Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich

It’s amazing! I subbed half the chickpeas with a mashed sweet potato. I prefer chickpeas in small doses. Also added some lemon juice, no garlic sauce. My parents loved it too, they usually have tuna. Thanks so much!

This is such an incredible recipe! I’ve made this chickpea salad many times! I always use tahini because I don’t have vegan mayo and I’ve found that 2 tablespoons does the job! I haven’t made the garlic herb sauce with it because I’m lazy and it’s still incredible without it! I often add some sliced avocado to the sandwich and that’s a nice little addition!

Thank you Dana for another incredible recipe!

Super tasty. Added more dill because we’re addicts but it was a very good flavor/ crunch combo.

Amazing recipe – worth the effort – I’m not 100% vegan yet so I used mayo…hoping to make my own vegan mayo soon. Thanks for recipe! So satisfying!

This is an absolutely delicious and simple sandwich recipe. I subbed white onion (all I had on hand), and I added some fresh cilantro that I wanted to use up. The sunflower seeds add great texture and really set this apart from other chickpea salads. This lasted in the fridge for 3 days.

Made this recipe for the first time today. Oh my – why did I wait so long? As others have said I used what I had on hand including organic hulled sunflower seeds, avocado oil mayo, and honey. I didn’t have dill or red onion. Next time (and there will be many next times) I’ll be adding some chopped celery and grated carrots. This recipe is awesome – try it – you won’t be sorry!

This recipe started off weird because our Dutch canned chickpeas are seriously undercooked. HOWEVER! What a delicious surprise! The taste was absolutely divine. And a couple of hours later (I skipped dinner and did lunch again and boy, was it luuuuvly! I had some onions I had pickled and added those: great! Today I used seed bread for the sandwich: even better. My newest obsession. Thank you for the luvliness of it:-) I might play around with the mayo cos I don’t like too much store-bought stuff but, oy, this is good!

This was exactly what I was craving! The only modification I did was half onion and half green onions. The sunflower seeds give it a nutty, flavorful soft crunch. I think that’s what did it for me in this recipe, it really shines through all of the combined flavors. It reminds me of tuna fish sandwiches or a potato or egg salad sandwich, but this is on a whole ‘nother level! I will be making this often, along with a ton of your other recipes. Thank you for always coming through, Minimalist Baker!

Absolutely delicious! I didn’t know what to expect as this is my first ever Chickpea Sandwich. Wow! I need look no further. Will be printing and remaking often. Thank you!

This is super easy to make yet so satisfactory and delicious.
I used parsely instead of dill (didn’t find it at the store) and added chopped celery as an extra texture, which worked very well with this recipe.
Thanks for the amazing recipe, I’ll definitely make this again soon :)

Delish! I am moving towards a plant-based menu and this looked good. I used tahini, substituted roasted pepitas for sunflower seeds (did not have sunflower seeds on hand), and did make the garlic sauce. I’m pretty sure I can get 3-4 servings out of this. I printed out the recipe which I rarely do because I want to keep this one around. Thank you!

so so good
thanks

I love how versatile this is! I skipped out on the dill and used some savory tumeric mix and curry powder. Definitely going to play around with other flavors next time!

This. Is. Amazing.

Hands down, amazing. This dish in one word: Amazing! Not only is it the best vegan “tuna” salad, it’s literally better than my standard tuna. How did you do it!? The egg taste is there with no egg. The tuna taste is there with no tuna. It’s incredible.

I make a LOT of your recipes, and at first I wanted to omit the honey and dijon. I trust you. So I made it verbatim, and it was so, so, so delicious. After that I added some Old Bay and sweet relish and- guess what!- the modifications weren’t as good as the original! Next time I’ll leave well enough alone. Thank you SO much for this recipe. My husband loved it, and our roommate was legitimately surprised when I told him it wasn’t tuna.

I’ve made this twice already, subbing in and out things I have or don’t have on hand. I love coming home from work and having a small sandwich with this chickpea salad and a slice of vegan cheddar, it’s perfect to hold me over until dinner or give me some energy before the gym. I also freakin love the garlic herb sauce!! As a new vegan this is definitely a staple for me going forward!

