Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich

This Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich recipe is easy to make and perfect for lunch! It's vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and full of flavor.

I love this Curry Chickpea Salad when I'm looking for a quick and easy meal to enjoy for lunch or a light dinner. It's perfect mashed and served as a spread on a sandwich, in a wrap, or in a lettuce wrap.

This is one of those recipes that provides maximum flavor with minimal effort. It only takes a few minutes to prepare this chickpea salad sandwich, making it a great choice for an easy meal or to meal prep.

I was introduced to Curried Chickpea Salad a few years ago when my husband and I stopped for lunch at a coffee shop while on a road trip. It was served on bread and I was kind of blown away by its simplicity and the amount of flavor it packed.

It became a goal of mine to replicate the dish after we returned home from our trip. After some tinkering, I think I ended up somewhere in the realm of the one I ordered that day.

This recipe has since become a staple in our home and I love it especially during the summer months when I want something fast, flavorful, and healthy without needing to turn on the oven.

Jump to:

• Are Chickpeas Healthy?
• Ingredients For Curried Chickpea Salad
• How To Make Curry Mayo Dressing
• How To Make Curry Chickpea Salad
• Should I Mash The Chickpeas?
• How To Serve Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich
• What To Serve With Chickpea Salad
• How Long Does Chickpea Salad Last In The Fridge?
• Can Chickpea Salad Be Frozen?
• Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Are Chickpeas Healthy?

Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are one of the best ingredients to have on hand in your pantry. They are super healthy and you can purchase them dried or canned and use either version in an endless variety of ways.

Dried chickpeas have superior flavor and health benefits, but they need to be soaked and cooked before use.

Canned chickpeas offer a convenience factor when preparing a simple recipe like this one that can't be beat. I always keep a few cans of chickpeas in the pantry specifically for quick and easy meals.

It's best to drain and rinse canned chickpeas to remove any excess salt.

Chickpeas are high in both fiber and protein making them a great option for a vegetarian and/or vegan diet.

They are also high in key vitamins and minerals such as manganese, folate, iron, and magnesium.

Ingredients For Curried Chickpea Salad

Chickpeas a truly a versatile ingredient found in cuisines all over the world. They form the base of some of the most popular dishes out there, such as falafel and hummus.

They can be roasted and added to salad, braised along with meat and vegetables, marinated with olive oil and spices, added to soups and stews, used to make quinoa bowls, or turned into a dip or spread.

I love chickpeas, because they tend to soak up the flavor of whatever is added to them. This Chickpea Salad picks up the flavor of the curry powder beautifully.

This recipe follows the concept of chicken salad, tuna salad, or egg salad - It's combined with mayo, few spices, mashed and then spread on toasted bread with lots of fresh veggies.

This chickpea salad can also be added to a wrap, rolled into lettuce or collard green wrap, or simply eaten on its own with raw veggies or crackers.

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 2 15 oz. cans Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• ⅓ cup Vegan Mayo (or regular mayo if preferred)
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 ½ Tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 2 ½ Tbsp. Curry Powder
• ¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper (optional)
• ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
• ⅛ tsp. Pepper
• Gluten Free Bread, Wraps, or Pita Bread for serving (or regular bread if not gluten free)
• Lettuce or greens of choice
• Tomatoes
• Micro Greens or Sprouts (optional)

How To Make Curry Mayo Dressing

The glue that ties this Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich all together is the curry mayo dressing that is drizzled over the chickpeas.

As far as dressings go, it doesn't get much easier than this one!

1. Combine ⅓ cup vegan mayo (or regular mayo if preferred), 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 ½ Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 ½ Tbsp. curry powder, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional), ¼ tsp. kosher salt, and ⅛ tsp. pepper in a small bowl. Stir until completely combined with a fork or small whisk.
2. Grate 2 cloves of garlic into the dressing with a Microplane or small grater (you can mince the garlic cloves finely if you do not have a Microplane) and stir until completely combined.

This recipe is vegan and uses vegan mayo, which can be found in the refrigerated health foods section of your local grocery store.

