: Use your favorite vegan mayo and you’re good to go!
- T-rex Chefs: Pretty please promise me you’ll try this?! Put down the bacon and pencil in some plant based lovin’ for lunch today!
- Gluten-Free Chefs: Serve this crunchy chickpea salad in lettuce wraps, salad-style on a bed of greens, or on your favorite GF bread. I’m no stranger to eating this stuff straight out of the bowl with a spoon – so good!
If you get a chance to try this tasty vegetarian chickpea salad sandwich recipe, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
:: pin this chickpea salad sandwich for later ::
Seriously LOVING this healthy Garden Veggie Chickpea Salad Sandwich like WOAH — I can’t wait for you guys to try it!
Jennifer
Definitely my favorite chickpea salad (though I did omit the basil). Delicious!
Leigh
This looks delicious. Going to make it tomorrow. Just want to check what you mean by yellow mustard. Do you mean the Keens powder mustard or just a yellow mustard like you would buy in a bottle?
Jenn
So excited for you to try the recipe, Leigh! Yellow bottled mustard (the condiment) is what I use to give the salad a little oomph.
Brianna
AMAZING! My family loved it.
Gina
Another home run from Peas and Crayons! I don’t like celery so I left that out and added more of the other veggies.
Mary
Two words…absolutely delicious!
Dana
OMG – made this yesterday for lunch! Fantastic!!!
My husband said it was the best salad type sandwich he has ever had.
thank you so much!
I didn’t have any fresh basil on hand – but didn’t miss it a bit. so good.
Dana
Sorry – I forgot to rate it.
Diane
I just made this for this weeks lunches! Had a taste and it’s delicious! I love the added pickles 😋
Tracey
This is absolutely delicious!!!
Thank you for the recipe!
Mary ann Baldwin
You sound like my kind of person. I never read the blog before the recipe, but yours caught my eye and I enjoyed it! I’m going to try the recipe this week and I’ll let you know how it turned out thank you for posting it
Jenn
Mary Ann, I am so excited for you to try this chickpea salad sandwich! It’s one of my favorites and I can’t wait to hear what you think. xoxo
Judy Wright
This chickpea salad is amazing! I felt it was appealing just by seeing the picture . . . it is even more beautiful in your own bowl! Soooo good! I will definitely be making this many, many more times!
Julie
My friend and i made this as part of our meal prep for lunches for the work week and let me tell you! it is wonderful! we substituted roasted red bell pepper for the red bell pepper and cilantro for the basil because thats what we had on hand. we ate it on crackers instead of bread and it actually tastes just like seafood salad. its amazing!
Michelle McMaster
I want to thank you for this amazing recipe – am thanking you before I even prepare it because just reading it caused every sensory response in my body to stand up and applauded. Will write you again when I make it, but had to thank you ASAP!
Jenn
Gahhhh thank you Michelle! I love how stoked you are over this recipe and cannot wait to hear what you think! xoxo
Meri Schroeder
I’ve made a few variations of chickpea salad, and this is my favorite. I didn’t have a few items on hand, so omitted, such as the pickle, celery and red pepper – and it still was wonderful. I also used my own homemade mayonnaise. I topped our sandwiches with homemade hummus, slices of cucumber, tomato slice, fresh basil and micro greens. Delicious!!
Mira
Just what I had a hankering for!! I substituted cauliflower for the celery and sliced almonds for the sunflower seeds and added a couple tablespoons of radish too. No dill or basil this time either but I’d love to make it again with those in. Very filling and healthy, definitely gonna make again. Thanks!!!
VALERIE
Oh my gosh this was so delicious! The flavors together were so tasty I would have had no idea there were chickpeas in it! I put it on a wrap with fresh spinach, arugula and basil from my garden:) The true test will be seeing if my husband will eat it! We are looking to cut back on our meat and this is a delicious alternative!
Sara
One of my new favorite recipes!!!! Soooo delicious!!!!! And equally delicious the next day (and I’m normally not a fan of leftovers)!!!
Liz Palladino
Sooo yummy! The little of bit of pickle and mustard really makes it. I just dipped blue corn chips in it. Will definitely be making again. And again!
Carly
I know I am behind on looking at this great website, but I love this recipe. It’s tangy and flavorful. I used basil paste and almond slivers because I was trying to use those up, but I otherwise didn’t make substitutions. It keeps extremely well and goes well with all the suggested “vehicles” above. I love meat but would prefer this over deli meat any day for the flavor as well as being kind to the planet and it’s animals.
