Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich

I have been eyeing this recipe up for over a year! Ha! Glad I finally made it because it is absolutely delicious! I used tahini instead of mayo, swapped the onion for diced celery and added some finely chopped purple cabbage and carrot. I cut the maple syrup down to 1 tsp and skipped the garlic sauce and wow so good! The roasted sunflower seeds really add fantastic flavor and fresh dill is essential. I served it over fresh spinach and topped it with cherry tomatoes and avocado with a side of roasted veggies. I will be making this again – thank you!

oh my gosh! sooo tasty, so hearty, so comforting! my husband said it tastes exactly like a tuna pie we used to eat in Brazil. I’ve also added a bit of celery, olives and parsley (didn’t have dill). I made a garlic aioli to replace the garlicky hummus. A million times thank you, MB!

I first found this post in September of 2019 I think when looking for a vegan sandwich for after my friend and I had been at that gym. Her & I both fell in love with this. Ive made some variation of this ( I never remember the recipe exactly) at least once a month since, often more. Half the time the filling doesn’t even make it to bread, I just eat it straight out the mixing bowl. I love this so much I want everyone to know how good it is.

Since going dairy free and mostly plant based I have been craving a good sandwich. This was amazing and can not wait to make it again! It was like having a chicken salad sandwich but better.

I made this with pine nuts and tahini and it was outstanding. Wasn’t a huge fan of the garlic sauce so went without that. Amazing!

Just made this… it’s fantastic with some key alterations. I was saddened by absence of celery, so I added celery. I also topped the salad with some delicious roasted red peppers. Next time I’ll add some lemon juice and see how that goes :) And maybe a little less sweet. Overall, super delicious recipe.

I love this sandwich filling!! At first when I found this recipe and read all the reviews, since it’s so quick and easy to make I thought “it can’t be that good” lol but it is!! I have made it many times now. I have always followed the original recipe, Its so delicious that don’t think it needs any changes. But at the same time I think it’s very customizable if you don’t like or don’t have some of the ingredients :)

Ohmygosh, can I marry this? I just made it and I’m trying not to eat the leftover I have. It’s so delicious and filling. Modifications I made: I used raw, unsalted sunflower seeds (all I had and too lazy to roast) and celery for crunch. Also added avocado and spinach. I made an open faced sandwich because I didn’t want to miss any flavor. SO YUMMY. This is definitely becoming a staple.

Thank you so much!

I just made this and it was SO good!!! I used what I had on hand, so I subbed the sunflower seeds and red onion for chopped walnuts and dried cranberries. Also used dried dill & celery seed. Unreal!

I’ve been missing chicken salad sandwiches since going vegan and this really hit the spot – thanks for the recipe!!

Currently eating this out of the bowl. Again. I keep making it and accidentally eating several servings without intending to. God it’s good.

I’ve been making a version of this recipe for five years and it just never ever disappoints. The chickpeas are such a great substitute for tuna. In my version there aren’t any sunflower seeds (though I’ll definitely try that!) but capers and green peas! And sometimes some sweet corn, because I love that stuff. I like to make the sauce with 50/50 vegan Mayo and soyghurt, makes for a fresh and slightly tangy salad. Yuuuummmm!! And if you ever grow tired of dill + capers you can swap them out for some tandoori spice and tadaaa! Whole new set of flavours!

Man, I’ve already made this twice since recently finding it. Once with chickpeas cooked to a softer consistency and once with canned, firmer ones. Both were great. I didn’t do the maple syrup but did add some grapes (my favorite part of chicken salad sandwiches, which this so reminded me of!). Almost didn’t bother buying sunflower seeds since I have so many other nuts on hand, but was glad I did as it somehow tasted more like chicken salad to me. Highly recommend with some toasted sourdough bread!

I have seen this recipe a bunch of times and finally decided to make it. I don’t really like tuna but it was SO GOOD. I used tahini instead of Mayo. It was perfection. I feel like it’s pretty versatile and you could dress it up if you wanted or make easy subs for whatever you had on hand. It’s cheap, delicious and fast.

