This no mayo chickpea salad sandwich recipe is my favourite vegan sandwich. It’s extremely filling, flavourful and versatile. With no mayo, this chickpea salad is a lighter option that is nutritionally balanced. The end result is a creamy and moist chickpea salad sandwich, with no mayo, that’s perfect for meal prep.
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How to Make Vegan Chickpea Salad with No Mayo
Most vegan chickpea salad recipes with no mayo substitute the mayo for avocado. Avocados are a tasty option but they brown easily. This can be problematic for meal prep.
Instead of using avocado as a mayo substitute in this vegan chickpea salad, I’ve used an alternative, meal prep friendly ingredient: Hummus!
Hummus is a creamy and nutritious option. It also adds extra flavouring from the garlic and tahini in the hummus. You can experiment with different flavoured hummus as well.
If you still want avocado in your no mayo chickpea salad sandwich, use it as a topping. This way, you can add fresh avocado each day you make a chickpea sandwich!
Is this a Chickpea “Tuna” Salad Recipe?
Lots of people are interested in chickpea salad recipes as a vegan alternative to tuna salad. While I personally don’t think this recipe tastes like tuna, it’s still a great vegan sandwich alternative. All the vegan chickpea salad sandwiches I’ve tried taste far more like a chicken salad, to me.
Regardless, this is a tasty recipe and can be used in the same way you would tuna salad.
How to Mash Chickpeas for the Best Vegan Chickpea Salad
Mashing chickpeas is the hardest part of making vegan chickpea salad. There are a few options you can use:
- A regular potato masher: Depending on the masher, this could turn into a bit of an arm workout!
- A food processer: If you have a processor, whipping up the chickpeas in it is certainly an easier alternative.
- Serrated edge “cookie cutter”: This may sound a bit weird but it’s what I use to mash my chickpeas. The one I have is really old but looks exactly like this product here.
- Pastry cutter: If the blades of your pastry cutter are pretty solid, it is also a great option for really cutting through chickpeas to create a mashed texture.
Canned or Home-cooked Chickpeas: Which are Better for Chickpea Salad?
Cooking chickpeas from scratch is fantastic but sometimes the end result is a chickpea with a bit more of a “bite” (firmer texture). This may make mashing your chickpeas challenging, unless you plan to use a food processor.
Canned chickpeas are a great choice for making a vegan chickpea salad with no mayo. Canned chickpeas are almost always softer compared to the texture achieved by cooking chickpeas at home.
In addition, canned chickpeas usually offer more moisture to the final product. This can help make a no mayo chickpea salad sandwich creamier.
Canned chickpeas are also convenient and inexpensive.
Aim for a no salt added brand of canned chickpeas if possible!
Chickpea Salad Sandwich Topping Ideas
You can top your vegan chickpea salad sandwich with anything you like. Some favourites are:
- Avocado
- Lettuce/ leafy greens
- Tomato
- Mustard/ Dijon mustard
- Pickles
- Onion/ red onion
- Sliced cucumber
Other Ways to Enjoy a No Mayo Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Not wanting a sandwich? This recipe for chickpea salad sandwich with no mayo is extremely versatile. Other ways to serve a no mayo chickpea salad sandwich are:
- As a dip for crackers or veggies
- In a wrap (tortilla or lettuce)
- Served on a bed of leafy greens as a salad
- Spread onto toast (for a fantastic breakfast) – great topping for avocado toast as well!
How Long Does Chickpea Salad Sandwich Filling Last?
Since we aren’t using mashed avocado in this recipe, there’s no worry about the filling going brown! This chickpea salad sandwich filling will last a week in the fridge which is why it’s perfect for meal prep!
I’d love to see your chickpea sandwich creations! If you make this recipe, feel free to post a picture on Instagram and tag me @lettucevegout so I can drool over your awesome chickpea salad.
Chickpea Salad Sandwich No Mayo
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Can Opener
- Masher or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 29 oz can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
- 1/3 C finely chopped celery
- 1/4 C finely chopped onion
- 1/3 – 1/2 C finely chopped dill pickle
- 1 1/2 tbsp pickle juice
- 2/3 – 3/4C hummus
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
Instructions
- Mash the chickpeas using one of the methods described above (potato masher, food processor, serrated "cookie cutter", pastry cutter).
- Finely chop the onion (1/4 C), celery (1/3 C) and pickles (1/3 - 1/2 C) and stir into the chickpeas.
- Stir in pickle juice (1 1/2 tbsp) and hummus (2/3 - 3/4 C). Add extra hummus to reach desired texture/ creaminess.
- Stir in the spices. Spices are to taste so add more if you like. Salt, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder are other tasty options.
- Serve on your favourite bread, crackers, wraps etc or use the creative serving ideas above!
Notes
Nutrition
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This is and updated post: original post date Dec 2016.
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