Caramelized Onion Chickpea Salad Sandwich
This caramelized onion chickpea salad sandwich uses minimal ingredients to bring out big umami flavor. Simple to make and great to back for lunches through the week.
Why You’ll Love This Caramelized Onion Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Great to meal prep in advance. A great go to lunch option that can be made ahead of time for quick meal assembly during the week.
- Easy to make and minimal ingredients. This recipe is just 10 ingredients not including the oil and salt. The most work you end up doing is caramelizing the onions, then everything gets mixed together in a bowl.
- A great source of filling fiber. Chickpeas are loaded with beneficial fiber that can help support optimal gut-health and reduce risk for developing chronic disease.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas. This can also work with white beans if you don’t like chickpeas.
- Onion: The star of our show. I used yellow onion, but this can also work with red onion instead.
- Lemon: Fresh is best here because we need the zest and juice.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Good quality vinegar always makes a difference as it will have more of those richer and naturally sweet notes to it.
- Yogurt: I always use plant-based yogurt. Make sure it is plain and unsweetened with a nice level of tang to it.
- Vegan Mayo: To help add richness to the filling. This can be replaced with a good quality tahini instead. Just make sure to balance with a little more sweetness as needed.
- Garlic: You’ll need one for cooking and one to add in raw. If not a fan of raw garlic, feel free to cook both cloves.
- Chives: Adds some freshness to the sandwich. Feel free to omit or add some minced parsley instead.
- Nutritional Yeast: Provides an extra boost of protein and umami flavor to the dish. Feel free to omit if you don’t have it.
How to Make a Caramelized Onion Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, then add the oil to warm through. Once warm, add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to low and add a pinch of salt and continue cooking the onions, adding a splash of water as needed to prevent the onions from sticking or burning. Cook until they become a deeper brown color (this can vary depending on your patience, so generally I’ll cook for an extra 15-25 minutes, but if you take longer to fully caramelize them the sweeter the onions will get).
Add in 2 cloves of minced garlic and sauté with the onions until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, and fold into the onions. Once absorbed, remove the pan from heat.
To a medium mixing bowl, add the chickpeas and use a fork to mash them as much as you like (I generally mash about 2/3 of the chickpeas). Add the yogurt, mayo, nutritional yeast, the remaining clove of minced garlic, lemon zest and juice, chives, half the caramelized onions, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir the mixture together until well combined then adjust seasonings to taste.
To assemble, toast your bread, spread with mustard or cream cheese, layer on the lettuce, the chickpea salad and top with more caramelized onions as desired then enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Patience is key. Caramelizing onions takes a lot of time and if you have the time it really is worth it as it lends a lot of great naturally sweet and umami-rich flavor to this sandwich.
- In case you don’t have patience, that’s okay too. In the very least, allow your onions to cook down for 15-20 minutes to soften and begin the browning browning process. To make up for the depth of flavor, add in some balsamic glaze and a little maple syrup towards the end of the cooking time and stir into the onions.
- If needed balance with a little extra sweetness. If your vinegar and lemon are too tangy, balance the flavors with a pinch of salt and a touch of sweetener. I prefer maple syrup, but choose what you like to help mellow the stronger flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Feel free to double and make ahead of the week as it can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Then it’s just a matter of assembling your sandwich when you want it.
The chickpea salad is gluten-free as is. The only thing you’d need to change is the bread. You can swap for gluten-free bread or stuff it in a gluten-free wrap or serve the filling as a dip with a side of your favorite gluten-free crackers and veggies.
Fold hemp hearts and some nutritional yeast into the chickpea salad mixture. 3 tbsp of hemp hearts will add an additional 10g of protein to the whole dish while 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast will add about 6g of protein to the whole dish. You may also use silken tofu as a replacement for the mayo and yogurt, but do note you will need to adjust the tang and seasoning a bit to make the flavor right for you.
How to Serve
This chickpea salad can be served in a classic sandwich or as a dip to enjoy with your favorite crackers (use gluten-free crackers as needed or for a bump in fiber opt for some whole grain crackers).
To include some veggies in your meal, I recommend stuffing your favorite veggies inside. I went with some sliced cucumbers and lettuce, but any fresh veggie you love can work here.
If building a sandwich, I also like to use a condiment to spread on my bread for a bit of extra flavor. Garlic and chive cream cheese is amazing with this as well as classic mustard. So pick and choose what you like.
More Satisfying Plant-Based Sandwiches to Try
- Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Spinach Artichoke White Bean Sandwich
- Smoky Shredded Tofu Breakfast Sandwich
- Maple Balsamic Tofu Sandwich
- Marinated Tomato Sandwich
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.
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Caramelized Onion Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 3 sandwiches 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This caramelized onion chickpea salad sandwich uses minimal ingredients to bring out big umami flavor. Simple to make and great to back for lunches through the week.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup plain unsweetened plant-based yogurt
- 2 tbsp vegan mayo or good quality tahini
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
- Juice and zest of 1 small lemon
- Handful of chives, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt to taste
For assembly: Sliced bread, greens of choice, cucumber slices, dijon mustard and/or plant-based cream cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, then add the oil to warm through. Once warm, add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to low and add a pinch of salt and continue cooking the onions, adding a splash of water as needed to prevent the onions from sticking or burning. Cook until they become a deeper brown color (this can vary depending on your patience, so generally I’ll cook for an extra 15-25 minutes, but if you take longer to fully caramelize them the sweeter the onions will get).
- Add in 2 cloves of minced garlic and sauté with the onions until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, and fold into the onions. Once absorbed, remove the pan from heat.
- To a medium mixing bowl, add the chickpeas and use a fork to mash them as much as you like (I generally mash about 2/3 of the chickpeas). Add the yogurt, mayo, nutritional yeast, the remaining clove of minced garlic, lemon zest and juice, chives, half the caramelized onions, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir the mixture together until well combined then adjust seasonings to taste.
- To assemble, toast your bread, spread with mustard or cream cheese, layer on the lettuce, the chickpea salad and top with more caramelized onions as desired then enjoy.
Notes
Patience is key. Caramelizing onions takes a lot of time and if you have the time it really is worth it as it lends a lot of great naturally sweet and umami-rich flavor to this sandwich.
In case you don’t have patience, that’s okay too. In the very least, allow your onions to cook down for 15-20 minutes to soften and begin the browning browning process. To make up for the depth of flavor, add in some balsamic glaze and a little maple syrup towards the end of the cooking time and stir into the onions.
If needed balance with a little extra sweetness. If your vinegar and lemon are too tangy, balance the flavors with a pinch of salt and a touch of sweetener. I prefer maple syrup, but choose what you like to help mellow the stronger flavors.
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