Cathy Wieland
Very tasty recipe! I added roasted pumpkin seeds instead of the sunflower seeds. Will make this again.
Sandy
What is a serving size. I didn’t see it posted
Jenn
Hi Sandy! The nutrition facts are for the filling itself (you can add more or less to your sandwich/salad based on preference and dietary needs) so you’ll divide it into 4 portions and each will be a serving. If you need the servings in cups I can try to calculate it next time we make it — it’s sooooo good I’m always craving this one!
Daphne
This tasted so much better than I thought it would. Will make this over and over.
Janet Boarman
I made this (tho I didn’t have sunflower seeds) and it was absolutely wonderful The second batch will have the seeds in too. Thanks for this: it will be a regular in my fridge (and in between 2 slices of home made bread!)
Rachel
I have made this a half a dozen times now and we love it. My 8 year old picky picky eater is still on the fence about it but my 10 year old likes it.
Lisa
Yummy! We have a variety of eaters in our family that range from carnivores to vegans. It is hard to find something that everyone likes, but this was enjoyed by all. Thanks so much!
Jenn
I’m so glad y’all enjoyed the recipe, Lisa! Thank you!
Rachel
I finally made this recipe today after bookmarking it long ago. I love all things chickpeas so chickpea salads are a natural extension of that adoration. This was delicious. The dill pickle added a wonderful dimension. I swapped out roasted red pepper for the green pepper since I had some in the fridge that needed to be used. Will definitely put this in the rotation of lunch salads. Thanks for putting together a great recipe.
Charlee Griffith
Delicious, even my hubby liked it. A simple, tasty, vegetarian dish that you could use as a dip for your chips as well as a sandwich. Thank you for great recipe.
Jenn
Thank you Charlee!
Rachel
I have made this many times for my family and it is delicious. I am just about to whip up another batch. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Jenn
Save me some!!! Haha so glad you’re loving the recipe Rachel – thank you!
Amy
We just had this for the first time last night and it was AMAZING! I kept picking at it as I was waiting for my husband to get home, I picked at it hours after dinner, and I picked at it right before bed. So satisfying, crunchy, and full of flavor!
John
We’ve made this recipe dozens of times over the last couple of years. It’s refreshing; it’s terrific. ***Try this on french bread***
PS2u2
Thanks John for the inspiration; I’m gonna try this today on toasted sourdough (my favorite sandwich vessel). My fridge is out and I will have to alter the recipe but I have canned goods, bread and herbs out back so I’m sure I can mock this up to work
Lori Graham
Super good! Better than any tuna, chicken or egg salad. My non-vegan husband liked it and I would serve it to company. I did not have red pepper, so I subbed artichoke hearts which worked great. Used ciabatta bread…yum!
Glenda
Wow! This stuff is seriously delicious! I just made it and already regret not doubling the recipe. Bonus is that my husband and I both find it excellent.
Mia
Hi, I’m not a big fan of yellow mustard, would the taste profile change considerably omitting it?with only using Dijon and mayo? Or is there an another option. Suggestion?
Jenn
Hey Mia! Omit away! It won’t alter the recipe significantly.
Mia
I made this for lunch this week; absolutely delicious. Ate it as a wrap as well as on its own. It’s keeper, and I did omit the yellow mustard and was a skeptic of adding pickles(it’s something I don’t buy). You can add so many things. Yum
John
We’ve made this recipe dozens of times over the last couple of years. It’s refreshing; it’s terrific. ***Try this on french bread***
Lisa
This recipe is really great. I’ve been a vegetarian for years and I’m always looking for creative ways to make a sandwich!
Jenn
Thank you Lisa! It’s hands-down my favorite vegetarian sandwich!
Kim
Absolutely delicious and SO easy! LOVE this recipe!!
Veronica
Made this for lunches this week, came out great! Can be adjusted to your personal taste and still be fantastic. Definitely keeping this in my permanent lunch rotation.
I didn’t add any dill or basil and it still is incredibly flavorful. I didn’t have celery so added a bit more dill pickles and sliced some cucumbers (+ tomatoes + spinach) for the sandwich. I could totally eat this plain though. Delicious!
Jenn
It’s so crazy versatile right? I legit make it with whatever I have on hand and it’s always delicious! Thanks for the super sweet review, Veronica. So glad you enjoyed it!
Scarlet
These garden veggie chickpea sandwiches look so good. My daughter is all into chickpeas lately and I love fresh veggies so this will be perfect for us. It is like a better version of a hummus sandwich!