I was skeptical at first as I thought “there is no way this will fill me up” but boy was I wrong! This is an absolute gem of a recipe, I personally love the subtle hint of mustard and sweetness from the maple syrup. I swapped out the mayo for a lot of hummus which was super yum. Will be making these a ton more in future, thank you for sharing this with the world!

Made this today for probably the 6th time and realised I never commented on how much I love this dang thing. I make a few modifications because this recipe has become my “pantry staple” recipe and I just straight up eat it out of the bowl I mix it in, no need for the bread. I use dried dill instead of fresh (I’ll use fresh if I have it on hand but I rarely do), hummus instead of tahini or mayo (I hate mayo [I know!] and I never use enough tahini in my diet to justify buying a whole jar which is something I need to personally work on because tahini is delicious). I also chop up a couple pickles and toss them right in. The little sour crunch of the pickle against the earthy sweetness of the salad is perfection. Anyway, highly highly recommend!

Oh my, the toasted sunflower seeds absolutely make this. I did get a little crazy and add some extra veggies, diced cucumber, carrot and green pepper. This is a keeper.

This recipe was fabulous! Thank you for sharing. The only sub I made was roasted almonds for sunflower seeds. I had everything else on hand. This recipe reminds me of an elevated egg salad. I personally liked it cold on dry toast. However, my eleven year old son put the whole bowl in the microwave to warm it up and proceeded to eat all of it with a fork as his after-school snack. The dill and 100% maple syrup really makes this recipe shine. It turned out not too sweet, and layered flavors and texture in a balanced way which many other vegan recipes fall short.

Very Very yummy… and easy to make too!

I’ve made this recipe a few times and love love LOVE it. It reminds me of a healthier version of potato salad. I don’t always eat it in a sandwich, I sometimes just have it on it’s own. The second and third times I made it I was out of mayo and subbed for hummus. It worked really well! This is perfect for lunches.

I just made it for dinner and I loved it! ? My family also enjoyed it.

The only things I changed was I didn’t put any maple syrup or honey and I used regular mayo. Will try it next time, definitely.

For me, it’s perfect for dinner and breakfast. It’s really easy to make and the ingredients aren’t hard to find here in my city in the country of Serbia. So your amazing recipe reached us all the way here in Europe! ??

This was so damn good! We ended up adding a few extra seasonings, and I went heavy on the garlic and lemon juice, then mixed the sauce into the chickpea/sunflower mixture. Absolutely delicious!

Just made this, eating as I type. So delicious! Will definitely make again.
Thanks for a healthy, filling and wonderful recipe!

Love making this and putting over lettuce or making lettuce wraps. I also add some tahini.

These spread is amazing!!! I like that it’s tasty, plant-based, quick to make, modifiable, and can be made ahead of time. I did the following modifications. I added 2 TBSP of tahini and 1 of vegenaise. I subbed red onion for green onions. I used stone ground mustard instead of Dijon since it’s what I had. I also added diced red bell pepper. But the key to this recipe is the dill. Everyone that has tasted (9 people so far) it has loved it!! I enjoy spreading this unto some toasted sourdough with a dab of mayo, topped with pickles, spring mix, and sliced tomatoes.

This was excellent! Yum yum! I used cauliflower hummus, fetta and didn’t use red onion or dill. Absolutely divine. Not sure I can pack this one for work lunch though because it will get soggy. Have to be a weekend favourite.

My family and I love this! It is in our regular rotation. We omit the maple syrup and add half a grated carrot for sweetness. We also leave out the dill and add 1 T nutritional yeast and some seaweed sprinkles. Thanks for a great recipe!

THANK YOU for a wonderful and magical recipe, I’ve been looking for a vegan version of tuna salad for ages and this one is just perfect ?

Just made this sandwich and ate it. It is every bit as fabulous as you and others have described! I can’t wait until my daughter gets home from college to make it for her. She will love it! Thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes. I love your website!

