Buffalo Chickpea Salad
This Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich is loaded with a flavorful and spicy buffalo chickpea filling and a ranch slaw. Easy to put together, no cooking and perfect for your next lunch meal prep.
I never want you to get bored with your lunches. And sometimes, slight modifications to tried and true classics can make the biggest difference in the world. That brings us to this Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich, a new addition to my line up of chickpea salad sandwiches including:
Why You’ll Love This Buffalo Chickpea Salad
- A high protein meal. Combining the chickpeas with the tahini and whole grain bread makes this a high protein sandwich that contains 21 grams of plant-protein.
- Easy to prep. No cooking required, just chop and mix everything together and serve the way you want.
- Perfect meal prep. Great option to make ahead of time for easy to assemble work week lunches.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas to make this fast and convenient, but you can also use 1 1/2 cups freshly cooked chickpeas if you prefer. You can also substitute the chickpeas for some white beans as well.
- Red Onion: Finely diced shallots also work as replacement.
- Tahini: Love the taste of tahini in this as it balances with the heat of the buffalo sauce. Good quality tahini works best. I typically use Soom Foods.
- Yogurt: I used a dairy-free plant based yogurt that is both unsweetened and plain.
- Buffalo Sauce: I used Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce, but you can also use regular Frank’s RedHot Sauce or your favorite brand of hot sauce as well. Just adjust based on your heat tolerance.
- Seasoning: For the buffalo chickpea salad we are using a mix of smoked paprika and coriander to bring out more flavor in the buffalo sauce. For the slaw we are combining garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and dill to make a ranch sauce to combine with the crunchy slaw. Feel free to change out seasonings based on preference and what is available to you.
- Bell Pepper: I love adding this for 2 reasons. One, it’s a good way to add veggies. Two, bell pepper is high in vitamin C and combining it with an iron rich source like chickpeas helps you to better absorb the iron.
- Slaw: You can use bagged shredded cabbage and if you are looking to finish up some leftover celery, I like to thinly slice it and add it to the mix.
- Bread: To make this higher in protein, opt for some whole grain bread to sandwich your salad between. If not a fan of bread, you can add the chickpea salad to lettuce to make lettuce wraps.
How to Make Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich
How to Make Buffalo Chickpea Salad
In one bowl, add the chickpeas and with a fork, mash the chickpeas to desired consistency. I like to leave a few whole pieces/chunks for texture.
Add in the onion, pepper, spices, grated garlic, yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, pinch of salt and buffalo sauce and fold together with a spoon until evenly combined. If the mixture appears dry, add a tablespoon at a time of water until the mixture is to your liking. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking then set aside.
How to Make Celery Slaw
Prepare the slaw in a separate bowl and combine the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, onion and remaining herbs. Whisk together until the sauce thickens then add 2 tbsp of water to thin it out slightly. Add in the cabbage, and celery and fold it into the dressing.
Assemble Your Sandwich
Now, assemble your sandwiches. Spread the chickpea mixture on a slice of bread then top with your slaw and any other vegetables you like. Close your sandwich with the other slice of bread and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Alter the spice level to your liking. Use less or more buffalo sauce based on your preference. I went with 2 tablespoons for a mix of mild with a back end of heat. I also love to add more, but know most might not be able to tolerate, so taste and add more if you like.
- Replace buffalo sauce with hot sauce. This is helpful if you cannot find any vegan buffalo sauce near you.
- Add more texture to your filling. Feel free to mix in some sunflower seeds or sesame seeds for some extra crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not all buffalo sauces are vegan as it often may contain some dairy. An easy, accessible and cheap option I go to is Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce. The sauce is confirmed vegan! If you don’t have access to this option, you can always replace with your favorite hot sauce.
Store both the slaw and the chickpea salad in separate airtight containers and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. If the sauce appears to have thickened too much or dried out during refrigeration, add a tablespoon of water to the chickpeas to loosen them back up.