Braxton G
I’ve made this three times in the last month and my wife and I can’t get enough of it. What a fantastic recipe! Thanks.
Jenn
Thank you so much Braxton! I’m honored it’s on repeat in your house!
Sheila Van Hoeter
I have made this twice now. Once with Garbanzo beans and once with white beans. I plan to try tuna next! I make a weeks worth for lunch at work. Easily adaptable to ones personal taste. Love it! Thanks for sharing.
Jenn
Thanks Shelia! I’m so happy you’re enjoying it and having fun experimenting with different mix-ins too! xo
Tam
I made this whole my vegitarian daughter was home for a visit and even the meat eaters loved it. I didn’t have a few of the ingredients so just winged it with what I had and it was great. Thanks for a great recipe?
Kathy Bandli
So, so good ! Thank you for this recipe!
Kelly
This stuff is SO good! My aunt made some for picnicking and I fell in love so much I had to make it myself! However! Mine turned out so much waterier/mushier ? I used a food processor for the veggies…not sure where I went wrong. Still so delicious though! Love it with crackers.
Jenn
So glad you’re loving the recipe Kelly! When you chop your veggies via food processor the blades pulverize the veggies more than a knife would and releases quite a bit of water from them. I typically do the chickpeas in the processor to shred them then hand-chop my veggies. Processing the veggies separate from the chickpeas and then patting the veggies dry or squeezing them dry in a paper towel after processing should help!
Stacy
I just made this recipe just like it is. Its the best chickpeak salad sandwich recipe that I have ever made!!! All the flavors come together perfectly. Highly recommend
PS2u2
You’re so right. I found this recipe promoted by a reader on Forks over Knives. I’m thinking fresh peas, radish and sprouts would bring this a new take as well. Gonna have to try it.
Nancy
This salad is AMAZING! Everybody who has had some has fallen in LOVE!!! I’ve already run out of my first batch (made 2 days ago), and am making some more this afternoon! LOVE LOVE LOVE the flavors!! THANK YOU!!!
Jenn
So stoked you’re loving it Nacny – thank you! We make it often too – it’s hard to resist!
Stacy
Do you think a sugar free, fat free greek yogurt would work as a good alt to the mayo?
Jenn
Hi Stacy! I bet Greek yogurt would make an excellent swap!
PS2u2
I’ve used that too but it kind of tastes like sour cream to me as an ingredient replacement. If you have a blender, you can easily make your own mayo.
Grab a cup of oil (flavor you don’t mind and not cold) & set aside to add last. Start with soy or any milk (not sweetened) around 1/2 cup, room temp. , add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar & 2-4 pinches salt to taste.
Blend a few minutes then add the oil till it thickens. Actually, if you like it more as a drizzle, you don’t have to blend too much. Remember that vinegar/oil/ or water ratios are a necessary balance for any dressing (including Mayo) as to not harm the balance of intestinal flora. I like to add ranch packet to taste as well as crushed olives and fresh herbs at the end….depending on the dish.
PS2u2
Also,
ASHLEIGH
Had an awesome idea. Substituting Mayo for an avocado. Mashed avocados are a wonderful and easy substitute
Vivian Sullivan
One of my clients told me of this recipe she would make for a vegetarian bride to be’s shower. I was skeptical! The more I eat it the more I like it. I brought in a bowl to work and my coworkers couldn’t stop eating it!
It’s really just delicious. I used fresh dill & followed the recipe pretty closely.
Jenn
Thank you so much Vivian! I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
Christa Claridge
My daughter and I are obsessed with this. It’s delicious, and so versatile… over a plain baked potato for dinner, in a sandwich for lunch, sometimes I add roasted red peppers, sometimes a few slices of mushrooms, whatever is handy. No matter what, it’s absolutely delicious. Thank you for a wonderful meal idea!
Christine
Delicious!!! Didn’t put any pickle in since I didn’t have any and just eyeballed the salt, pepper and mustard. Soooo good!!!
Brandi
I might have “accidentally”Added too much mayo, 🙂
Either way this was delicious and so easy to make! Thank you!
Melissa
SO good! Never would have thought to make chickpea salad sandwiches before but this was so yummy! Thanks so much!
Jenn
Thank you Melissa! xo
Laura
This is one of my favorite go-to recipes! I make a double batch on Sundays and enjoy it for lunch through the week. Thanks so much!
Ttrockwood
SO DELICIOUS!!
I had fresh dill but no basil on hand so i just added a lot of fresh dill, and more sunflower seeds (probably 1/4c) cuz i am OBSESSED with their salty crunch.