I made this sandwich but I only had pepitas instead of sunflowers. I also mashed a few chickpeas to bind the mixture.
Thank you for the recipe. It was delicious!

Made this and the only thing I didn’t have on hand were some fresh dill and it still turned out delicious!!! Oh, yeah I ran out of vegan mayo, so I made the Minimalist Bakers own recipe and it was hands down yum!!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes, Dana!

This was so delicious! I was blown away at how flavorful and textured it was with such simple ingredients. I used the nuts I had on hand (pepitas and cashews), added some chopped celery, and the last few remaining dried cherries. Ate it open-faced on some toasted rye bread for a simple dinner. Yum!!

Made this today for lunch and it was SO good. For the vegan mayo/tahini option I opted for 2 tbs of vegan mayo and 1 tbs tahini and the mix did not disappoint! Thank you for such a delicious and easy lunch recipe.

This was delicious! I added more red onion and more sunflower seeds for greater crunch-factor and I sprinkled in ground flaxseed for greater health-factor! I upped the mustard to a full teaspoon because I like the additional zest. Tastes amazing with an avocado and all the sandwich fixings, but also works as a stand-alone salad. I mixed the Garlic Herb Sauce in with the chickpeas, too. I bet I could add diced celery for even more crunch. Thanks for the recipe!

I’m giving this a 5 star rating even though I had to adapt the recipe slightly to accommodate what I had on hand… Such an excellent idea for a healthy lunch, I’m sure it would be equally good on a rice cake, with flatbread, or with veggie dippers (and I intend to try all!). The changes I made were to use salted, roasted pepitas and an equal amount of dried cranberries for a sweet/salty punch of flavor. I also used half tahini-half mayo and the full amount of dijon as listed in the recipe. So good – this recipe will be made again and again! Thank you.

I was a little scared at first to try my first ever vegan recipe…needless to say, I nailed it! Thanks to your simple and quick recipe. It was so delicious! This sandwich was so savory and filling as well. I didn’t make the secret garlic sauce but I will next time. The texture made the sandwich so filling, I didn’t miss meat! (I have been pescatarian now for almost two years.)
I look forward to making more of your recipes in the near future! Thank you for sharing the joy of vegan food with us!

I don’t normally make comments but this is a great recipe! Even hubby like it! Dave’s Killer Bread, avocado and chickpea salad. So yummy.

Absolutely phenomenal!!! The roasted sunflower seeds take this recipe to another level. I added some diced celery for added crunch but otherwise followed the recipe. A definite repeat!

Hands down the BEST chickpea salad I’ve ever eaten. I was a bit nervous about using dill (never have been sure where to use it) but the flavors meshed sooooo well!!!! Thank you for another home run!

Dana, I just love you.

I have just made this, the dill garlic sauce, the microwave hummus and the smoky quinoa black bean falafels. Every single one of these things was DELICIOUS. I have probably made about 30 of your recipes in the past and I have yet to find one that I haven’t loved.

Every time I have a wave of inspiration to make something new, I wonder: is there something like this on minimalist baker already? Lo and behold I seem to always find the exact thing that I’m looking for! You will continue to be my go-to blog food inspiration!

The hummus was insane. New favourite recipe. The dill garlic sauce was SUPER garlicky and just how I like it. Dill is now my new favourite herb and it will be going in EVERYTHING. I haven’t tried the falafels yet as I’ve made a double batch for lunches this week but the bit I nibbled was great haha.

This sandwich: OMG. I’ve seen chickpea sandwich recipes described as a tuna sandwich replacement in the past and that’s always put me off a bit. I decided to give this one a go because I’m trying to include more legumes in my diet and this was such a winner. I am torn between wanting to feed this to all of my friends and not wanting to share it. I will probably be making this every day for the next month.

Thanks again for another banger. (Also please don’t stop making plant-based recipes because I honestly don’t know what I would do without you!)

