Creamy chickpea salad sandwiches

I've seen chickpea salads similar to this several times in various places, and they're usually referred to as a vegetarian version of tuna mayonnaise. I have absolutely no idea why, because if the smell of tinned tuna is anything to go by, this chickpea version is infinitely nicer. I often find sandwiches a bit boring - especially being a vegetarian, the choice is usually cheese or cheese (not that I'm particularly complaining). However, this was a really nice change, and it was not only seriously delicious, but also really filling - it took me about twenty minutes to eat one sandwich. As you can see, I stuffed my sandwiches pretty full (I used one batch of this recipe for 2 rounds of sandwiches) but if you wanted to make the filling go a bit further you could use it for twice as many sandwiches, and they'd still each contain plenty.

How many times can you say the word 'sandwich' in one sentence? Turns out it's 3.

Despite first seeing this idea over a year ago, it's taken me a while to get around to making it - I guess I always thought it wouldn't be hugely flavourful. Wrong! I sometimes forget that unlike some other beans, chickpeas have a prety strong, distinctive (and delicious) flavour, and combined with a few other simple ingredients, this was a fantastic lunch - especially with a few crisps at the side for a bit of crunch (if it hadn't been for needing to take pretty photographs I'd have undoubtedly put them inside the sandwich).

This was incredibly quick to whip up, which is great because I can be pretty lazy - I mean busy - during the daytime. It would probably last a few days in the fridge, so you could even make a big batch at the weekend and use it for packed lunches through the week. They're pretty healthy too - just a few spoonfuls of mayonnaise goes a long way (you could actually reduce the amount a little if you don't want your sandwiches to be so creamy), and you can use light or extra light if you're so inclined.


Creamy chickpea salad sandwiches

Makes 2-4 sandwiches

400g tin chickpeas, drained (240g when drained)
1/2tsp garlic powder
2 spring onions, chopped
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
1tbsp fresh basil, chopped (parsley or coriander could also work well)
Black pepper
3tbsp light mayonnaise
4-8 slices bread
Several lettuce leaves

Lightly mash the chickpeas with a fork. Add the remaining filling ingredients, and mix well to combine. Construct however many sandwiches you want with the chickpea salad and some lettuce.