Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich

This is the first recipe of yours I’ve actually gotten to try, and although I had to simplify and change it a bit according to what I had around, it was still scrumptious! I sent it in sack lunch to work with my husband, and when we were later talking on the phone, he asked what it was because it was good. Definitely husband approved. :)

These are so darn good! They give you a great lunch option and are just as satisfying as chicken salad sandwiches. One of my new favorites!

This recipe is now a staple in my house!
I make frequently as my husband is now dipping into my vegan dishes…much to his carnivourous surprise :)
A few alternatives… to satisfy my spicy side I typically add chopped jalapeño olives.
Also as I always have a supply of pepitas mixed in with my sunflower seeds I just add both and finally I use cashew milk in place of almond milk.
So glad I found your site :0)
Delicious!

Hi Dana! Another wonderful recipe, thanks! I made it with smoked almonds instead of sunflower seeds though, and it was delicious nonetheless :) Thanks for your inspiration, we are now making at least three of your recipes a week here, haha! Love and light to you!

Made this today, minus the sunflower seeds… just outstanding, and SO filling! Even the main squeeze (who couldn’t possibly hide his disdain for my vegan diet) was satisfied. Even better – we went on a hike afterwards, and neither was hungry until bedtime. Thank you!

Commented on the other page, this is a really good salad. We are not sandwich eaters so I put this on top of our salad. So good! Will take a picture next time when I’m not so intent to eat! Thanks for the excellent recipe!

I discovered your recipe for this incredible chickpea sunflower sandwich about a month ago, and having just made my fifth double-batch thought a thank you for sharing was long overdue! So, thank you for making my and my family’s (actually they have no idea what I am doing) transition to more thoughtful eating choices easier by sharing this and your other recipes with the rest of us!

The chickpea sunflower sandwich is amazing! I’m new to cooking vegan/vegetarian and I’m trying so many new recipes! This one is just fabulous! Thank you so much!

I have literally been eating this sandwich for about 2 months straight now! I love this recipe. :D Thank you!

SO GOOD! I used regular organic mayo because I prefer it over vegan, and it still tasted delicious. This is the first vegetarian lunch I’ve found that feels hearty and filling that’s not a veggie burger or salad. LOVE this recipe.

Just made this sandwich and it was seriously SO good!!! I chopped up some fuji apples and mixed it in there, my mom used to always make me chicken apple salad sandwhiches when I was younger, it tasted great!!
Thanks for all the awesome recipes, you’ve been my main resource for vegan cooking since day one and I still love it!!

Third time making this delicious sandwich. Even the picky meat eating teenager loves it. I have pinned it, and so many of my friends have too. Thank you!!

Made this today with some GF bread and sliced avo. Superb! Although I might use a touch less maple syrup next time. YUM!

I made this today and it was fantastic! Thank you so much for posting this!

Just made this. Great recipe omitted maple syrup and added some organic sweet relish. Turned out scrumptious. Loved the texture. Thanks for sharing .

I’m a big sandwich girl, too. Have made this recipe twice now. LOVE it!! Thank you so much, Dana. Awesome photos, as usual!

So simple and tasty!! I tested and reviewed this recipe at sweetgreens-blog.com.

SO. TASTY.

I was missing a few ingredients, so I subbed in plain greek yogurt for the mayo and added a splash of apple cider vinegar to add the tang from the missing mustard. Man oh man. With some of my favorite flavors mixed in, this was SUCH a hit. I can’t wait to show this off in the office!

This looks great! I will be making this for lunch today!

Made this last night and…OMG! it was delicious! Husband AND kid approved! Thank you for sharing this recipe, it will be a new staple in our home. ♥

I’m so happy you are doing this, Your so good at it..Clearly meant to be.. I get so happy when people do what they are so good at!

Loved this recipe! I made mine into a wrap and it was so good. Thanks for sharing it.

made this today! came out great!! thanks, can’t wait to make it regularly!!

This recipe is delicious! I omitted the sunflower seeds and onion and added chopped carrots and celery. SO GOOD. Thank you!

I made this last night and it was so delicious! I’m an extremely picky eater. I have been a veterinarian for almost 12 years now trying to go vegan and I keep forcing myself to try new things. Every recipe that I made from you has been amazing! I’m so happy!

This was everything I had hoped it would be and more! I *may* have actually decided I needed a second sandwich immediately upon finishing the first! So darn good! I’m also planning to use the garlic sauce on a zillion other things because it’s so amazingly flavorful! Thank you for this awesome recipe!!