Feel free to use regular mayo if you prefer. I have made this recipe using both vegan and regular mayo and both work just fine.

You can add the cayenne pepper if you prefer more spice in your chickpea salad, but this step is completely optional.

How To Make Curry Chickpea Salad

Once the dressing is prepared, it's time to drizzle it over the drained and rinsed chickpeas.

1. Drain and rinse 2 15 oz. cans of chickpeas and place into a large bowl (rinsing the chickpeas will get rid of excess salt).
2. Pour the curry mayo dressing over the chickpeas.
3. Stir the curry mayo dressing into the chickpeas until completely combined.

Should I Mash The Chickpeas?

It's entirely up to you whether or not to mash the chickpeas.

Mashing them does change the texture a bit, turning the mixture more into a 'spread'. I find that mashing the chickpeas makes it easier to serve on bread as a sandwich, because it stays in place better than leaving the chickpeas whole.

I prefer to leave the chickpeas whole when adding them to a wrap, pita bread, or using as a dip.

1. If you do mash the chickpeas, it's best to use something like a potato masher.
2. Mash the chickpeas to your desired consistency. You can mash them halfway, or all the way to turn them into a 'spread'.

How To Serve Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Here is my favorite way to enjoy this chickpea salad, if serving in a sandwich.

I recommend toasting the bread a bit before adding the chickpea spread and any veggies. This will firm it up a bit and keep everything in place more than if the bread is completely soft.

This recipe is gluten free and uses gluten free bread, but you can use any type of bread if gluten is not an issue for you. I love Canyon Bakehouse, Schar, and Udi's are all great gluten free options.

1. Slice 1-2 tomatoes.
2. Lightly toast a few slices of bread. Add some lettuce (or greens of choice) and top with the tomato slices.
3. Add desired amount of the chickpea spread on top of the tomatoes.
4. Top the curried chickpeas with microgreens or sprouts.
5. Top with the second slice of bread.
6. Cut sandwich in half (if desired).

You can top these sandwiches with ANY veggies you like. Here are some great veggie topping ideas:

• Onions
• Bell Peppers
• Cucumbers
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Collard Greens
• Pickled Veggies

You can also add this chickpea salad to a wrap, stuff into pita bread, in lettuce cups, or eat as a dip with sliced raw veggies or crackers.

What To Serve With Chickpea Salad

This is one of those versatile dishes that can be served with any number of sides.

It goes great with a light and tangy salad like pickled beet feta salad, healthy pea mint salad, marinated green bean salad, or fresh tomato basil salad.

Sandwiches like this one are perfect with a healthy soup like roasted carrot ginger soup, Thai potato corn chowder, or Instant Pot lentil spinach soup.

For a healthy side dish, this Mediterranean tahini roasted cauliflower, garlic roasted green beans, and Asian roasted Brussels sprouts are great options.

Looking for more lunch recipes? Don't miss these!

• Dill Egg Salad
• Tarragon Chicken Salad
• Mediterranean Veggie Naan Pizza
• Wild Rice Chicken Salad
• Mustard Egg Salad
• Lemon Basil Chicken Salad
• Vietnamese Shrimp Salad

How Long Does Chickpea Salad Last In The Fridge?

This chickpea salad lasts 3-4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It's great for meal prep, as it can be prepared and stored for a few days in the fridge.

You can definitely cut this recipe in half if you prefer a smaller amount.

Can Chickpea Salad Be Frozen?

I would not recommend freezing this dish as it really is best fresh.

Seriously, this is Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich is SO easy to make and I promise you it will be a welcome change from boring old peanut butter or turkey or any other go-to sandwich staples. It's perfect for lunch at the office or a summer picnic.

Looking for more sandwich recipes? Don't miss these!

• Italian Pesto Grilled Cheese
• Chipotle Chicken Panini
• Corned Beef Reuben Sandwich
• Turkey Rachel Sandwich
• BLT with Lemon Basil Mayo
• Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese

Looking For More Chickpea Recipes? Don't Miss These!

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Air Fryer Chickpeas

Instant Pot Kung Pao Chickpeas