Supreme Vegetarian Chickpea Salad Sandwich | 23g Protein
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This vegetarian chickpea salad sandwich is kind of like a tuna salad, but better because it’s, well, vegetarian.
It’s got 23g of protein, none of the overfishing and is so tasty that it will almost certainly become a staple on your lunchtime circuit.
The texture of the smashed chickpeas emulates the soft, hearty filling of tuna sandwiches.
Chickpeas easily absorb the flavours of seasonings – here, dill, onion powder, salt – for a tasty vegetarian sandwich which will knock the usual cheese and tomato offerings out of the park (for more groundbreaking vegetarian sandwich ideas, check out these!).
What are the health benefits of this chickpea salad sandwich?
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans if you’re American, offer a number of health benefits that make this sandwich super healthy as well as delicious.
Chickpeas are actually a legume, and one of the most popular at that, often used as a substitute for meat in vegetarian and vegan dishes due to the high levels of protein they contain.
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Eating plenty of protein helps to keep you feeling full long after the meal has ended, thereby helping to reduce your appetite in between meals.
In fact, a scientific review found that those who ate at least one portion of legumes a day were more likely to lose weight than those who didn’t!
As if that wasn’t already a pretty compelling reason to try this chickpea salad sandwich recipe for lunch this week, chickpeas may also help to combat iron deficiency.
A cup of chickpeas contains 26% of the recommended daily value of iron, which is important for the normal production of red blood cells, as well as vitamin C which helps iron absorption.
Vegetarians and vegans in particular must be careful to keep their iron levels in a healthy range, through eating plenty of plant based proteins.
This sandwich is a great place to start, but check out this vegetarian banh mi sandwich and this lentil quinoa salad for more legume based lunch friendly recipes!
For more healthy vegetarian lunch options, follow our vegetarian weight loss meal plan or our vegetarian high protein meal plan!
What else makes this the best chickpea salad sandwich?
Okay, so we’ve focused a lot on the chickpeas in this recipe and with good reason, they’re amazing.
But let’s not forget the support they’re getting from the low fat cream cheese and sour cream they’re mixed with.
These give the chickpeas a creamy, mayo style coating but are much lower in fat than mayo, making them a healthier alternative.
Finally, the radishes in this recipe give this sandwich a peppery, slightly spicy edge.
Try this chickpea salad sandwich and you’ll never be stuck with cheese sandwiches again!
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup chickpeas, cooked
- 2 ½ tbsp low fat Greek yogurt
- 2 ½ tbsp low fat cottage cheese
- 2 sprigs dill, fresh
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 ½ tbsp capers
- 1 tbsp water
- Salt to taste
- 1 oz baby spinach
- 2 radishes
- 4 slices wholegrain bread (or ciabatta/baguette)
Instructions
- In the bowl of the food processor add the chickpeas, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, dill leaves, onion powder, capers, water and salt. Process until it’s semi smooth, and has some small chunks of chickpea. Taste and add more salt if necessary.1.5 cup chickpeas, cooked, 2 ½ tbsp low fat Greek yogurt, 2 ½ tbsp low fat cottage cheese, 2 sprigs dill, fresh, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 ½ tbsp capers, 1 tbsp water, Salt to taste
- Slice radishes.2 radishes
- Divide the bread for two servings and toast if you wish to.4 slices wholegrain bread
- Fill bread with chickpea salad, sliced radish, and baby spinach.1 oz baby spinach
NOTES
- Tips: I would definitely use wholegrain bread! Keep the filling and the bread separate if you plan to eat it more than a couple of hours after making.
- Make-ahead? Yes, just keep filling and bread separate.
- Freezable? Yes, but freeze bread and filling separately.
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Nutrition
If you liked this why not also check out this amazing vegetarian coronation chicken baguette!
Due to my husband’s aversion to yogurt and cottage cheese (bummer!), I pureed all ingredients except chickpeas first, then added chickpeas and gave them a quick spin to chop slightly. I ended up with a hummus-like dip, but it was a happy accident for me. With a squeeze of lemon juice, it makes a delicious high protein hummus!
I think there could be lots of possibilities for flavor options, too!
Haha, glad it worked out well anyway! Agreed, there is a certain hummus-like taste to it (not a bad thing D). And yes, lots of extra options too. I’m glad you both enjoyed it!
Delicious! This is one of the best tasting vegetarian sandwich fillings I have ever tried!
I added 1/4 c. diced onion and celery, used dried dill and another tablespoon or two of water. I mashed the chickpeas and capers instead of using a blender and refrigerated the salad for an hour before using.
Served the first time in a pita, second time open face on whole grain toast topped with thinly sliced radish and cucumber.
No more smelly tuna for me!
Hi Patty – awesome!! I’m really glad you found it and love it so much. I do too! Your additions sound very tasty as well. No more smelly tuna indeed!
Pretty good recipe but very dry mix. Would be fantastic as a hummus type dip, not sure if I like it in a sandwich.
Give it a try Sheena! In my humble opinion it’s amazing in a sandwich! This one has become a firm fave 🙂