Meatless Monday – Chickpea Salad Sandwich
You know those nights when you just don’t feel like standing over the stove and cooking dinner? The nights when a sandwich is the perfect answer? Chickpea Salad is the meat free answer to those nights!
Chickpea Salad is a go-to recipe of mine. I honestly make this stuff all the time- for lunch and dinner. It’s easy, tasty and healthy and makes a great addition to your food repertoire.
I have nothing but love for the chickpea, or garbanzo bean. It’s loaded with protein and fiber and it makes a healthy and satisfying meal any time of day. This salad mimics the texture of a tuna or chicken salad, but has the added health benefits of the chickpea. Chickpeas are high in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin B-6 and magnesium. Served on whole wheat bread, they are a complete protein that contains necessary amino acids most vegetarian meals can’t provide
I like to mash my chickpeas in the single serve cup of my blender, but you can do them with a fork if you prefer – it just takes some extra work as they are a little tough to fork mash. I use canned chickpeas, and I blend them half a can at a time, pulsing just two or three times. If you blend them too much you will have hummus. What you want is a salad with texture. Here is my Chickpea Salad recipe:
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas
- 1 small carrot, washed and grated
- 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise (I use Just Mayo)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (totally optional)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- pinch salt and pepper
- Blend chickpeas, half a can at a time, pulsing just two or three times until mashed but chunky
- Put mashed chickpeas into a medium mixing bowl
- Add carrot, mayonnaise, nutritional yeast if using, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper
- Mix well with a fork until all ingredients are combined and the mixture resembles chicken or tuna salad
- Serve on bread of your choice, in a bowl, or wrapped in a lettuce leaf
I think a Chickpea Salad Sandwich is a filling, satisfying lunch or dinner for the whole family. I love to serve it on bread,with some pickles and chips on the side, but that might just be the diner-loving New Jerseyan in me coming out. I often send this to school in my daughter’s lunch box because she likes it and I know it fuels her with plenty of protein in the middle of her busy day.
You could use a wrap, or even a lettuce leaf if you want to keep it gluten free. Honestly, when I make this salad for myself I sometimes eat it straight out of the bowl!
What’s your go-to, meatless easy weeknight dinner?