I’m addicted to this and make it weekly – sometimes twice. I use salted roasted sunflower seeds – and green onion and dried dill. Tonight I added a squeeze of lemon juice. I also add extra mustard and subbed agave instead of maple syrup…served with Asian salad mix on top. It’s so good and easy to adjust ingredients if you need to. I’ve never made the sauce but I think it’s great without it. Thank you!

I just made this sandwich today it is amazing. Loved it so much. Especially the garlic herb sauce its delicious.

This is one of my absolute favorites for lunch or dinner! My omni husband loves it and requests it often and even my 3 year old will eat it! I like to add chopped up grapes in mine and it is so tasty. I highly recommend this for an fairly easy lunch! Making it again today for a picnic.

YUM – I loved this and used dill pickle (no mayo as I am WFPBNO eater) – I’m so making this again. 10 star rating on this great dish. I made double the batch and fresh chicpeas with a bit of marinated red onion in the mix diced really tiny. This is really a wonderful vegan dish. I love all your recipes, you are my “go to ” for new recipes.
Keep up the great work – it’s appreciated from the bottom of our hearts.

This was so good and easy! I used green onion, soy free vegan mayo and agave. I also added some lemon juice and extra mustard. I didn’t add salt because I used salted sunflower seeds. Topped with a kale salad mix and tomatoes. I wanted to add avocado but it didn’t need it. And I used dried dill. Such an easy recipe to play around with if you don’t have everything or want to throw extra in. Would also be a good dip for veggies/apples/crackers.

I made this last night and then again today. Definitely double the recipe!

Extremely flavorful and nourishing. The mix of textures and flavors are delightful. My wife and I have permanent added this to our weekly menu. 5 Stars

After I made this I walked a spoon full over to my husband to try it and as I was explaining how it’ll be in the fridge to make a sandwich with, he looked at me and said, “I might just eat it all straight from the bowl” so I immediately went and doubled the portion! I’m so happy he liked it, but I’d kinda like some too ?
Very tasty! And truly so fast and easy to make! I love a classic veggie sandwich and all, but Ive been in need of some variety and this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for in my sandwich life ❤️

I made this for the first time several months ago during a slump where nothing sounded good to eat and I needed something new. I was unprepared for how freakin’ delicious this is – months later and I’m still utterly obsessed. For a while, I was seriously eating this for almost every meal. I’m still eating it several times a week! I’ve been making it without the garlic sauce and it’s my new favorite thing.

So delicious! I’m making my second batch tonight. I didn’t have dill, so I used oregano (ehh!), and the dish isn’t complete without the garlic sauce and a dash of hot sauce :)

Totally delicious. My breath is fatally oniony and garlicy afterwards, but it’s so worth it. I also didn’t have roasted sunflower seeds, so I roasted some raw ones for a little in the oven.

Thank you for the delicious recipe!

Third time I am making this. I have made it with dry and fresh dill and both are great (though fresh might be a hair better). I also add garlic salt and use roasted salted sunflower seeds, overall adding a little less than a pinch of regular salt. I also add a squeeze of lemon and a tablespoon of Dijon because I love the flavor. It comes out great every time!!

Super easy to make! I added some diced celery. Will try it again with the sauce.

I made this and it was pretty tasty, despite me not using the maple syrup or mayo. Instead I used the tahini and added in old bay to give it a little bit of flavor.

OMG. So good!
I just found this recipe and made it (I had to make a few changes due to lack of supplies). I didn’t have roasted sunflower seeds ..just had a few raw seeds so I augmented the mixture with roasted sunflower seed butter. I didn’t have dill either so next time I will be prepared. I cannot tell you how delicious this came out. I cannot wait to make it for dinner tonight on toasted Dave’s multi-grain bread. Thank you Dana for another winner!

Like Catherine above, I’d give it 10 stars! It is so simple and just that good!!

OM Goodness! This recipe is the best! I added celery because that’s what we do in the South! Amazingly delicious and will keep a fix in the fridge for everyday. It’s great on bread, crackers, or just a spoon!

Absolutely delicious! If I could give this 10 stars I would! I recently converted to WFPB and this site has been such a great resource. Thank you!!

