Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwich

This tasty Garden Veggie Chickpea Salad Sandwich is a plant-based powerhouse of a lunch! Make it in advance for a party or picnic or to take along as an easy weekday lunch for work or school.

You’ll Need:

FOR THE SALAD:

• 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained + rinsed
• 3 stalks green onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/4 cup chopped shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup store bought or homemade mayonnaise vegan or regular
• 1-2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
• 1/8 tsp dried dill or fresh, to taste
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 3 TBSP unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
• 2 TBSP fresh chopped basil plus extra to taste

FOR THE SANDWICH:

• multi-grain sandwich bread
• arugula or romaine lettuce
• extra basil as desired
• optional tomatoes and/or red onion

TASTY SANDWICH SPREAD OPTIONS:

• spicy mustard
• hummus
• mayo

Instructions:

1. Drain and rinse your chickpeas and add them to a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher until texture appears flaked, almost like tuna salad. I use both a potato masher and follow up with a fork to make sure every chickpea is deliciously smashed. You could also use a food processor and skip the arm workout!
2. Chop your green onion, celery, shredded carrots, pepper, and pickles.
3. Add to the bowl with your chickpeas, then add mayo, dijon, yellow mustard, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir well to coat.
4. Fold in sunflower seeds and basil (as much or as little as you'd like) and adjust any ingredients to taste.
5. Pile high on bread with all your sandwich fixings or enjoy as a wrap, with crackers, on a salad, or simply dive into the bowl spoon-first - anything goes!

NOTES:

• This makes a FABULOUS make-ahead dish for lunches during the week and is great on the go too. Pack a sandwich or salad for lunch/school or make it ahead to serve at a party or picnic.
• The salad will be great for approx. 4 days in the refrigerator so make it for now, or for later!

Source: peasandcrayons.com