Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

A quick and easy vegetarian curried chickpea recipe that’s bursting with flavor. Add to a sandwich with your favorite vegetables for a super healthy lunch!

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A few years ago my husband and I were on our way to Duluth,MN. It was a 4.5 hour drive from where we lived. I don’t know about you but I need coffee and some kind of sustenance to keep me going on a trip like that. We mapped out a coffee shop halfway through our route and stopped to caffeinate ourselves. Normally I would order a dry cappuccino and some kind of baked goodie to tide me over but I must have been feeling especially peckish that day because I decided to order a sandwich off the menu. I was introduced to what remains one of my favorite sandwiches on earth – The Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich. I was blown away by the flavor of that humble-looking sandwich. It became my new life goal to learn how to make it at home. There was no way I was going to wait until the next time we drove to Duluth for that sandwich. After some tinkering I think I nailed it. And now I’m sharing the goodness with you guys.

You can top this sandwich with any kind of vegetables you like but these are the ones I have settled on: fresh spinach, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, and peppers. The vegetables just add a pop of freshness and brighten up the flavor of the curry. Simply slice a tomato or two, 2 cups of spinach, 1 bell pepper (red, orange, yellow, or green), and a cup or so of sprouts. Set the vegetables aside until assembly.

This curried chickpea salad is prepared much like a chicken salad or tuna salad recipe. It’s incredibly easy to make and only takes about 10 minutes altogether. Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are a legume that’s super high in protein. To make the salad portion of this dish: drain and rinse 2 15 oz. cans of chickpeas and place into a large bowl. To the chickpeas add 1/3 cup of vegan mayo (you can use regular mayo as well but the vegan mayo is a lighter and healthier option), 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 1/2 Tbsp. curry powder, 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on desired spice level), 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and a pinch of pepper. Mix all of these ingredients together until completely combined. Mash the mixture with a potato masher until you reach the desired texture.

The texture of this curried chickpea mixture is up to you. I like it about ‘halfway mashed’. You can mash it until it is completely spreadable or leave the chickpeas completely whole. I’ll let you decide. This curried chickpea salad works great in a wrap, in a pita, or as a sandwich. If you go for the sandwich I recommend toasting the bread a bit. This will firm it up a bit and help hold all of the ingredients in place. Place a handful of spinach on one half of the sandwich along with a few heaping scoops of the curried chickpea mixture. Then add the sprouts, tomatoes, and peppers.

In the words of Ina Garten, ‘How easy was that?’ Seriously, this is sandwich is so easy to make and I promise you will be a welcome change from boring old peanut butter or turkey or any other go-to sandwich staples. The chickpeas are hearty enough to fill you up and the fresh vegetables keep it nice and light. Perfect for lunch at the office or a summer picnic. Plus, anything with curry powder is a winner in my book. Here’s to turning simple pantry ingredients like the chickpea into crazy-flavorful sandwiches. Lunchtime just got a whole lot more exciting!

Pottery by Bill Gossman.

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Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

Prep Time

10 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

A quick and easy vegetarian curried chickpea recipe that's bursting with flavor. Add to a sandwich with your favorite vegetables for a super healthy lunch!

Course: Sandwich

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 6

Calories: 298 kcal

Author: Christine Rooney

Ingredients

• 2 15 oz. cans chickpeas
• 1/3 cup vegan mayo
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper depending on desired spice level
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• pinch pepper
• 1 loaf bread
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 large tomato
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 cup alfalfa sprouts

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Mince 2 cloves of garlic. Slice tomato and bell pepper.

2. Drain and rinse 2 15 oz. cans of chickpeas. Place chickpeas in large bowl.

3. To the chickpeas add: 1/3 cup vegan mayo, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 1/2 Tbsp. curry powder, 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and a pinch of pepper. Mix until ingredients are completely combined.

4. Mash the chickpeas with a potato masher. The chickpea mixture can remain 'halfway mashed' or completely mashed to create a spread.

5. Lightly toast bread.

6. Add a handful of spinach, a few heaping scoops of curried chickpea mixture, sprouts, tomatoes, and peppers to toasted bread. Top with second piece of bread and cut in half.

Recipe Notes

Regular mayo can be substituted for vegan mayo.

Adjust salt levels to your liking.

Nutrition Facts

Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

Amount Per Serving

Calories 298

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.