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You will love this Easy Chickpea Salad Sandwich Recipe filled with mashed chickpeas, avocado, Greek yogurt, fresh cilantro and green onion. Make this sandwich vegan by leaving out the yogurt or try a vegan mayo. I love adding sprouts, shredded carrots and feta cheese to my sandwich!
This chickpea salad sandwich comes together in 10 minutes with one bowl and a fork. Mashed chickpeas, ripe avocado, and Greek yogurt create a creamy, protein-packed filling with no mayo needed. Lemon juice, fresh cilantro, and green onion keep the flavor bright, while paprika and a pinch of cayenne add warmth. The texture is scoopable and a little chunky, never mushy, so it holds up on bread, in a wrap, or piled onto crackers. It is one of my go-to packed lunches and a favorite for meal prep, since the filling keeps well in the fridge for busy weekdays.
Growing up in a Lebanese household, chickpeas showed up in everything from hummus to soups to salads, so this sandwich pulls from that same pantry. If you want to lean further into those flavors, a sprinkle of za’atar or Aleppo pepper is a natural swap for the paprika. For more ways to use this pantry staple, try these Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas, Edamame Chickpea Feta Salad, Chickpea Salad Recipe or this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad. If you like Mediterranean recipes, browse more Mediterranean recipes here.
Why This Recipe Works
Avocado and Greek yogurt replace mayo, so the filling stays creamy and protein-rich without tasting heavy. Leaving some chickpeas whole instead of pureeing everything gives the salad a texture close to tuna or chicken salad, so it holds together on bread instead of sliding out. Lemon juice does double duty here, brightening the flavor and slowing down how fast the avocado browns, so the salad still looks fresh the next day.
Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need
Please see the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Ripe Avocado: When you pick your avocado, make sure you find a ripe one so you are able to mash it into the chickpea salad.
- Chickpeas: I rinse and drain my chickpeas. You can use dried chickpeas, just soak overnight. Otherwise canned chickpeas works fine.
- Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt adds a creamy texture and a slightly tangy flavor. It works really nicely in this chickpea salad. You could use plain yogurt or mayonnaise if you prefer. The plain yogurt will not be as thick as the Greek yogurt.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice adds a slightly sweet taste and some acidity. It also helps to keep the avocado from browning.
- Spices: The spices I used are paprika and cayenne red pepper. You could also use oregano, Italian seasoning, cumin, chili powder or za’atar.
Recipe Variations
- Fresh Veggies: I love adding extra veggies to my sandwich like shredded carrots, sweet onion, red pepper, tomato slices, red onion, cabbage, cucumbers, sprouts, green onion and thinly sliced radish.
- Cheese: I like to add cheese to my sandwiches sometimes. Some favorites are feta or goat cheese. You could also create a toasty sandwich and add a slice of cheddar, mozzarella or provolone.
- Greens: Greens are always a nice addition to a sandwich. I often add arugula for the peppery flavor it adds or try spinach, romaine or kale.
- Herbs: I love adding all the fresh herbs I can to this salad. Try fresh basil, parsley oregano or fresh dill in addition to the cilantro. Fresh herbs can add so much flavor.
- Nuts and Seeds: Nuts and seeds would be a nice addition for that added crunch. Some good ones are sunflower seeds, pine nuts or sliced almonds.
How do you Make a Chickpea Sandwich
Step 1: Mix Ingredients: Place the chickpeas, avocado, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, cilantro, scallions, cayenne pepper and paprika in a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Roughly Mash Ingredients: Roughly mash the chickpea mixture together leaving some chunks of avocado and some whole garbanzo beans.
Step 3: Create Sandwich: Lightly toast a slice of bread and assemble the sandwiches with the chickpea salad and your favorite toppings. I like to add sprouts, shredded carrots, radish and feta cheese.
Recipe Tips
- If you want your chickpea salad mixture to be more of a creamy texture, you can use a food processor or potato masher to combine it all together.
- For vegetarians that don’t eat tuna salad this chickpea salad can be a similar texture to a tuna salad but a vegetarian version. It is a great option. I like to make a version with the chickpeas that uses mayo or yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, dijon mustard, dill pickles or sweet relish, celery seed and parsley.
- For a vegan chickpea salad sandwich leave out the yogurt or use vegan yogurt or try creamy vegan mayo. These are nice vegan alternative options.
- Speaking of tuna salad a great addition to tuna salad is beans like in this Italian Tuna Salad. You can also make a Chickpea Tuna Salad using chickpeas.
- You can make a low-carb version by serving this on lettuce wraps. Speaking of lettuce wraps, if you like lettuce wraps you have to try these Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps or these Mexican Turkey Lettuce Wraps.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using an underripe avocado. A firm avocado will not mash smoothly and leaves the salad dry. Look for one that gives slightly under gentle pressure.
- Skipping the lemon juice. It is not just flavor, lemon juice slows browning and keeps the salad’s color fresh in the fridge.
- Not draining the chickpeas well. Extra liquid waters down the filling and makes sandwiches soggy. Drain and pat the chickpeas dry before mashing.
- Over mashing. A completely smooth puree loses the texture that makes this feel like a real salad. Leave some chickpeas whole for bite.
- Assembling sandwiches too far ahead. The filling keeps well on its own, but bread gets soggy fast once it is filled. Store the filling separately and assemble right before eating.
Storage Tips
- Store the chickpea salad filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep it separate from the bread until you are ready to eat, assembled sandwiches get soggy within a few hours.
- This recipe is not a good candidate for freezing, since avocado and Greek yogurt both break down and turn watery once thawed. If the salad looks dry after a day or two, stir in a little extra lemon juice or a spoonful of yogurt before serving.
More Chickpea Recipes
Mediterranean
One Pot Chickpea Kale Pasta Recipe
Mediterranean
Mediterranean Eggplant Chickpea Salad
Vegetarian
Zucchini Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Vegetarian
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
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Easy Chickpea Salad Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ripe Avocado, peeled cored and sliced
- 1 – 15 ounce can of chickpeas
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper {optional}
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika {optional}
- 4 Whole wheat bread slices
Instructions
- Place the chickpeas, avocado, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, cilantro, scallions, cayenne pepper and paprika in a large bowl.
- Roughly mash the ingredients together leaving some chunks of avocado and some whole chickpeas.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Lightly toast the bread and assemble the sandwiches with the chickpea salad and your favorite toppings.
- I like to add sprouts, shredded carrots, radish and feta cheese.
Notes
- This chickpea salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days, so it’s great for meal prepping. Store the filling separately from the bread.
- Canned chickpeas vary in moisture. If yours seem dry, add an extra spoonful of Greek yogurt. If they seem wet, drain and pat them dry before mashing.
- For a low carb option, skip the bread and serve the salad in lettuce wraps instead.
- If you prefer a smoother texture, mash everything until fully combined instead of leaving chunks.
- To make this vegan, use vegan yogurt, skip the yogurt entirely, or swap in a creamy vegan mayo.
- For a Lebanese-leaning twist, swap the paprika and cayenne for za’atar or a pinch of Aleppo pepper.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Highly recommend this recipe! I have made it many many many times. It is good with shredded carrots and on romaine lettuce leaves. If like me you don’t care for a too-spicy recipe, just add a little bit more greek yogurt or mayo. This is definitely a keeper!
Thank you so much! I am glad you like it. Love the shredded carrots addition. Thanks for sharing!