I’ve made this a number of times and had it again today for lunch. I loooove this dish. I omit the maple syrup and sub the onion for celery and it is delicious. I’ve also had it as lettuce wraps if I feel like eating lighter and still amazing.

This was delicious. If you have time to make a day ahead, do so as it just increases in flavor and oh so good.
I used tahini and the 1/2 tsp of spicy mustard. I didn’t have fresh dill so used the dried. We sliced some crusty sourdough bread and put under the broiler to crisp up the crust. Topped with the chickpea mixture and drizzled with the sauce. I will make this many times in the future as my husband loved it too ! Thanks for this great recipe!

I loved this. What’s not to love it’s easy, healthy and very economical. I did find that the maple syrup made it too sweet for me. I will omit next time. Also I tried it with the garlic sauce and without it was delicious both ways. Thanks for sharing.

I think I may have messed the recipe up but it did not turn out too well. It had a very odd taste.

I have made this recipe 1,000 times over and realized I’ve never left a comment! I’m like you, very much a sandwich girl to my heart. When I found this recipe about a year or so ago I RAN to the nearest store to grab all of the necessary ingredients (YES, the fresh dill is the way to go). I was so, so pleased with how it turned out. One could say obsessed. In the times when I went into the office, I would make this on a Sunday and eat from it for lunch through the week. If you’re not a fan of bread, or just trying to not eat it, this works great on top of greens or a salad or with a side of roasted potatoes or chips. You can’t go wrong with this recipe. THANK YOU for sharing!

Made the sandwich mix today – so fast, easy and delicious! I added a stalk of fine chopped celery for extra crunch. Will definitely be making this again.

I’ve been wanting to make this for a long time and now I’m sorry it took me so long! It was soooo delicious!

This recipe was easy and satisfying! I had cornichons on hand that added a nice tart crunch. I’ll try capers next time for an added pop.

I absolutely love this sandwich filling (haven’t tried the sauce yet). I am WFPB so I made my own tahini in my coffee grinder. It came out a little drier than when I made it with store bought tahini but the avocado on the sandwich made up for it.

I love putting a pile of this on a greed salad too!

Wonderful recipe! Have made it twice now and ate every little morsel. Both times, I adjusted the seasons based on what I had or just throwing it together kinda haphazardly and *walah* it was excellent both times. I didn’t even use toppings- just schmeared it on some bread- still delish. Thanks for a much needed quick, cheap and easy go-to dish for me!

This recipe is delicious and I will make again and again. I used regular mayo (all I had) and dry roasted seasoned sunflower seeds (all I could find in grocery store). Definitely a keeper!

This salad was absolutely delicious…so good, I looked forward to every leftover! The only modifications I made were adding fresh cilantro (only because I had some to use up) and a splash of lemon juice. I did not make the spread just because I’m scaling back on calories. The salad is delightful on a bed of mixed greens, as well as toasted bread or even by itself!

YUMMMM! This recipe is a winner. I had everything on hand except dill and I subbed parsley for it. Turned out great! Quick, easy, and delicious straight from the bowl with a spoon, on a bed of fresh greens, or as a sandwich. This recipe will be in heavy rotation for sure.

This is one of my all time favorite sandwich fillers, although it’s delicious on its own too! I have made this recipe multiple times and have left out the red onion, accidentally added way too much dill or mustard, etc, but it always comes out great no matter how I decide to interpret the recipe :) I looove the crunch and taste the sunflower seeds provide and I always end up adding more. And the garlic herb sauce is SO amazing, it can be used as a spread for other sandwiches or even a dipping sauce for veggies.

This recipe is soooo good and it gets even better after it’s been in the fridge for a little bit! The best part is it’s so easy to make and my toddler loves it as well. Thank you for the delicious meal!

