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This delicious and satisfying 20 minute 1 Bowl Cajun chickpea salad is packed with peppers, cajun spices, herbs, sun-dried tomato, and veggies. Pile it into a sandwich or serve it as a lettuce wrap. It’s a quick, flavor-packed, refreshing lunch. Soyfree Nutfree

cajun chickpea salad in a sandwich with lettuce and a sprinkle of cilantro
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You know I love quick Chickpea Salad sandwiches! Chop veggies, mash chickpeas, add spices and flavors, a cream to complement, and done! This 20 minute crunchy Cajun Chickpea salad has peppers, sun dried tomato, & Cajun seasoning! You can put in sandwiches, wraps, or lettuce wraps. Or serve this cajun chickpea salad as-is with some chips like a dip!

This is a super quick chickpea salad that you can put together with canned chickpeas, chopped veggies, cajun spice, and creamy nondairy yogurt or vegan mayo. Use other beans such as white beans for variation, and use whichever crunchy veggies you have! It’s super summery and super delicious!

close-up of the cajun chickpea salad sandwich, so you can really see the creamy texture

Why You’ll Love Cajun Chickpea Salad

  • creamy chickpea salad with crunchy veggies
  • zesty, cajun spices
  • 20-minute recipe
  • nut-free and soy-free with easy gluten-free option
cajun chickpea salad in a sandwich with lettuce

More Chickpea Salad Recipes

If you like chickpea salad, try out my other chickpea salad sandwiches, like:

Cajun Chickpea Salad Sandwich

5 from 7 votes
By: Vegan Richa
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: lunch, Sandwich
Cuisine: cajun
This delicious and satisfying 20 minute 1 Bowl Cajun chickpea salad is packed with peppers, cajun spices, herbs, sun-dried tomato, and veggies. Pile it into a sandwich or serve it as a lettuce wrap. It’s a quick, flavor-packed, refreshing lunch. Soyfree Nutfree , gluten-free option
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Ingredients 
 

  • 15- ounce can of chickpeas, or 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas. You can also use other beans, such as white beans.
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper, red, green, or a mix of both
  • 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery, or used chopped white onion
  • 1 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomato
  • 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeño
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, or use other fresh herbs of choice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt,, Use less or more to preference and depending on whether your chickpeas are already salted or not.
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons or more cajun seasoning
  • 3 tablespoons nondairy yogurt, or vegan mayo
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice

For serving:

  • bread slices, or lettuce wraps
  • lettuce, or cabbage slaw, for layering on the bread

Instructions 

  • Drain and add the chickpeas to the bowl and mash, so that around 2/3 of the chickpeas are mashed, but there are still a few chickpeas that are whole.
  • Chop up the veggies and cilantro, if you haven’t already, and toss them with the chickpeas. Then add sun-dried tomato, jalapeño, salt, garlic powder, and cajun seasoning, and mix in. Then mix in the yogurt and lime juice.
  • Taste and adjust salt, tang, and flavor. If you want the salad to be creamier, add in more of the vegan mayo or nondairy yogurt and mix. Then serve it up in sandwiches or lettuce wraps. I usually add some lettuce to the sandwich or a cabbage slaw and then add a good helping of the chickpea salad and top it with the other piece of sandwich bread. You can also use toasted sandwich bread.

Video

Notes

Nutritional information doesn’t include bread, since you can serve this on lettuce wraps or tortilla wraps.
To amp up the protein in the salad, add in 1 to 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds. You can also stick some sesame seeds to your bread to add more protein, as well as to make it look pretty. Brush a little bit of oil on the bread edges and dip it in sesame seeds and then use.
Variation:  change up the seasoning to use a chili powder blend or taco seasoning or BBQ seasoning.
This recipe is nut-free and soy-free, depending on the nondairy yogurt or mayo or that you use. To make it gluten-free, serve the chickpeas salad sandwich in lettuce wraps or on gluten free bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 714mg, Potassium: 552mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1558IU, Vitamin C: 55mg, Calcium: 122mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!
chickpeas, veggies, and other salad ingredients in bowls on a wooden cutting board

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • chickpeas – Use canned or cooked chickpeas. You can use white beans instead.
  • veggies – Bell pepper, green onion, celery, sun dried tomato, pickled jalapeño, and cilantro give this cajun chickpea salad such amazing flavor and crunch!
  • salt and spices – The amount of salt you use will depend on your tastes and whether your chickpeas are salted. You’re also adding garlic powder and cajun seasoning.
  • nondairy yogurt – This is the base for the dressing. You can use vegan mayo instead, if you want.
  • lime juice – Adds tang to the dressing.
  • bread slices – Or use lettuce wraps or tortillas. Or serve with chips to dip!
  • lettuce or cabbage slaw – For topping the sandwiches, wraps, or lettuce wraps.

