Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Until I was 9 years old, I was a vegetarian which is why a lot of my recipes are vegetarian. It is how I grew up eating and it is a way of eating that I still...

Until I was 9 years old, I was a vegetarian which is why a lot of my recipes are vegetarian. It is how I grew up eating and it is a way of eating that I still eat like all the time especially at home because I am the only person who cooks and eats meat in my house. While growing up vegetarian, I picked up on the common misconception that people would often ask me about, that vegetarians can only eat salad and all their meals are so boring. That is the furthest thing from the truth, I honestly sometimes don’t eat meat for over a week and do not miss it because there is so much variety in vegetarian cooking. This curried chickpea salad sandwich being one of those fun meals that breaks that idea of vegetarian meals being “boring”. This recipe was inspired by the concept of people using chickpeas as a replacement for tuna, but for me personally the only similarities I find in that would maybe be the texture and the visual similarities between the two. So this sandwich is not a tuna replacement but it is a stand alone curried chickpea salad sandwich that is packed with flavors and an amazing lunch for everyone not just vegetarians. I love chickpeas in particular because they are so versatile in how you can use them and are packed with protein so they keep you full and fulfilled for long periods of time. They are also super cost effective and have great shelf life so they are a great bean to keep stocked in your pantry. There are a few things that set this sandwich apart from other chickpea salad sandwiches. First being that I incorporate pickled vegetables into the chickpea salad instead of the traditional raw vegetables you would see in a chickpea or tuna salad. The acidity from the pickled vegetables cut through the spices and great balance when paired with the mayonnaise. Also the use of ciabatta bread is amazing with this sandwich. It can hold the chickpea salad without getting soggy and because we toast it adds a layer of texture along with the added tomato, lettuce and onions. I also personally like my food on the spicier side so I will either add in extra chopped up pickled jalapenos in the chickpea salad component or I will simply add in sliced jalapenos with my other toppings. Overall, it is an extremely well balanced and flavorful sandwich that you will love! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do and my DMs are always open for any tips you may want/need…happy cooking!