My husband was looking for vegetarian sandwiches to make to switch it up from his usual sandwiches with sliced meat, also so he could make one for both of us (I’m vegetarian, he’s not). He came across this recipe and made it for us last night to have for lunch the next day. It was perfectly flavourful, savoury and satisfying! The texture really does it for me with the roughly mashed chickpeas and the roasted sunflower seeds and I love the tangyness of dill. This is also a pantry staple sandwich and not too hard on the wallet if you aren’t using avocado and cherry tomatoes (which we didn’t but will try sometime. We used arugula instead of lettuce) Thank you!

I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I made enough this time to bring to work and share with my BFF at work. I’m a high school school nurse and she is the social worker. We have 1400 kiddos, so we pretty much bring our lunch everyday. We are going to eat it with Naan bread! I use dehydrated onions and it was still perfect! Even my “I don’t like chickpeas” girlfriend loved it! With Gratitude, Jakini Auset

The sweet/spicy/crunchy combo is to die for. Delish! x

Tried this tonight! Delicious! Thank you for another great recipe!

I absolutely LOVE your recipes! Thank you so much for all your hard work you put into these amazing recipes! As a paleo vegan it’s tough to find things I can not only eat but enjoy… as well as my non vegan family! Thank you!!

Always looking for a yummy, quick and easy way to enjoy chickpeas. This was awesome. Accidentally used 1 tablespoon of spicy brown mustard but it was still delicious. I put the filling over a bed of spring mix and garnished with baby tomatos and avocado slices. YUM YUM YUM

I was looking for something to whip up a quick lunch and lucked out by finding this recipe with all the ingredients on hand… winnning! I’ve made so many of your recipes, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed… and I sure wasn’t! Dana, this is delicious!! Made my sandwiches with spinach leaves and halved grape tomatoes. FANTASTIC!

YUM!! This is was easy to make and super flavorful, even my nonvegan coworkers loved it! This sandwich will be in heavy rotation. Thank you so much!!

I love this recipe and make it almost every week! I like to use yogurt instead of mayo and walnuts instead of sunflower seeds. Nice and tangy from the yogurt and I find the walnuts fill it out a bit more.

It’s recipes like this that make it easy to go plant based. This was so yummy! I followed the recipe as is and used it as a topper over a salad (and used the herb sauce as a dressing) and it was oh so delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will make this again and try it as a sandwich soon!

I just made this with a few tweaks. I added a chopped dill pickle since I didn’t have fresh dill and also some chopped celery for crunch. Also added a nori roll broken in pieces to try to capture the seafood flavor. So quick and so easy and SOOOO yummy!

I absolutely love this recipe. My husband says everything is “good” and never requests a specific meal EXCEPT for this! I made a double batch today to bring with us on a road trip and used sunflower seeds and roasted pumpkin seeds. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

Awesome! I used green onion rather than red and chose the tahini option. Delicious. Even my meat eaters liked it. Will definitely make this again–maybe tomorrow!

Hi Dana,

This is a great recipe, I just have one note; if you use tahini instead of mayo as I do, extra salt, sugar (I use honey instead of maple syrup), and a little bit of LEMON helps offset the bitterness. <3

I have tried so many chickpea-tuna recipes, and they’re always just okay, BUT this one is awesome. I didn’t even need the garlic sauce, but I added lemon and garlic & onion powder, and used more like a 1/2 tablespoon of deli mustard because I love mustard. I used agave and it was SO AMAZING. I never would have thought to add sweetness to this! Definitely the magic ingredient. I ate the entire thing in one sitting.

Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’m “attempting” to convert to vegan and simple recipes like this are right up my alley. I was missing a few ingrediants such as dill, sunflower seeds and onions, so I added sweet relish and pumpkin seeds, and it came out pretty good. I will make again after picking up the missing items to get the full effect. My picky little eater also loved it!

