Chickpea Salad Sandwich

This delicious smashed chickpea salad sandwich is like a vegan chicken salad topped on the best soft gluten-free bun. This post is sponsored by Little Northern Bakehouse, but all opinions are my own. 

I used to love chicken salad. It was a go-to to grab from our favorite grocery store deli with a loaf of bread. Since I no longer eat chicken, I wanted to make a vegan chicken salad loaded with herbs and celery. Like in my Chickpea Vegetable Soup, chickpeas are a wonderful alternative to chicken. They’re a similar color, a nice source of plant-based protein, and their mild flavor can take on just about any flavor. 

This chickpea salad sandwich is a simple and satisfying lunch. It’s made with soft gluten-free plant-based buns, lettuce, and our homemade vegan “chicken” chickpea salad.

How to Make Vegan “Chicken” Salad

The base of this chickpea salad recipe a humble can of chickpeas. Drain and rinse. 

You’ll notice chickpeas have an outer skin. This salad tastes best with the skins removed, but it’s not mandatory if you’re in a rush. You can use your fingers to squeeze the skins off individually, or rub a bunch of them at a time gently between two towels, then pick out the skins. 

Transfer all the peeled chickpeas to a medium sized bowl. Use a fork to roughly mash them up. 

Now we add the same ingredients I loved in my classic chicken salad. I used vegan mayonnaise to keep the flavors classic, but if you don’t like mayo, you can also use half a smashed avocado. It’s delicious both ways. Celery and onion add a nice fresh crunch. I love to add lots of dill or chopped parsley for extra flavor. 

Once the vegan chicken salad mixture is creamy and combined, season it up with some salt and pepper. 

Assemble the Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

My very favorite gluten-free bread and buns happen to be plant-based too! Little Northern Bakehouse Millet & Chia Buns are so soft and delicious it’s hard to believe they are gluten-free. I’ll be using these buns for my veggie burgers from now on. They are Non-GMO project verified and made with quality ingredients like millet and chia. Toast the buns for a little added texture and crunch just before filling with chickpea salad or anything else. 

I like to keep this chickpea salad sandwich simple and only add some lettuce. Sliced cucumber would be a nice addition too. I don’t find that the buns need any spread at all since the salad is creamy itself. 

Serving Your Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

• Wrap them up in parchment for a picnic and keep cool in a cooler. 
• Serve for dinner with a cup of homemade Tomato Basil Soup.