This is theee best sandwich I’ve had in such a long time! I’m not one to post on recipes, but this one completely blew me away. I love chicken/tuna salad sandwiches but really don’t care for chicken which makes me sick of tuna fast. This is absolutely delicious and plan on making it a lot .. Thank you for the recipe!!

This one of the best recipes on the web. My favorite sandwich ever. You can even use a form mold to serve this with a drizzle of good olive oil and a nice side salad that will impress anyone that wants a light, protein packed meal. Goes great with a crisp white wine and some crusty bread when not making this as a sandwich.

Making this today for a few lunches this week, topped w avocado. Another awesome recipe, thanks Dana (Also curious what this would be like with some turmeric/curry added hmm…) *P.S. Stan’s comment lmao*

This will be a new regular in our house. So easy to make and so good! Thx!

Thanks for sharing. This is now my fav “no cook” sandwich. I had this on a vegan pretzel roll w sliced avocado. Sorry too hungry to make the garlic sauce, still awesome as is. Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow.

I just love your photos, they’re so clean. Can you share with us which surfaces and backgrounds you’re using for your photos.
Thanks,
Rachida

Delicious!!, I just tried this recipe. I added some raisins and chopped Apple. This will be one of my go-to recipes, as I always have chickpeas and sunflower seeds on hand. It will be speedy to add whatever else is in the fridge at the time. No more tuna salad! Thanks!

Loved it!! Husband approved! :) thank you!!!

drool!

My roommate said it reminded her of tuna salad, so I put in a couple of sheets of seaweed for more of a “fishy” flavor and added some sundried tomato hummus directly to the mix, instead of making the garlic sauce. Didn’t have any red onions so I added dried onion and dried garlic powder. Already tastes great, but I’m sure it will taste even better tomorrow after all the favors have melded together. Thanks for the easy recipe! I was just too lazy to go shopping for things I didn’t have on hand.

I will be making this. Immediately. Question: As you mash the chickpeas, do you remove the translucent skins or leave them in there?

I am never leaving this blog!

Dude I smoked some weed and ate this sandwich and your apple crisp recipe and Jesus Christ, it was healthiest, most delicious munchies food I’ve ever had in my life

YUM!! I will be making this a lot from now on! I added a little dried seaweed to make it taste more tuna-y. Happiness :)

Back with results! This recipe makes an amazing wrap. I used tahini instead of mayo (did end up using a little more than suggested, but that’s personal preference.) The hummus I used was home-made and has turmeric and red pepper flakes, and for the mustard I used a hot and sweet mustard from Trader Joe’s. So there is a slight kick to it. And it’s perfect!!

This was sincerely the best chickpeas I had!!!! I mumbled at every bite ahhhh ahhh ahha oh my god!!

OMG. This is my lunch next week. I’m going to put it in wraps (probably whole wheat, or I might try the Ezekiel wraps) so I can assemble them before I go to class and wrap them up. And I’m going to add kale in the wrap because yeah whatever, health. Youza sandwich genius, girl!

I have been looking for a good substitute for my favorite tuna salad sandwich since going vegan two years ago. This is positively it! I added tarragon, a must with tuna, dried cranberries and a few chopped walnuts. Perfecto. Thank you for this wonderful invention.

Just made it ahead of time for lunch. Can’t wait! Love the roast-y flavor. Not a real word, I realize. ;)

I made this a couple of nights ago and “shared” : ) it with my son. Finishing it today for lunch and it is even tastier now. It is like the best chicken salad that you’ve ever had, minus the animal. This is a standard item for the fridge. Great on toasted bread, rice cakes or Wasa crackers. I know it will be in my fridge all summer for the hungries that come from yard work days. This is a sandwhich spread that no vegan should be without. Make the Garlic Herb Sauce even if you don’t want it for the sandwhich and introduce your favorite raw vegtables to their new best friend! Thank you for your craft – You’re the best!

We made this for dinner tonight. So delicious! I’m having to physically restrain myself from devouring the leftovers tonight so I’ll have enough for lunch tomorrow!

Made this Monday for lunch, served on an onion poppyseed cibatta that I toasted. Yum, yum! My husband and I loved them! Will add to my lunch rotation! Keep it coming Dana, well done.

We made the sammiches and ate them. By the time I thought to take a picture I was too deep into eating to stop. Yummy.

YUM! WOW!! This seriously looks amazing!! I love it! And it’s vegan! For the win :) Way to!!! Healthy and delicious!!!

