I have long been contemplating trying a Chickpea salad sandwich recipe. I had seen several floating around. Now that it’s summer, it has really motivated me to give it a go! There is something about summer and wanting something light for lunch that reminds me of either tuna salad or chicken salad sandwiches. But of course tuna & chicken are off limits now – I don’t really miss meat anymore – but I do miss the creamy texture of chicken salad.

The secret sweetness to this recipe is fresh pineapple

So I decided to give it a go. I first tried this recipe by the Minimalist Baker and it was good, but I wanted to create something with a little more classic flavor and sweetness. My favorite chicken salad was the Jason’s Deli and it’s because they put pineapple in their recipe.

It turned out SO delicious! Perfect for a summer lunch or BBQ when you need a vegan option that everyone will enjoy!

I prefer to use fresh pineapple when I have it, but I have used canned in a pinch. Though try to find a canned version that doesn’t have added sugar or at least try to rinse the pineapple well to remove some of it if you have to.

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What are chickpeas?

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a type of legume, or bean, and contain a lot of protein & fiber but none of the cholesterol or saturated fat that meat does. It’s also high in calcium! Chickpeas are nutrient dense and one of Dr. Fuhrman’s G-BOMBS (Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, Seeds/Nuts). This recipe ticks off 3 of the 6! Throw this on a bed of greens with sautéed mushrooms & berries and you check off all 6 G-BOMBS.

Chickpeas are an AWESOME substitute for tuna or chicken and are the perfect texture. I personally buy them in the cans for convenience, but I make sure to get low-sodium or no-salt added versions. You can also rinse them well to remove a lot of the salt.

Making chickpea salad is really fast & easy. It should be done in 15-20 minutes! I like to double up the batch so I have a plenty of leftovers. It will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

So many options when making chickpea salad

You really can get creative with all the different additions to change it up. I have a feeling I’ll be trying lots of different versions & I’ll post them as I come up with ones I really like! If you don’t like or have fresh pineapple on hand, chopped apples or sliced grapes would be a great substitution.

I do use tahini to get the creamy texture and a little nutty flavor. You can also sub almond or sunflower butter. But if you want to cut the fat down even more, then omit the tahini or nut butter and instead add more dijon mustard. That will definitely give it a more spicy flavor so beware!

The pumpkin seeds can be optional or you can use a different nut like chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts.

Whole Food Plant Based Chickpea Salad is so fast & easy to make!

Start by draining and rinsing the canned chickpeas. Pour in a bowl and mash with the back of a fork. This part is the most time consuming part, so it’s good to go ahead and double the recipe so you have leftovers and to save time because you’re gonna love this recipe!

TIP: If you have a food processor, you can save a ton of time & effort! Drain & add chickpeas to your food processor & pulse a few times until you have your desired texture.

You can leave a few whole chickpeas for a chunkier texture.

I typically have chopped pineapple & veggies on hand in my fridge so that saves me time. I use this onion chopper to dice my onions, but I chopped them a little finer for this recipe on a cutting board after I use the chopper. I like all the veggies & fruit in this recipe to be diced finely so that it gives more even flavor & texture. The celery gives it a nice crunch!

Add all the rest of the ingredients & stir to combine. Enjoy!

Make it even more nutrient dense

Make this meal even more nutrient dense by using lettuce leaf for your “bun” or even lettuce boats. This chickpea salad recipe is also GREAT for topping a large salad with cruciferous vegetables so that you get your serving of beans from the chickpeas AND seeds from the tahini. (Tahini is ground sesame seeds.)

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• Easy Hummus Lettuce Boats
• 5 Simple Steps to Keep your Healthy Salad Exciting
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Tangy Spinach Hummus Recipe

If you try this recipe, let me know in the comments below!