Meet Alex Caspero
Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Plant-Based Chef and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.
The Ultimate Chickpea Salad Deli Sandwich! Chickpea salad, homemade peach chutney, crunchy almonds and curry mayo. Vegetarian or Vegan and easily Gluten-Free.
You guys, this sandwich. It’s everything I ever wanted in a meatless sandwich and more. Packed with protein, fiber, and so much texture, it’s a combination of crunchy, creamy and softness with every bite.
I know I tend to have a flair for the dramatic, but trust me when I say this is the ultimate deli sandwich.
I realize as I’m writing this that I get inspiration for my recipes from the strangest places. I think it’s a testament to that fact that I am always thinking about food. And I know that would be a really scary thing to say out loud if I wasn’t 99% confident that you felt the same way.
Food obsessors lovers, this one’s for you.
For someone who hasn’t had cable in over 8 years, I can’t seem to turn off my Netflix account. It’s like they know me. From Anthony Bourdain to Friday Night Lights to HGTV, recipe development has never been more fun. TV turns on, I go in the kitchen, and 8 hours later I emerge with multiple new recipes and cable TV stimulation overload.
But thankfully, I can justify the fact that no matter where I go and what I see, I’ve got new food creations on the brain. This sandwich is a ripoff of something I saw on Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives a few weeks ago- a chicken curry salad sandwich with homemade peach chutney.
After I wipped the drool off my chin, I got to work.
Sloppy, chunky and hearty, we are reimagining the potential of vegetarian sandwiches. Hummus and cucumbers this is not. Similar to my Cauliflower Steak roll, I wanted to create layer upon layer of flavor in every bite.
I make smashed chickpeas on almost a weekly basis. It’s so addicting and something that I never get sick of, no matter how many times I eat it. I’ll scoop it onto a bed of lettuce, stuff it between two slices of bread, or tuck it into a collard wrap. The base of this sandwich is my normal chickpea salad recipe with a dash of curry powder to elevate it.
Back in college, my roommate and I were first introduced to curry with this recipe. I honestly don’t know where we found it or what possessed us to first make it after reading the ingredient list, but to this day it’s still one of my favorite food memories. While I haven’t made it in over a decade, it was the first thing that came to mind when I first bit into this masterpiece. Curry and chutney are a match made in heaven.
The peach chutney comes together really quickly but be sure that you cool it down enough before mixing with the salad so you don’t heat the mayo. For a shortcut, I used canned peaches in water but feel free to sub frozen or fresh; they will both work.
I cannot wait to hear what you think about this sandwich! If you try it, please leave a comment and rate it to help other readers. If you’re sharing on social media, tag #delishknowledge. And lastly, get the good bread for this one,it’s worth it!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Print
The Ultimate Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
- Category: sandwich, vegetarian
Description
The Ultimate Chickpea Salad Deli Sandwich! Chickpea salad, homemade peach chutney, crunchy almonds and curry mayo. Vegetarian or Vegan and easily Gluten-Free
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
- Category: sandwich, vegetarian
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
- Category: sandwich, vegetarian
Scale
Ingredients
- Chickpea Salad:
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise (use vegan version for egg-free)
- 1 tsp. curry powder (to taste)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup toasted almond slices
- For the Peach Chutney:
- 8 oz. can sliced peaches in natural juices, drained but not rinsed
- 1/4 cup diced red pepper
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/8 cup raisins
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 cup cider vinegar
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
Instructions
- Make the chutney:
- Combine the peaches, red pepper, onion, raisins, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, cider vinegar, sugar and water together in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil then turn down to low and simmer for 20 minutes, until liquid is reduced by 2/3. Cool the chutney to room temperature (I placed it in the freezer while I made the chickpea salad because #hunger)
- Make the Chickpea Salad:
- Add chickpeas to a mixing bowl and mash with a fork, leave some chunky for texture. Then add the mayo, curry powder, scallions and toasted almond slices and toss to combine. Tate and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Once the chutney has cooled, add 1/2 to the chickpea salad and toss to combine. Taste! Add more chutney if desired.
- Assemble the sandwich! Toast bread, add spinach/lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions and top with a big scoop of chickpea salad.
did you make this?
Tag @delishknowledge on Instagram and hashtag it #delishknowledge
[Tweet “The Ultimate Chickpea Salad Sandwich! You’ve never had a sandwich like this! @delishknowledge #vegan #vegetarian “]
(18 comments) leave a comment
I want to do this recipe but wondering, you say to put half of the chickpea in the chutney, so what do we do with the rest of the chickpea?
Hi Celine, I recommend starting with 1/2 of the chutney and going from there. You CAN add all of it- but you might not want to- completely depends on how you like your salad. With the extra, I usually put a small layer on the toasted bread before topping with the salad.
This is a fantastic recipe! Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment!
I’ve been a vegetarian for 5 years and have tried many ‘healthy lunch salads’ over that time. I have to say, this is hands down the best one I’ve ever made! The blending of the curry powder and the many flavors in the chutney, with the crunch of the almonds and other textures – it was just delicious. This is definitely my new go-to lunch recipe! Thank you!
★★★★★
Thanks Haley! So glad you liked it! 🙂
That looks wonderful! Using raisins is a really neat idea (Y)
Thank Sandra! Hope you try it!
The bread you used for this sandwich looks AMAZING. Did you bake it? 🙂
Thanks Sarah! It’s Dave’s Killer Bread- the best!
Everything about this sandwich is incredible! The chickpea salad, the chutney. It’s making my mouth water as I speak. THIS is a must try!
pinned! this sandwich looks like heaven! this must have been so satisfying! I definitely love new ideas for sammies! yum!
Alex, this sandwich looks FANTASTIC. Definitely worth all the napkins I’m going to dirty just to handle this. I used to was DDD all the time! I’m on a food network hiatus though because I get hungry when I watch those shows at night!
This looks amazing! I never would have thought to put chickpeas in a sandwich.