I The Minimalist cookbook there is a recipe very similar to this called the Vegan No Tuna Salad Sandwich. I have wanted to try a chickpea “tuna” recipe for awhile but was hesitant thinking it might not be good. So I decided if any one I would try would be this one. And Wowee was I not disappointed. It is soooooo goooddd and hubby cant stop talking about it. Seasonings just right and on point. And yes, it is reminiscent of a tuna sandwich, but much better IMO. Love it. Do wait. Just do it!

Sorry, forgot to rate it. Five stars!

I substituted the chick peas for a boiled egg. I thought I had a can of chick peas but I didn’t! Not a single can of any type of beans. I so desperately wanted to make it I used a boiled egg. It’s delicious! Will definitely make it again, this time with chick peas. I used half mayo and half tahini too. Yum!

Um this is the most tasty thing I have ever made in my life. Thank you!!!!

This is so delicious! I made it without the honey/agave because I forgot, but I ended up not missing it! I used 4:9 Ezekiel bread, spring mix, grape tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion, and it was divine. It had BLT/chicken salad sandwich vibes for me, which sounds crazy, but it’s true. I toasted the sunflower seeds myself and I think that’s what gave it a toasted/bacon (?!) flavor. So, so, so good. Thank you!!

I made this today and loved it so much that I had it for lunch and dinner. I am certain I’ll make this frequently. The recipe provided some options which I appreciated. I used tahini in place of mayo, dried dill in place of fresh, and sweet onion in place of red onion just because these were the items I had. I also added in some celery and skipped the optional garlic sauce. I toasted my raw sunflower seeds in a dry skillet. Such a super delicious meal and perfect for a hot day like today. Thank you. I love your recipes!

Fantastic sandwich!! I’m a huge fan of mashed chickpea sandwiches but I think this one might be my favorite so far. Such simple ingredients. I don’t like raw red onion so I subbed scallions from my garden. Used yellow mustard instead of Dijon and added extra. Didn’t bother with the maple or the sauce tho. Served it on my homemade French baguette with cucumbers, tomatoes, and microgreens from my garden and matchstick carrots. Absolutely delicious! This will be in regular rotation.

Made this for lunch today–YUM! Left out the syrup but otherwise followed the recipe–goes together quickly. Served his on a whole wheat wrap and mine on romaine leaves–both with dill slices, red onion slivers and the herb sauce. I knew I would like it…..wasn’t sure about the spouse, but he enjoyed it, too. Delicious and filling–enough leftovers for another lunch! Thanks for a great recipe!

Looking for a hot summer nights dinner, this was perfect. Was too lazy to make the special sauce so added a bit more mustard and juice of half a lemon to the mix. Rolled up in a lettuce wrap with chopped grape tomatoes. Husband stacked in on Finn Crips. Will definitely make this again and again.

Super good. I added some old bay seasoning to give it more of a seafood flavor. I tripled the recipe for my husband and I to eat throughout the week!

This is delicious! I am slowly transitioning my partner to a more plant-based lifestyle. He was quite willing to try this for his lunch sandwich as long as I used regular (non-vegan) mayo. I was quite happy to accommodate him in that department. Slowly but surely! Eventually I’ll make it with vegan mayo.

I added diced dill pickle, a handful of capers, sprinkle of kelp flakes, and diced celery. I used dried dill cause it’s what I had. Next time I will also add black salt as it makes it taste like eggs and he’d appreciate the flavor. Like I said, slowly but surely.

Thank you for a great recipe. So easy and delicious!

I love this recipe and have made it for what seems like a couple of years (not sure when it was published). But I thought it might be helpful to mentioned that I used it a new way today. I was planning to make hummus, but didn’t have tahini. So I just dropped these ingredients in the food processor and turned it into a tuna-ish style dip. SO GOOD!

I LOVE this recipe! I prep it for sandwiches during the work week- it stores for a few days without issue. I typically make it with tahini, however, I was out so subbed plain greek yogurt (I’m not vegan). It was just as delicious. Thank you for another wonderful recipe.

