Description
An Herby Chickpea Salad Sandwich stuffed with Marinated Zucchini, proof that green is not only nutritious, but also all the warming, spicy, and citrusy flavors one would want on a summer sandwich.
Ingredients
Sahawiq/Zhug Inspired Dressing
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 lemon
- 1 serrano pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp yellow miso paste (optional)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup cilantro, woody stems removed
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Chickpea Salad
- 2, 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1/3 cup pickled jalapeños
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup pepitas (optional)
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, minced
- Kosher salt
- Extra virgin olive oil as needed
Sandwich Accessories
- Whole grain bread slices
- Lettuce
- Pickled onions/shallots
- Vegan mayo or mustard
Instructions
- To a large mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, zest of 1 lemon, and a pinch of salt. Use a fork or potato masher to mash the ingredients together then set aside.
- Use a y-peeler to thinly peel the zucchini into thin strips. Place the strips in a bowl with a pinch of salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
- While you wait, place a small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the cumin seeds and coriander seeds and toast while stirring for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle with the cardamom, garlic, and a pinch of salt then mash the ingredients together to form a paste.
- Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into the mortar to help scrape up the paste and transfer to a mini food processor. Add the juice of the remaining half of the lemon, serrano pepper, jalapeño pepper, dijon mustard, miso, oil, cilantro leaves, and salt then blend until mostly smooth. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Give the zucchini ribbons a squeeze to release additional water, then discard the water and place the zucchini back into the bowl. Drizzle the ribbons with 2-3 tbsp of the blended dressing and a small drizzle of oil. Toss the zucchini to coat and set aside.
- To the bowl of chickpeas add the pickled jalapeños, scallions, pepitas, cilantro, and the rest of the dressing. Toss to combine until well mixed. Taste and adjust for salt then refrigerate until ready to use.
- To assemble a sandwich, spread some mayo or mustard on both slices of bread then layer one slice with lettuce, a portion of the chickpea mash, the marinated zucchini, and pickled onions. If you’re feeling cheeky, drizzle the sandwich with a little more oil, then seal the sandwich with the other slice of bread and enjoy.
Notes
Use a food processor to speed up making this recipe. Blend up the dressing in the food processor, then add the chickpeas, pickled jalapeños, herbs, and pulse a few times to properly mix and mince the filling to your desired texture. From here you can transfer the mixture to your storage container, then stir in the pepitas and scallions.
Allow chickpeas to marinate for at least an hour. This is the type of filling that tastes better the longer it sits. The flavor in the dressing will then have more time to be fully absorbed by the chickpeas.
You can still make this recipe using ground spices. I would use 1/2 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp ground coriander. You can always adjust with more or less of either seasoning based on your own personal preference.
For extra sandwich flavor, toast your bread then rub it with some raw garlic.
