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This Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich is a great vegan lunch to pack! It’s a spicy take on chickpea salad that will keep you feeling satisfied. In partnership with Silver Hills Bakery, who makes the most delicious sprouted bread products! Originally published August, 17, 2017.
this RECIPE
Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Back-to-school season is officially upon us! Who’s totally not ready for it? 🙋🏼😅
Whether or not you’re ready to hit the books again (or send your kids off to hit the books), it’s time for LUNCH PACKING SEASON!
I always get questions from readers about packing wholesome lunches for either themselves or their kids, and I totally understand why. No one wants to be stuck on campus starving because their lunch wasn’t that good; or worse, have their kids come home with empty tummies because the lunch that Mom or Dad packed was “yucky.” (Luckily for my mom, I was a human garbage disposal and ate pretty much everything. 😃)
Because I have been obsessed with sandwiches lately (especially thanks to deeeeelicious Silver Hills Bakery bread!), I wanted to make you a QUICK! EASY! HEALTHY! recipe that’s perfect for packing and meal prepping. My mind always goes to chickpea salad, but I wanted to spice it up a little bit – literally. So with that said, I’d like you to meet the Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich.
If you love buffalo sauce as much as me, this buffalo chickpea salad sandwich will be a lunchbox winner. Say goodbye to boring chickpea salad and make way for this buffalo goodness 🏆
Ingredients for the Buffalo Chickpea Salad
I love this buffalo chickpea salad recipe for so many reasons. The first of which is obviously that it’s super delicious. But a close second is that it’s so dang easy to make. You really just need a handful of ingredients, and I bet you usually have them all on hand!
- Chickpeas. I’m using canned chickpeas, but you could also cook up a batch of instant pot chickpeas
- Veggies. Use what you like, but crunchy veggies are going to balance out the texture in your buffalo chickpea salad. I used carrot and celery to run with the buffalo vibe, green onion for a flavor boost and also some bell pepper for some sweetness.
- Hummus. I recommend a plain or garlic hummus. But bonus points if you can find a vegan buffalo hummus!
- Hot sauce. By all means use what you have on hand, but if you have a few hot sauces in your fridge I would reach for a simple Louisiana style cayenne pepper sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot, which gives that classic buffalo flavor. Something like a Sriracha, for example, won’t give quite the same flavor.
- Spices. You’ll need salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika for this buffalo chickpea salad.
How to Make Buffalo Chickpea Salad
There really isn’t too much work involved with this buffalo chickpea salad, which makes it ideal for prepping lunches during a super busy week. And if you’re using canned chickpeas like me, then your life just got even easier!
Here’s how you make a quick batch of this buffalo chickpea salad
- Mash up your chickpeas. I like my chickpeas to be mashed pretty well because I find it easier to eat when piled high onto a sandwich, but if you prefer a chunkier chickpea salad then you do you!
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix it up!
- Customize it! This buffalo chickpea salad is super easy to customize to your preferences, so by all means get creative. If you like a lot of heat, then add a couple extra dashes of hot sauce. A bit of cayenne would also be great if you like heat. Feel free to sub in different veggies or mix up your toppings. Play around with it and make it your own!
How to Serve this Buffalo Chickpea Salad
This buffalo chickpea salad is basically made for sandwiches. Although I guess it literally is, considering I built the recipe with the idea that I wanted it stuffed between two pieces of bread! But either way, my point is, you really can’t go wrong spreading it on top of your favorite bread. One note though: if you intend to pack it for lunch, I recommend packing the filling and the bread separately so the bread doesn’t get soggy.
You could also totally serve this buffalo chickpea salad on top of greens and turn it into a buffalo power bowl. I would add a serving of quinoa, a scoop of this buffalo chickpea salad, chopped romaine, some hemp hearts, avocado and finally a big fat pour of vegan ranch dressing 🙂
How to Build a Healthy Lunch
I know it can feel challenging to find healthy lunch ideas that not only taste good, but will also leave you FEELING good during a long work or school day – But I’m here to help – Here are four steps to follow to build a healthy lunch:
- Pick a complex carb. Carbs are our body’s main source of energy so including a source in your lunch will keep you fueled. Include a complex carb like quinoa, sweet potatoes, beans or whole grain bread like the Silver Hills Bakery bread I used for this buffalo chickpea salad sandwich.