Love this scooped onto cucumber slices and bell pepper chunks as well as ontop of some arugula spinach salad.
Sorry you’re a millenial ;)) I’m just barely too old to qualify! Haha, somehow I’m good with that.
Just don’t say YOLO or “hashtag” in conversations and you can probably keep hiding that fact in public 😉
Jenn
HUZZAHH! So stoked you enjoyed the chickpea salad! Haha and you will never ever ever hear me utter YOLO but is it okay if I ironically use hashtag a la that hilarious Justin Timberlake hashtag video? Tell me you know the one!
Megan
So glad I found this recipe, it’s so easy and yummy. I have a food diary on my blog with what I’ve been eating for our 2 week clean eating challenge, and I’ve had this probably 3 times already!
Jenn
Ahhhh yay!!!! Thank you Megan!
Colleen
I loved this! It was so delicious and my “Trex” friends liked it too and said it tasted just like chicken salad
Jenn
Stoked that it even won over the T-Rex peeps! Thank you Colleen!
Laury
Just made this for lunch. Didn’t have pickles so subbed capers. Super delicious, hearty and satisfying.
Jenn
Capers sound like a awesome addition to the chickpea salad! Thanks Laury!
Amanda
Omg!! This is so delicious!! Thank you for this recipe!
Btw I added a finely chopped jalapeno…we like all things spicy in our house
Jenn
Freaking over the added jalapeño – SOUNDS AMAZING! Thanks Amanda!
Stephanie
This was delicious. I’m passing this on to my friends. Perfect with a toasted whole grain quality bread.
Jenn
Thank you so much Stephanie!
Shannon
I made this today, I added cilantro instead of basil because I did not have any on hand. This is seriously delicious! I read all the reviews and they are all correct! Excellent recipe! Thank you for sharing this, my son is a new to being vegitarian and I saw this recipe and homerun, he loves it!
Nancy A.
I just made this chickpea salad this morning and have it in the fridge for lunch! It was so easy to put together and is so colorful! I can’t wait till lunch to try it! Such a fun recipe, you can make it with whatever you want. Thank you for this one!!!
Jen
Wow! This is soooooo delicious! It will def be a regular in my house! Even my 13 year old like it!
Emily Larsen
Do you completely mash the beans or leave them a little chunky?
Jenn
Hey Emily! I like mine mashed up real well since they’re less likely to catapult out the side of the sandwich (great visual eh? lol) BUT you can do either, especially if you want to serve it atop a bed of greens! My favorite method lately is to just use my food processor to pulse it all up so it looks almost like flaked tuna salad but it’s alllll chickpeas! xoxo
Charlyn Ellis
I. Cannot. Wait. To. Try. This. Thank you for you passion, thank you for sharing.
Amanda
This is an absolutely stellar recipe! Even my young kids enjoyed eating this! I think I may buy pita bread to stuff this into next time so It doesn’t fall out! Thank you, this will be in my regular rotation!
Barbara Swenson
Thank you for the garden veggie mix for a sandwich plus.Absolutely delicious!
gina
i’ve already shared this with 3 friends as i stand here continuing to stuff my face IT’S SO GOOD
Rebecca
I only had half the ingredients to make this and it still tasted amazing!!!! My new go-to for sure!!!!
Shalyn
This was SO DELICIOUS. My only complaint is that the salad mixture kept squeezing out the side of my sandwich, so I couldn’t eat it as fast as I wanted. I’m already thinking about how soon I can eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. . .
Jenn
LOL! As a speed-eater I totally feel you! So stoked you loved this chickpea salad as much as I do!! I make it once a week and the leftovers rock!
Shanna
This is delicious! I’ve been a vegetarian for 22 yrs- finally found something that fills that “need” for tuna salad. AMAZING!
DianeF
So. Very. Good!
Thank you!
Brandy
Oh my goodness!!!! I just made this and it is to die for!!!
Dominique
I love, love, love this recipe!! Thank you so much for sharing it with us, it is definitely a keeper ?
Jenn
Thank you Dominique! So stoked you enjoyed it!
Karen
So, so good. I got this recipe from a vegan friend, but it’s perfect for our kosher-keeping household. I’m always looking for parve (dairy-free, meat free) recipes to add to my arsenal and this one is such a keeper. I made it with vegan mayo so that said vegan friend could also eat it and it was amazing! I followed the recipe exactly as written, except I didn’t have any fresh basil so without the basil.
Jenn
Ahhhh yay! So so glad to hear it! Thank you Karen!