So Good! Subbed shallot for red onion, and chopped basil and chives instead of dill. Also added a bit of old bay and some chopped celery.

This was delightful! My non vegan friends loved! I used chopped almonds instead of sunflower seeds and added a little but of pickles, + juice home run girl!

First time ever leaving a review on a food blog; of course it had to be MB! I’ve tried many chickpea salads before and this one with the Tahini was just the right amount healthy- nut flavor I’ve been searching for. Was wonderful as an open faced sandwich with heirloom tomatoes and micro greens. Will be making this all summer long!

I love this recipe! I’ve been making it for a year now as my family has transitioned to be mostly veggie based. It’s simple, can be made ahead of time and is a good base for almost anything; salads, toast, bagels, etc.

Thanks so much for sharing!

This was really good. I made the “mayo” version this time. Next time I’m definitely gonna try the tahini version. While this makes a great sandwich, I’d also just double this recipe and serve it as a salad all on it’s own without the herbed dressing, like a potato salad, only with chickpeas. Take it to a bbq or something.

This is awesome! I made the recipe as directed and it is perfection. Wish I had made more. ;)

This is a must-have! I just made and tried this for the first time today, and y’all, IT’S SO GOOD. I even had seconds! I had this on whole wheat bread, but I think it’d taste golden in a white or wheat wrap. I opted for making my own tahini (1 cup sunflower seeds & 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil) in place of vegan mayo. I also used ground mustard spice because my dijon mustard was a year past its expiration– oops. 😂 Tasted just as fine and dandy! It was very good; I’m definetely going to keep making this as my summer lunch. If you’re considering making this, give it a shot!

This is a great recipe. For use it needed some acidity so we added pickels!
Yum!!

OMG! This was surprisingly delicious. I just switched over to vegan (1 month) and so I’m constantly looking for quick, easy and full of flavor ideas for meals. I don’t have dill since I don’t like the taste but I may have to give it a try next time. Nonetheless, the only modification besides no dill and completely forgetting I had avocados, lol was to add chopped cherry tomatoes to the mixture. My daughter loved it and so did my husband. I had to admit I was questioning the maple syrup but added it anyway. I also used tahini. So yummy😋

Absolutely delicious! Will definitely make again. Subbed celery for the red onion and pine nuts (only because I needed to use them before they go off) for the sunflower seeds and cut the sweetener entirely.

Second time making this! it was a hit! SO TASTY!!! Added celery for added crunch.

Love, love love this recipe! I double it sometimes just so I have enough – that’s just for me! It’s reminiscent of eating chicken salad or tuna salad! I sometimes add some seaweed granules and pulse it some in my food processor, adding relish to make it more tuna like. Either way it’s delicious and my non-vegan friends agree!!

After a quarter of a century of despising mayo I recently discovered Veganaise (I know I’m behind) and decided to give this recipe a try. I added two stalks of celery, halved the maple syrup, doubled the mustard, and added the juice of half a lime. It turned out so delicious! Thank you for sharing!

The base for the sandwich is DELICIOUS! I used raw, local honey instead of maple syrup, and I used Sir Kensington Avacado mayo instead of vegan mayo or tahini, and I loved it!

I’m not sure if it’s my substitution choices or what, but I didn’t really like the sauce with the sandwich base. When I make it again, I’m going to tweak the sauce by adding more garlic, more dill, and going to use greek yogurt as the base rather than hummus. Sorta like a Tzatziki.

Also going to throw in some cucumber to the sandwich.

Also, sidenote, I made it into a wrap with spinach rather than a sandwich.

Another steller recipe! Absolutely loved it. I made the vegan mayo for this from aquafaba and Made these sandwitches this morning for our picknick with family and friends. We enjoyed these so much! Total winner, cheezy non vegan pizza was left in the shadows, this trumps many non vegan recipes. So happy! If you want to make it just follow the recipe religeously and you will be very happy with the result, I promise! :)

Easy to make! Super recipe, I made it as closely to the recipe as possible. I didn’t have sunflower seeds so I substituted pumpkin seeds. I added some diced celery and a tablespoon of dill relish. Used fresh dill, tahini and organic mayonnaise. No salt was needed. WHile I was at it, I made the hummus and the garlic herb sauce. It is all yummy!!! Thanks so much.