- Add a protein. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient so it will help keep you feeling full. The chickpeas add protein to this recipe, but other beans, tofu, tempeh, or legumes are also great choices.
- Choose your veggies. Whether you’re making a big salad, sneaking them into something like this buffalo chickpea salad, or eating carrot sticks on the side, veggies should play a role in your lunches.
- Include healthy fats. This buffalo chickpea salad includes fat from the hummus. Adding a fat source will make your foods taste and feel more satisfying as well as ensuring that you’re taking full advantage of any fat-soluble vitamins in your meal. Olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados are all great choices.
I’m excited to partner with Silver Hills Bakery on this recipe because they make the softest sprouted breads, bagels and buns. No tough cardboard bread over here! Their products are made with sprouted grains, which unlocks many of thenutrients found in grains to make them easier to digest.
You can locate where to buy Silver Hills Bakery close to you by using this store locator. I find it at Whole Foods! Plus, the price of a loaf is really reasonable.
More Vegan Lunch Ideas
If you’re looking for more healthy lunch ideas, then you’re in luck because I already have a TON of nourishing recipes on the blog that are perfect for packing for lunch. I find that the easiest things to pack are sandwiches, salads and one-bowl meals. Here are more healthy lunch recipes to keep you fueled all week long:
- Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich
- Hummus Vegetable Wrap
- Vegan BBQ Chickpea Wrap
- 10 Healthy Vegan Lunches for Work or School
- 5 Healthy Vegan Lunch Ideas
How to make:
Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich
This Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich is a great vegan lunch to pack! It’s a spicy take on chickpea salad that will keep you feeling satisfied.
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Total Time:
10 minutes
Author:
Emilie
Yield:
6 1x
Rating: 5 from 6 reviews
Print the recipe
Ingredients
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup hummus
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 12 slices Silver Hills Bakery The Big 16 (or any Silver Hills Bakery bread)
- Toppings: spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mash chickpeas with a fork or potato masher until all are mashed, leaving a bit of texture.
- Add carrots, celery, green onions, bell pepper, hummus, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Mix until ingredients are completely combined.
- Toast bread slices.
- Scoop chickpea salad onto a piece of bread, top with desired sandwich toppings, and then another piece of bread.
Notes
If packing for lunch, pack chickpea salad and bread separately to prevent the bread getting soggy.
Thanks to Silver Hills Bakery for sponsoring this post! I love working with brands whose products I really love and would honestly recommend. Thank you for supporting this blog that I love oh-so-much!
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May 17, 2022
Tagged with:
beans chickpeas Dinner Lunch Nut Free Soy Free
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39 comments
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39 comments
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Cassie Autumn Tran says: I think I need another month of summer to really miss classes and studying! I do love the routine and fall season, and I am in LOVE with meals, recipes, and flavors that encompass autumn! For instance, pumpkin pie spice, warm grain bowls, turmeric lattes, and butternut squash muffins! YUM!This buffalo chickpea salad sandwich looks wonderful! I am pretty obsessed with open-faced sandwiches and avocado toast--or just toast and bread in general. Bread is life. ;)
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Emilie says: I agree with you on more summer! But at least this means fall is coming. And heck yes to BREAD.
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Lauren Thomason says: What kind of hummus do you recommend using? I currently have a cilantro jalapeno and a lemon one.
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Emilie says: I love cilantro jalapeño would be great in this recipe! Let me know how it turns out.
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Lauren Thomason says: I ended up using the lemon one; the jalapeno was a little too spicy for the husband :) It was still delicious! I will definitely experiment with different hummuses (hummi??) in the future! Thanks for the tasty recipe!!
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Emilie says: I think roasted red pepper hummus would be great! Hm...hummi? Hahaha!
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Lui Love says: Roasted red pepper hummus was delicious with this recipe!
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Emilie says: Awesome!!
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Lindsey says: This was delicious! I used everything flavored hummus as that's what I had on hand, and it tasted great! Can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch again tomorrow!
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Emilie says: Yay! It really is the perfect lunch. Thanks, Lindsey!