I use the recipe in your cookbook for the UnTuna sandwich and this recipe is similar…it is a new favorite go to for lunches…I absolutely LOVE it. I usually don’t have capers, so I just add extra pickle…maybe some cucumber as well. I also omit the sugar…I don’t like the extra sweetness.

Thank you so much for your recipes…they have been helpful and inspiration as we have transitioned to our plant-based life-style!

THIS IS SO DELICIOUS!
I used honey mustard instead (have to finish the bottle) and it was amazing!

This was super easy to make and was yummy. Loved the lemony dressing and the crunchy texture the sunflower seeds added. I spread some spicy brown mustard on the bread too.

Made this for a quick but delicious lunch on the go for those hot DC summer days. It is amazing and now a family favorite! We’ve already made it twice, doubling the recipe each time! Thank you!!

How is this even possible?
*dribbles over phone *

Yoooooo this one is a GAME CHANGER! I bring this to cookouts, camping trips, office potlucks, you name it! So much bang for your buck here. Don’t just think about making this – make it!

I am not vegan, but I enjoy mixing vegan/vegetarian dishes into my weekly meal plans. Yesterday when I opened the cupboard for a can tuna I found a can of chickpeas in its place. I had an hour for lunch and needed food ASAP. I recalled seeing the “No Tuna Sandwich” recipe in your cookbook and thought I would give it a whirl. I eliminated the syrup, and the sunflower seeds because I didn’t have any in the pantry. I have eaten this two days in row now. The second day was better once the onion mellowed out. DELICIOUS! I don’t even miss the tuna. :)

Thank you so much for the recipe! It’s in our regular rotation of favorite meals :) My alterations: I leave out the syrup, and when I’m feeling too lazy to make hummus or the garlic herb sauce, I add some lemon juice to the mix to give it some extra zip. My husband prefers to make the sandwich version; I love having it on top of some greens… like a tuna salad without the tuna!

I’ve made this recipe legit 2748974398 times and sometimes just crave it. It is THAT good.
I use 1/2 tbsp syrup and it is still delicious! I’ve gotten so many folks to make this.

And it is such a cheap, healthy meal! I like to eat it w/ multigrain crisps or mixed in arugula spring mix w/ micro greens, sun-dried tomatoes and avocado (and extra sunflower seeds cuz I can’t get enough) :)

I really enjoyed how easy this was to make, as well as how great it tasted. I put this in a pita pocket with some tomato slices, and layered the sandwich ingredients and the herb sauce. I’ll be making it again, but I want to experiment with it a bit. I’d like to use a yellow onion instead of red onion, I’d like to try it without any agave syrup, I’d like to add the sauce to the sandwich ingredients instead of putting the sauce on top or layering it, and I’d like to add fresh spinach to the sandwich.

OMG! This was amazing. It sounded good but tasted even better. I added a touch more dijon and subbed pickled jalapenos for the dill but otherwise followed the recipe to a T. Nom, thank you! xx

This is delightful!

I’m trying to eat less meat and came across this recipe. This chickpea salad sandwich is way more filling than the chicken salad ones I’m used to and so delicious in its own way.

The next time I think I think I’ll put it in a pita or tortilla because it’s pretty messy. Thanks so much for the recipe.

This was so good!! My family loved it again! Will be making this more often!

Excellent, my husband and I are new to this vegan
eating and being in our 70’s it is hard. But this is definitely a keeper!!!!

This is delicious! I used greek yogurt instead of mayo and added some shredded carrots. I forgot the maple syrup-but tasty without!

This is a recipe I have made several times and always come back to when I need a packed lunch that won’t need reheating. The original recipe is fantastic but I’ve enjoyed it with sliced grapes or dried cranberries and just made it today with turmeric and curry added and it is so yummy! So nice to have a filling vegetarian sandwich that is adaptable!

This chickpea mix turned out wonderfully. I put it on Dave’s Killer Bread with lettuce, tomato, & onion without sauce and loved it! You shouldn’t keep this more than a couple days though as both the beans and seeds lose structure as time goes by – I know it’s part of the instructions but I tried to stretch it out for week-long lunch prep with middling success.