Tips

  • You don’t want to totally mash up the chickpeas. Leave about 1/3 of them unwashed for some extra texture.
  • You can add more protein to this cajun chickpea salad by mixing in one to two tablespoons of hemp seeds. You can also brush your bread crusts with olive oil and use that to stick sesame seeds on for extra protein and crunch.
  • If cajun seasoning isn’t your thing, use chili powder blend, taco seasoning, or barbecue seasoning instead.

How to Make Cajun Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

Drain and add the chickpeas to the bowl and mash, so that around 2/3 of the chickpeas are mashed, but there are still a few chickpeas that are whole. 

mashing the chickpeas in a large bowl

Chop up the veggies and cilantro, if you haven’t already, and toss them with the chickpeas.

adding the crunchy veggies to the mashed chickpeas

Then add sun-dried tomato, jalapeño, salt, garlic powder, and cajun seasoning, and mix in. Then mix in the yogurt and lime juice.

adding sun-dried tomatoes and spices to the bowl of mashed chickpeas and veggies
adding vegan yogurt and lime juice to the chickpea-veggie mixture

Taste and adjust salt, tang, and flavor. If you want the salad to be creamier, add in more of the vegan mayo or nondairy yogurt and mix. Then serve it up in sandwiches or lettuce wraps.

lettuce layered on a slice of bread
sponging cajun chickpea salad over the lettuce on the slice of bread

I usually add some lettuce to the sandwich or a cabbage slaw and then add a good helping of the chickpea salad and top it with the other piece of sandwich bread. You can also use toasted sandwich bread.

cajun chickpea salad in a sandwich with lettuce
cajun chickpea salad sandwich sliced in half o a wooden cutting board

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you directly eat canned chickpeas?

Yes! Canned chickpeas are fully cooked and ready to eat or mash into chickpea salad.

Is this recipe allergy friendly?

This recipe is nut-free and soy-free, depending on the nondairy yogurt or mayo or that you use. 

To make it gluten-free, serve the chickpeas salad sandwich in lettuce wraps or on gluten free bread.

About Richa

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

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5 from 7 votes (1 rating without comment)

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12 Comments

  1. Becky says:

    5 stars
    Just made this for lunch and it hit the spot! Easy to make and uses a lot of ingredients that are kitchen staples. I toasted a piece of multigrain bread and topped the salad with lettuce as an open face sammy. Will make again ๐Ÿ˜Š

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      Sounds delicious!!

  2. Jonathan says:

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing! Had to use red pepper and chili chutney instead of jalapeno. Also used tomatoes with insides scooped out, cheaper than sun dried. Very filling, good lunch for two people. Would be really nice eating it straight from the bowl too!

    Will have to try the other sandwich ideas now.

    Thank you for another great recipe Richa.

    Wil

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      yay! thank you

  3. Pam Buckley says:

    5 stars
    This salad was delicious! It was super easy and quick to put together! Great for dinner.

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      yay!

  4. Anna says:

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe! A great mix of tang and spice, but also great textures from the creamy yoghurt and crunchy veg. It is good to find another vegan sandwich filling that isn’t just hummus or processed fake meat – and as much as I like chickpea tuna, sometimes you want a change!

    1. Richa says:

      Yay!

  5. Carolyn Barnett says:

    5 stars
    Last night I made this Cajun Chickpea Salad and used it as a sandwich filling as shown in the recipe. It was just marvelous! Rich and satisfying flavors. Paired with a coleslaw, pickles and fruit for a a wonderful light summer dinner. Plan on repeating this tonight it was so good!! I have been making Richa’s recipes for almost 8 years and I have never made one recipe that I didn’t love and want to repeat. Give this a try, I don’t think you will be disappointed!

    1. Richa says:

      Yay

  6. Emily says:

    5 stars
    Made this for quick lunch today! It was a hit! I love your various chickpea salads, they keep us interested in the next salad! Different flavors and fun

    1. Richa says:

      Awesome