So delicious and easy to make! I did not make the garlic sauce and I added 2 stalks of celery to the sandwich spread for additional crunch. The whole family loved it. Thanks for a REALLY delicious recipe!

I have printed many recipes from wonderful MB and others from the internet. One pet peeve I have is that almost every recipe requires 3 sheets of paper. Even a simple short recipe like this is 3 pages. I hate wasting paper (trees) and often just copy it by hand or print one page and then write the rest.

This recipe was delicious! Both my husband and I loved it! Used a pretzel bun with some grape tomatoes and spring mix on top! Will be making again probably often!!

Seriously delicious! My first time trying this recipe but it won’t be the last. My teen son and I split it using three variations (using up odds and ends): in a sweet potato wrap, in a pita, and as a topping on salad/romaine.

Made the recipe as written (1 Tbsp tahini and 2 Tbsp vegan mayo) and also added a little cayenne, plus some fresh parsley and cilantro I had on hand. Topped sandwiches with your garlic hummus sauce (I used store-bought hummus as the base), tomatoes, romaine, cucumber, and pickles.

Next time I am doubling it so we will have some leftovers.

A flavorful and satisfying recipe! Thanks!

I made this but didn’t have all the ingredients and it was still delicious. No dill, no dill pickles, forgot the hummus, didn’t have tomatoes–and yet I loved it. If someone doesn’t like this sandwich, I don’t even know what to say. It’s good!

I’m currently eating this now – its really good and so simple and quick to make!

I didn’t have sunflower seeds so I left them out. I used regular mustard and dried dill. I also added some spicy pickles to add a little crunch and spice.

I mixed some arugula with the garlic herb sauce and served the chickpea salad on top of that in a Siete brand tortilla that I fried up because I don’t have any bread, either (because, quarantine ya know!).

Really good. Will def make this again! Thanks Dana!

Literally restaurant quality amazing

The Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich has been our go to lunch since we started lock down 4 weeks ago, and we still not tired of it! The only thing I have changed is added some pickled dill gherkins to it, finely chopped, and some celery, ditto. gives it a bit of crunch and tastes even yummier. If we have crunchy lettuce leaves, like Little Gem or Iceberg, we like it wrapped in that instead of bread. A bit of variety that way. Thanks for the recipe.

we really loved this recipe! Didn’t make the sauce and enjoyed it without it! Leftovers were fabulous with raw cucumbers and carrots! Halved the recipe and it made a perfect portion for two sandwiches and about half cup extra.

These are so good. I’ve made a lot of chickpea salad sandwiches but the sunflower seeds and dill are a game changer. 10/10

Hands down my favourite recipe on this blog. Usually after cooking up a batch of chickpeas I’ll make hummus with it, not anymore. It’s always this recipe. I love serving it in lettuce cups instead on in a sandwich.

Delicious!!! A++

Alright, I don’t like to leave a comment unless I’ve tried the recipe EXACTLY as written. Only seems fair! Unfortunately I didn’t have everything on hand this time but WOW is this frackin delicious!! I subbed 1tbsp of dry parsley in for the dill, 1/4 c. Hemp hearts for the sunflower seeds, and added roughly 2 tbsp of dill relish. I’ve been speaking another language since. Insane! You never cease to impress ?

Turned out great! The second round I added celery and apples. So nice for either a sandwich or lettuce wraps. Thank you!!!

Fantastic recipe! I subbed regular mayo since I’m not vegan and added finely diced celery for extra crunch. Love that this can be made with pantry staples.

This was really good! I didn’t have any dill so I swapped in parsley, and it came out really nice. Also added in a bit of lemon juice.