The buffalo chickpea salad itself is gluten-free. You can keep it gluten-free by serving the salad with gluten-free crackers or in a lettuce leaf to make lettuce wraps. You can also serve this mix in a gluten-free wrap or serve with your favorite gluten-free grains like quinoa or rice and some greens.
Yes! Just sub for an extra 2 tbsp of tahini and add additional water as needed to thin out your sauces. The reason I added yogurt was for a little extra tang, but to also help keep the sauces creamy. If you use all tahini, you may notice your sauces thicken when cooled. You can loosen it back up with a tablespoon of water before serving if needed.
How To Make A Sandwich High In Protein
Here are the components of the sandwich that contribute to the protein total of this meal:
- 2 slices of whole grain bread = 10 grams of protein
- 1 serving of chickpeas (1/2 cup chickpeas) = 8 grams of protein
- 1/4 cup of slaw = 3 grams of protein
If you want to add additional protein to your chickpea mixture consider some of the following additions:
- Add 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast = 3 grams of extra protein per sandwich
- Add 3 tablespoons of hemp hearts = 3 grams of extra protein per serving per sandwich
More Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas
- Grilled Chickpea Veggie Pitas
- 15 Minute Gochujang Noodles
- Tostadas with Refried Beans
- Tahini Ranch Pasta Salad
- Veggie Pinwheels with Avocado Edamame Spread
Buffalo Chickpea Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 sandwiches 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich is loaded with a flavorful and spicy buffalo chickpea filling and a ranch slaw. Easy to put together, no cooking and perfect for your next lunch meal prep.
Ingredients
Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- 1, 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 tbsp unsweetened plain plant based yogurt
- 2 tbsp good quality tahini
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 2–3 tbsp buffalo sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 slices of whole what bread
Slaw
- 1 1/2 cups cabbage, shredded
- 2 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp unsweetened plain plant based yogurt
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dry dill
- 1/2 tsp dry parsley
- 2–3 tbsp water
Instructions
- In one bowl, add the chickpeas and with a fork, mash the chickpeas to desired consistency. I like to leave a few whole pieces/chunks for texture.
- Add in the onion, pepper, spices, grated garlic, yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, pinch of salt and buffalo sauce and fold together with a spoon until evenly combined. If the mixture appears dry, add a tablespoon at a time of water until the mixture is to your liking. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking then set aside.
- Prepare the slaw in a separate bowl and combine the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion and remaining herbs. Whisk together until the sauce thickens then add 2 tbsp of water to thin it out slightly. Add in the cabbage, and celery and fold it into the dressing.
- Now, assemble your sandwiches. Spread the chickpea mixture on a slice of bread then top with your slaw and any other vegetables you like. Close your sandwich with the other slice of bread and enjoy.
Notes
Alter the spice level to your liking. Use less or more buffalo sauce based on your preference. I went with 2 tablespoons for a mix of mild with a back end of heat. I also love to add more, but know most might not be able to tolerate, so taste and add more if you like.
Replace buffalo sauce with hot sauce. This is helpful if you cannot find any vegan buffalo sauce near you.
Add more texture to your filling. Feel free to mix in some sunflower seeds or sesame seeds for some extra crunch.
Adjust consistency to your liking. Feel free to add a splash of water to either sauces if they feel to thick to you. I recommend adding water 1 tablespoon at time to avoid overwatering and making your sauces too thin.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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You’ve done it again! I don’t know how you manage to make things taste healthy and indulgent. 10 stars
Can i like, tip you or something for the buffalo chickpea sandwich? I’m not vegan but I really enjoy vegan food and this is one of my favorite things I’ve ever made. I cheated with not having vegan bread but the toasted sourdough I had on hand added fantastic layers of texture and flavor. I could’ve eaten 2!
Awww, you are so sweet. Honestly, if you’re enjoying it this way I’m still beyond happy. You’ve done more than enough to make my day, so no tip required. 🙂