You’re recipes always blow me away. I love chickpea salad sandwiches and have made quite a few versions from various recipes. I gave yours a try today and it was the BEST one I’ve ever had. And probably the most simple. I will probably make this at least once a week now for lunches! Thanks Dana :)

this has to be one of the yummiest things i’ve ever eaten! had it for breakfast today. absolutely love it! want to marry it :) i’m not a dill fan so i subbed cilantro instead and halved the maple syrup and used your garlic sauce (made with tahini) on my bread. put some avocado and last night’s roasted cauliflower on that bad girl. yowzers! you know i doubled this recipe! i did make it a couple of days ago using white beans and parsley. it was good but this was better – the chickpeas seem “meatier”. thanks for loving our bellies! and, btw, your 1 bowl vegan chocolate cake? divine!!! i’ve made it twice so far to rave reviews from all and…shhhhh….nobody knows it’s vegan! hee! hee!

I just ate this for lunch. It was insanely delicious. I wasn’t sure about the sauce, but all the flavors came together perfectly. I had mine on Ezekial Bread. Yummy, easy and inexpensive!

This is amazing! I rarely eat sandwiches, actually. But when I do, this is what I look for! Healthy, filling, meatless, but meat is fine…i dig meatless meals more, though! and the red onion!! I adore red onion. I have all of these ingredients currently. This will most likely be my lunch tomorrow! So thank you.

PS. Love your blog!

This will be going with me to work regularly. Keep the sandwich ideas coming. I didn’t have maple syrup so I used 3/4 tablespoon of honey instead. And I didn’t have any sunflower seeds so I used pumpkin seeds. Still came out tasty.

This mixture is absolutely delicious. I could eat it every day, the dill is the perfect addition. I used a mixture of plain greek yogurt+ground flax instead of mayo. Thanks for the great recipe!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. My family is going vegan and with five little ones who need school lunches, this sandwich recipe is very appreciated. Keep them coming – and if you have any good casserole would love to hear them. I have made several recipes on the website and have not had one thing I didn’t like. This is now my go-to-website for meals. Thank you again!

Mmm, I think I’ll try mine with mashed/creamed avocado instead of mayo! Noms…. Thanks for the great recipe!

I just made this and ate it with crackers instead of making a sandwich–it was great! Fantastic recipe. I don’t know how you do it, but all of your recipes are dynamite…keep them coming!

Hello,
I’ve been reading your blog as a growing addict for the past week, and wanted to try this recipe, but small problem: quite new with American measurement ( I’m from Belgium). I’ve got the cups and the spoons equivalent, but can’t figures the ounce for the chicpeas. One ounce is 28 grams, One ounce 15 is therefore 32 grams, which is obviously wrong for this recipe. Should I read 11 ounces and a half, which looks a bit better?
Thanks in advance! Dying to try this one for my lunch tomorrow!

I’m a small girl, but I can eat. I don’t even consider a 6″ from Subway, footlongs all the way! I like my sandwiches and I like them big and filled with stuff. This sandwich sounds delicious! It would make a fantastic lunch option, reminiscent of a tuna sandwich without the offensive smell.

I just made a big bowl of this to put in wraps for lunches next week. It tastes and smells incredible – I’m already excited for my lunch tomorrow!

I have just made this amazing chickpea mix (all the way over in Sydney Australia) and made a sandwich. Truly delicious, filling and wholesome. The toasted sunflower seeds add beautiful crunch and the dill is so fresh. I used tahini too.
This is my new go-to sandwich filling. Can’t wait to share it with friends. I also think the man in your life will love it.
You. Are a genius Dana, thank you!
Debra

Made this tonight! Used the tahini sauce and honey mustard. It was soooooo good!

Wow :)

I’m totally a big sandwich girl too. It’s the only way, really. Made this for lunch and it was excellent! I was out of hummus so I had to do without but I’m totally making some more hummus tonight so yeah, tomorrow’s lunch is looking good. Thanks for the recipe!

Good lord that’s an amazing looking sandwich. I’m also a big sandwich girl (a ‘doorstep’ sandwich we say in the UK). The problem is I don’t like dill. Any ideas on what could make a good substitute?

This gorgeous sandwich is missing one thing to be perfect for this pregnant lady – a pile of pickles on top. :) Also, footlong. Always a footlong. How is this even a question?

YES YES YES at this. I’m going to make a batch tomorrow and use it for quick lunches! I can even see myself dipping tortilla chips into it.

Dana I love love this sandwich filling idea!! Thinking of making it this weekend!

Wow. SO delicious. I made lettuce wraps and sandwiches, both were amazing. Thank you so much!

