Keep lunch interesting with this Vegan Cranberry Apple Chickpea Salad Sandwich. Made with just 12 simple ingredients.
We're almost there, school starts later this week and the kids can't wait! To be honest, I'm looking forward to it too. I think we all enjoy the structure that comes with the more regular routine during the school year even if the kiddos don't realize it. Also, it's really hard to keep three kids entertained all summer! So, while I love the extra time we get to spend together it will be nice to get back to that more regular schedule. In addition to getting all the new school supplies they need, we've been busy coming up with new ideas for their packed lunches like this super yummy Vegan Cranberry Apple Chickpea Salad Sandwich.
This sandwich salad consists of simple ingredients including chickpeas, celery, apples, nuts/seeds, and cranberries (learn how to make your own here) and a simple dressing to hold it all together. It's perfect for piling high on your favorite vegan bread, stuffing in a pita, or topping a basic salad. Plus it's high in protein and fiber for a satisfying lunch that'll get you through the afternoon.
I went with my usual go to for making the dressing, non dairy yogurt. The yogurt gives the perfect creamy texture without the vegan mayo, which we're not big on around here. Add a bit of mustard and seasonings and you've got a delicious slightly tangy sauce for coating and holding together the chickpeas, veggies and fruits.
The great thing about this salad is that it's flexible so you can really adjust it to suit your tastes. For instance, I made this batch with pecans, but you can use any kind of nut you'd like or to keep it nut free use sunflower seeds instead. Try different varieties of apple to change the overall flavor. I've used pink lady apples for a sweeter flavor and granny smith for more tartness.
We really like that this sandwich is loaded with different flavors and a variety of textures so every bite is interesting. Even my husband, who I didn't think would go for all the fruit in his sandwich, really liked it!
I hope you like this sandwich as much as we do and if you do try it, I'd love know what you think! Leave a comment below or you can snap a pic and tag it @weelittlevegans on Instagram so I’ll be sure to see it!
- 3 cups chickpeas
- 1 large celery rib, chopped
- ½ cup diced apple I use granny smith.
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup chopped peans, chopped walnuts, or sunflower seeds
- 5.3 oz container plain, unsweetened non dairy yogurt I use So Delicious
- 1-2 teaspoon mustard
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt + a pinch more for chickpeas
- dash of black pepper
- bread, pita, and additional toppings if desired
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In a small bowl whisk together non dairy yogurt, mustard, lemon juice, onion powder, salt and dash of pepper. Set aside.
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Roughly smash chickpeas using a fork or pulse in a food processor a few times until most of the chickpeas are broken up. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and stir.
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In a large bowl combine chickpeas, celery, apple, cranberries, nuts/seeds and toss to incorporate.
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Pour yogurt mixture over chickpeas and gently mix to thoroughly coat.
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Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
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To assemble sandwiches scoop desired amount of filling onto bread and add any additional toppings desired such as spinach or lettuce.
Check out this how to guide for making your own dried cranberries.
Kara
How long will this keep?
Melissa
It should keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Raleigh
About how many sandwiches does this make?
Erica
Lovely recipe and good for meal prep.
Lynn
Looks great! How many servings does this make?
Melissa
You should get 6-7 sandwiches.
Della. Benson
This was awesome! I added grapes, otherwise followed recipe. I used a dairy free vanilla flavored oat yogurt as they did not carry plain. My daughter has put in a request for me to make her some after tasting it! 😋
Melissa
I'm so glad you and your daughter enjoyed the recipe 😊 Love the addition of grapes! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback.
Suzanne
This looks so good! Chickpeas are such a great protein replacement for and are so versatile!
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Melissa
It should keep for 2-3 days.
Trisha
Can I give this 10 stars?? I absolutely loved this recipe!!!! I used almond milk yogurt, grapes, walnuts, dijon mustard, dehydrated onion instead of powder and omitted the apples. I know I sound like one of those Allrecipes.com reviewers who changed the whole recipe and then said how great or awful it was, but the secret sauce is truly the dressing that binds a persons preferred add-ins together. I don’t need to miss mayo in salads anymore thanks to you!!! So delicious it’s ridiculous. I’ve eaten four of these sandwiches already in the last 24 hours. I think the flavor may be even better after chilling overnight, but I still loved it the first time around yesterday evening.
Melissa
Wow, yay!! So happy you enjoy the recipe! Thank you for sharing your feedback and what changes you made. This really is super helpful to other readers. I totally agree about the sauce being what binds the add-ins together 🙂
Siobhan
Loved this recipe. My daughter often requests it for lunch and eats it without bread. I added a little cayenne pepper to it the last time I made it, and it was even better!
Melissa
That's awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback. Love the idea of adding a little cayenne, I'll have to try it!
Trisha
I usually would make this with plain almond milk yogurt, today I used plain coconut milk yogurt and agree it was the best choice flavor wise. With dijon mustard mixed in and all the other seasonings it tasted just like mayo!! I decided to mix in 2 cups (dry measurement) of spiral GF cooked pasta— like in a cold tuna pasta salad recipe—and it was perfect!!!! I didn’t add the nuts or apples and subbed fresh red grapes for the dried cranberries. I also used two ribs of chopped celery for enough crunch after the previous omissions. So good!!!! Thanks for this recipe. I’ve made it a number of times since May when I found it and I always love the mix of different flavors and textures.
Sheryl
Fabulous! I used homemade vegan mayo instead of the yogurt as that is what I had in the fridge! Turned out amazing! Will definitely make again. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Natural7ly
I can’t wait to try this, but,I need the nutrition info please?