Creamy Chickpea Salad Sandwiches (vegan)

Growing up I used to love chicken salad sandwiches, probably one of my favorite childhood lunch memories. Chicken salad is a cinch to make, so a simple vegan version is a no-brainer recipe for me. I use crushed chickpeas instead of chicken and my all-purpose vegan cream sauce instead of mayo. Of course you can use whatever you want to bind the salad, whether yogurt, mayo or their vegan equivalents. I always have some of my homemade cashew or sunflower seed cream on hand and this salad is a great use for it.

In terms of mix-ins, I’m using toasted walnuts, celery and fresh tarragon for this one, but the options are literally endless (maybe halved grapes, raining, pecans, dried cranberries, diced cucumber or fresh parsley). I love tarragon in my chickpea salad because it reminds me of my favorite chicken salad from childhood. Their chicken salad club sandwich was a staple of my youth.

Creamy Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
servings: 4

Ingredients

2 14-oz cans chickpeas, drained/rinsed (garbanzo beans)
3/4 to 1 cup savory cashew cream (recipe here, you’ll need one full batch)
3/4 teaspoons salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
2-4 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
1 to 1.5 cups mix-ins of choice (see below for pictured combo)

2/3 cup diced celery
1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves, chopped (2 tbs chopped)
1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts, optional

For Serving

bread or wrap of choice (4 servings)
fresh romaine lettuce, whole or shredded

To Make

In a mixing bowl, crush chickpeas until they just begin to turn to a paste and holds together slightly (see photos). I use a pastry cutter or a fork for this task usually, but you can also pulse in a food processor.

Add celery and nuts (if using) and stir to combine. Add 3/4 cup cashew cream plus salt, pepper and 2-4 tablespoons lemon juice. Stir in chopped tarragon. Need it creamier? Add more cream to consistency, I like it super creamy. You can also add a small splash of water to loosen the dressing consistency. If you have any extra cream, use it as a mayo spread on the sandwiches. Add more salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Divide fresh romaine lettuce, leftover cashew cream and chickpea salad onto sandwiches.

Notes

Use any binder you want instead of the homemade cashew/sunflower seed cream. Mayo and yogurt are good options, both also come in vegan versions. You’ll need less mayo/yogurt than my “cream” so add a little at a time to achieve desired consistency.

I added 4 tablespoons lemon juice (1/4 cup, 1 lemon). For a subtler lemon flavor reduce to 2 tablespoons.