I just made your sandwich, and it was so yummy, I loved the mustard and the crunch from the sunflower seeds. Thank you!
Lena

Oh my! I never would have thought of putting whole chickpeas in a sandwich (unless in the form of hummus), but this somehow seems so…right! Especially with garlic sauce. Yum!

Oh my gosh, YES! You always seem to post just the recipe I’m looking for at the PERFECT time. I also have some old sunflower seeds I need to use up, and I’ve been looking for a good recipe to take for lunches! Also – I LOVE how you lightened up the second to last picture. I’ve been trying to figure that out (I have Photoshop) but I can’t seem to get the right effect!

Any recommended substitute for the sunflower seeds? I’m allergic (to tree nuts too) and was planning to just omit them.

Delicious! I had other plans for dinner, but when I saw this recipe I just had to try it! I didn’t have any dill or time to make hummus so I just added garlic to the mixture!

This looks delicious! As always, I love your photos. The filling sounds similar to my Vegan Chickpea Sloppy Joes Cheese Melts: http://creativevegancooking.com/2014/12/vegan-chickpea-sloppy-joes-cheese-melts/

Ha – my husband is a sandwich-addict and he will definitely love this one. I had a smashed chickpea sandwich at Wichcraft in New York years ago and it was amazing – can’t wait to try this!

So trying this…and soon! As a sub sandwich lover this looks like an amazing option for cleaner, healthier eating…and it sounds incredibly delicious! Can’t wait to try it!

I approve too!! This is one heck of a gorgeous sandwich!

Ooo! Think I’ll be making this tomorrow…

Yum! I love a good chickpea salad sandwich! It’s one of my -I’m starving and lazy and have nothing in the fridge- go to’s. Can you ever go wrong with chickpeas? I’m gonna go ahead and say no. Chickpeas I love you. Oh, and I love the Minimalist Baker too! Hi!

I am a big fan of sandwiches too, but often what seems like a “healthy” sandwich is often jam packed with calories. This sandwich looks both delicious and nutritious and will be the perfect solution to a great lunch the whole family will enjoy! Thanks for the recipe!

mmm, that looks so yummy! can’t wait to try!

You are too funny. What would you do if the doctor ever told you that you couldn’t eat bread?! ;) I;m definitely a sandwich girl at heart,too. If you ever see a great harvest… try their bread, specifically “Dakota” bread. A foodie’s dream bread. No joke. So much texture, flavor, and wholesomeness packed into one delicious loaf of bread!

oh mah gah *faints*

Yum! Do you think I could sub hummus for the mayo? Or give another suggestion?

I LOVE a good chickpea salad sandwich!

This looks so good – I love making chickpea salad sandwiches – they’re so hearty and delicious! Also, this looks 10000x better than any old sub!

Man, all I want right now is a scoop of this on a mountain of field greens with extra garlic sauce. *stomach gurgle*

YESSSSSSS! My mouth just filled with saliva. This seriously looks like the best sandwich of all time. Pinning now to make it later! :)

I love it. I eat sandwiches every day out of on-the-go convenience but I never tire regardless. Thanks Dana!

Sitting at work, now more hungry than ever. I feel like I’ve been missing some good sandwiches in my life – but here you go again, solving all my problems. ;) Thank you! I can’t wait to try this out.

xx Kathryn

if only you could imagine how painful it is reading about this lovely sandwich not being able to try straight away. (at work)

I will definitely try this one tomorrow! Thanks for keeping me inspired.
Best wishes,
Nora (Germany)

A lot of goodness in the sandwich!!! Looks wonderful!

My dad use to put chips in my sibling and my ham+ cheese sandwiches as children so I thought chips were a totally normal sandwich topping. Needless to say some embarrassing moment ensued because of this. I might not eat the ham + cheese anymore, I still LOOOVE a giant sandwich. My boyfriend is a weirdo and likes the absolutely plainest sandwiches known to man so I might have to make this one just for myself. Have you ever tried peperoncini piccanti on a sandwich? Spicy, salty heaven.

three cheers for subway footlongs!!!!! yesyesyesyes.

can we talk about how yesterday i watched as my man ate a bowl of chickpeas straight out of the carton with nothing on them? next time, i’m making him this.

Totally drooling over here. I love chickpea salad and the addition of crunchy sunflower seeds is perfect!! Already pinned. :)

This looks absolutely delicious!

You’re killing me. Why does your food always look so amazing? As a sandwich girl myself, I can relate to your story. Let the judgers judge and the eaters eat.