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Kari Barrentine says: Which hot sauce do you use? I've never done a lot with hot sauces, so I'm kind of at a loss on what to grab. And I'm think 3tbsp of Sriracha would be too much!
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Emilie says: I would definitely start with 1 tbsp and then add it to fit your tastebuds! I usually just get whatever hot sauce is at the store - I'm not loyal to any brand. Frank's Red Hot is delicious!
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Ashley P says: Emilie, I love this! Do you have the nutritional info? I'm trying to plug it into my fitness pal. Thanks!
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Emilie says: Hi Ashley, I don't provide nutritional info on my site. You can read more about that here: https://www.emilieeats.com/sorry-i-dont-know-the-caloriefatcarb-content-of-my-recipe/
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Crystal says: Thanks for posting this! My fiance and I have been mostly eating vegan lately and he is starting classes that will be 4 hours long on Saturdays and I have no idea if they have a microwave. I was trying to find something that he could take for lunch. I plan to try this one out.
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Emilie says: I hope he likes it! I have a few other sandwiches recipes on here that you might want to check out, too.
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Christine says: This is one of the most delicious sandwiches I’ve ever had! I use Franks red hot sauce and it has the perfect spiciness. It is also great served over lettuce if you don’t want bread. Typically I use garlic hummus and any color pepper I have on hand. Always a hit!
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Emilie says: Frank's is the best!! So happy you enjoyed these, Christine!
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Makayla says: Hi! I was wondering how many servings this makes? Will this much last for about a week for two people’s lunches? (I might just be overlooking the serving size, and if I am, I apologize). Thanks!
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Emilie says: Hey! I don't think this would last that long. The recipe makes about 6 servings. Thanks for pointing that out - not sure why there isn't a serving size!
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Brainy says: Hello Emilie,Can u clarify when u say "I don't think it would even last that long". Do u mean it would spoil quickly because there's no preservatives? Or it would disappear quickly because it is so yummy?! ;-)
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Emilie says: I mean that it is so delicious, everyone would eat it!
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Marie says: I'm not vegan, but I'm really trying to eat less processed meats. I dont even like chick peas, but this was amazing! I know have a great new lunch to bring to work. Thanks so much!
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Emilie says: Yay! This makes me so happy, Marie.
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Donna says: Can I leave the hummus out ? If so is there a substitute ?
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Emilie says: You could try some tahini + water!
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Gabby says: Hi Emilie! I can't wait to make this recipe tomorrow, but I have a question first... If I only wanted enough to make one sandwich, do you know how much of each ingridient I should use? Love your recipes by the way, one of my favorite sites for vegan dishes!
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Emilie says: Hi Gabby! If you have another use for the rest of the chickpeas, that could work (since you'll have to open the can). Just cut every measurement down by 1/6.
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Lydia says: I love this recipe. I am not vegan. This also it good as a dip with tortilla chips. Yum. Thanks for sharing this delicious and addictive recipe
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Emilie says: Yum, great idea with chips!
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Janine says: This recipe is great! How long is it food for in the fridge in a sealed container? Is it ok to freeze for future lunch sandwhiches?
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Emilie says: I haven't tried that, but please let me know if you do!
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Cindy says: We absolutely love this recipe! Thank you for this!
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Emilie says: I'm so glad you liked it, Cindy!
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Beth says: This recipe was delicious! We made this for lUnches and SERVED it with vegan cheese and lettuce in a wrap. We added a bit more hot sauce and it was perfect! Thanks so much for sharing.
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Emilie says: Thanks so much for sharing, Beth!
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RenaE says: Absolutely delicious. I used made a few subs, white onions and about a table spoon of vegan mayo. I wrapped it up in a tortilla with mashed avocadO and spinach. I’m so happy i have left overs.
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Emilie says: So happy it worked for you!
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Becky says: 10/10 recommend this recipe! I've been looking for healthier meatless options and this recipe is a total game changer. I honestly didn't have very high expectations because I am not the biggest fan of chickpeas, however the flavor was phenomenal. I ended up adding an extra tbsp or 2 of hot sauce and it tastes great loaded up on a croissant or even as a dip w/ celery or carrot chips.
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