Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwich

After a few months, I enrolled in culinary school and began learning to cook in a predominately vegan, health-supportive way. It made following a vegan lifestyle even easier, as my culinary school never once made me quit this dietary pattern to learn. In fact, it made my experience even richer, as I was extremely curious about learning vegan cooking tricks and techniques. I eventually started eating meat and dairy again, as I figured out that the best diet for me (as in what one eats, not as in a fad-diet) is one that is flexible.

Many years have passed since that time, but the one vegan swap I’ll never forget is a chickpea salad. I love this vegan substitution because it’s not stinky in any way like an egg or tuna salad (hello office-friendly lunch!), and can be a nice way to get some bean fiber into your diet.

I love a sandwich stacked high with fresh crunchy veg., so I’ve called for lots of that plus iceberg cut in a large stack. Make this salad more or less mayonnaise-based by starting small and adding more to reach your desired texture. I call for lots of fresh dill and chives because it really makes this salad feel like a deli prepared meal. Use pumpernickel instead of 9-grain, and you’ll feel like you’re in New York, I’m sure.

The one technique to be really aware of before embarking on this recipe is the removal of chickpea skins. Much like any other bean or legume, there is a slight filmy skin that coats the outside of the garbanzo bean. The step to boil the beans with salt and a bay leaf will loosen up the skins and begin to peel them away. I ask you to submerge the cooked and drained beans in cold water to help the skins float up to the top. This will make removing them so much easier.

It’s up to you to decide how much time you spend on this step. You can certainly work towards removing the skin from each bean, or you can do a quick once over and get as many as you can. Either way will yield lovely results. If you want to remove as many as possible, I suggest agitating the beans to get the skins off, skimming them away with a slotted spoon, and then using your hands to get in there and gently rub the more stubborn ones off. This is a labor of love and not necessary if you don’t have the time or patience.

Another option, if you like a bright balance of flavors, is to add a touch of maple syrup to the mix to add a slight sweetness that makes this salad irresistible. I usually prefer creamy and salty, over sweet, so I don’t include this addition in the recipe.