Looking for a quick, simple, nutritious, and tasty lunch option as we head into the new year? Packed full of flavour and plant-based protein, this chickpea “tuna” has become a staple mix in our fridge ready to be slapped on hearty sprouted sandwich bread or put in a wrap throughout the busy school or work week.
This recipe is found in Minimalist’s Bakers cookbook, “Everyday Cooking” (which is a fabulous plant-based cooking resource). She also has a very similar recipe found on her blog here!
The mix of celery, red onion, pickles, capers, and sunflower seeds gives the mashed chickpeas varied texture and a unique flavour coupled with tahini, dijon and grainy mustard, as well as a touch of vegan mayo. Season to taste with salt and pepper and you’ve got yourself a stellar sandwich!
Tip – Here’s an easy method to mash those chickpeas instead of struggling with fork: Place drained and rinsed chickpeas on half of a clean tea towel and fold over the tea towel to cover the chickpeas. Use a kitchen mallet or bottom of a jar (or something sturdy) to smash the chickpeas. This is also a great stress reliever ;). Once the chickpeas are mashed so that some chickpeas are left intact, simply lift the towel and pour them into the mixing bowl!
We don’t necessarily love the amount of vegan mayo listed in the original recipe so we opt to replace some with more dijon mustard and tahini which works a treat! Ultimately, you can play around with the proportions of the binding ingredients and find a combination that you enjoy the most.
We like to dress up this mix with tomato, lettuce, onion, and cucumber to make a fresh and satisfying sandwich. We’ve also tried this warmed up on the stove top as a quesadilla filling along with some spinach and it tastes delicious!
If you give this a try, we’re sure you’ll love it as much as we do!
alessia eats 