It’s so easy simple yet amazing!
As I love bold flavor, I added Extra tbsp of seedy mustard.
First time making chickpea salad and wouldn’t be the last for sure.
Thank you for the great recipe x

I have been vegan for a 2 months and one food that I was really missing was a good sandwich. This hit the spot and more! I followed the directions but didn’t really measure anything – just eyeballed it. I used about 2 T of vegan mayo and added about a tablespoon of tahini. So good. I’m making it again this week but I’ll be doubling the recipe so that it goes a little further.

Love this recipe!! You are simply amazing!!

This turned out sooo good. I added bread and butter pickles and some banana peppers and it was delicious. Even better the second day!

I didn’t have any sunflower seeds on hand so I made this with pumpkin seeds for my boyfriend and myself to try. We both loved it and I’ll be making it again very soon!

I’ve made this many times but never added tahini, you bet the next time I will add it.

Super delicious! We melted some vegan mozzarella on top, tomatoes and pickles, it was great!

Incredibly delicious and satisfying! Yummm!

This seems just like a chicken salad sandwich so good!!!!!

Made this this afternoon and it was so nice. We found that the dill in it gives it a refreshing flavor. I used it on tortillas with cucumber, lettuce and grape tomatoes.

Zammer

I usually just throw together a bit of this and that for chickpea “tuna” salad but i have never added any sweetener. I probably only added 2 tsps of maple syrup but it was still great. I also really love the addition of the garlic sauce here!

This garlic sauce might become a staple in our house. I can already taste it over a fresh veggie buddah bowl or as a dip for fresh spring rolls!

Really liked this i added craisins!

❤❤❤

I love this recipe !! Absolutely delish! Very flavorful! I did half of the tahini and half vegan mayo as I am not a huge fan of tahini. Was still delicious. I make a double batch and have made it twice now. Whole family loves it…. even my skeptic hubby. ?

So I loved the concept and all the ingredients went together fine, it just lacked flavor. I added more of the dijon mustard after the fact, and I also added a dash of Cumin, Garlic Powder and Onion Powder. This made it better for me.

I just made this for lunch, it is so delicious!!! I think this would also be a great dip with crackers!

I made this recipe a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it! Tonight I went to make it and realized that I didn’t have any chickpeas! So I subbed in black beans, and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you! Amazing as always!

Love love this sandwich! Easy to make ahead of time too! I cannot wait to make this again! My husband is a meat lover, and he absolutely loved this sandwich too! I used dijon and spicy mustard, and omitted the vegan mayo/tahini as I could not find either in the grocery. I also used the dried dill instead of fresh dill. I also made the herb sauce. This is the same herb sauce used for the sweet potato and chickpea recipe on this site…another staple in my household!

Wow — this is GOOD. So good that when I make it, I always double the recipe. ;) However, I have never found myself needing the garlic herb sauce…though I’m sure it’s delicious, I like it just how it is.

It’s such a great base; you can add whatever you want to mix it up! I usually just add diced red onion, but I’ve come up with some excellent variants: toss in some banana peppers for a bit of tang, black olives for a mock “Roman tuna salad”, or fresh squeezed lemon juice & extra dill are a winning combo. I always look forward to making this recipe! I use 2/3 mayo and 1/3 tahini for my “binding agent”.

This recipe is so amazing! It is now a favorite which I will keep making weekly. I also made it exactly as indicated and it turned out perfectly. Thanks again!

Delicious. I didn’t have sunflower seeds so used roasted pumpkin seeds. I didn’t have time to make the sauce but looking forward to trying it next time.
I can see this being in regular rotation :)

I am giving this AWESOME recipe 5 stars * * * * * because it is absolutely delicious!!
I followed it exactly (minus the fresh dill, but I used dried) and my husband and I loved it!
I used the tahini and Gulden’s spicy mustard.
I had my serving on top of field greens, with sliced avocado, tomato and a squeeze of lemon.
My husband had his on toasted sprouted grain bread!
Thanks for a GREAT recipe! No kidding, I will be making this weekly!
:) Julia