I have been making this vegan chickpea smash for years and I can't believe I haven't put it on the blog until now! It's been a constant go to for our lunches and a great make ahead option that keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
Made creamy with cashews
Refreshing with dill and lemon juice
A little sweetened with charred corn
Crunchy with celery
And packed full of protein
How To Make Chickpea Smash
Even though this recipe only takes 25 minutes to make (and that's with 15 minutes allocated to soaking your cashews) there are quicker versions of this recipe out there.
Many chickpea smash recipes require just one bowl and are made creamy with hummus, tahini, mayo etc. Perhaps I haven't put out my version until now because it does have a couple of extra steps... BUT that's what makes it so delicious!
It starts with soaking raw cashews to create the creamy dressing.
After cashews soak they blend down into a thick and creamy paste that is perfect for making protein filled dressings.
You can soak cashews in two ways:
- Quick Soak: Boil water in your kettle and using a heat safe bowl, pour the boiling water over the cashews. Let the cashews soak for 15-30 minutes, drain them from the water and blend right away.
- Long Soak: Submerge cashews in cold water and place in the fridge overnight or for 6-12 hours. They can get slimy if left to soak for too long. Drain from the water before using.
I tend to always quick soak my cashews because I usually don't have enough forethought to soak them overnight.
While the cashews soak, I char my corn in a hot pan for 5-7 minutes until the kernels start to "pop" in the pan.
The Creamy Dressing
Finally, add the soaked and drained cashews to a blender with the remaining ingredients to make the flavourful dressing.
- Lemon juice for tang
- Tahini for even more smooth creamy texture
- Miso paste and capers in brine for saltiness
- Nutritional yeast for depth of flavour
- And plant milk to make it pourable.
Pour the dressing over the smashed chickpeas, corn, and celery. Stir it all together and enjoy on your favourite seeded bread, on a salad, or just as is!
The Cost
This vegan chickpea smash recipe makes 4 loaded sandwiches and costs us approximately: $7.55 CAD or $1.89 per sandwich using chickpeas cooked from scratch.
One of my go to cost saving habits is to cook beans from scratch. Buying dried beans tends to be more cost effective and cooking big batches means I always have cooked beans in my freezer and ready for quick meals.
If I use canned chickpeas in this recipe my cost goes up to $9.34 and the chickpea smash on its own costs me $5.46.
In comparison, if I were to buy two 170 gram cans of flaked tuna in order to make 4 tuna salad sandwiches, the tuna alone would cost me at least $5.
So although this recipe is not one bowl and has a few more steps than a tuna salad or other chickpea smash recipes out there, it is a pretty cost effective protein packed lunch recipe!
Let me know in the comments how you like this vegan chickpea smash and what other lunch recipes you want to see.
This Instant Noodle Soup Bowl is a great make ahead lunch option. Pack everything into a mason jar, take it into work, pour in hot water when you're ready to eat and enjoy!
Print
Vegan Chickpea Smash With Charred Corn
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 loaded sandwiches 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A vegan chickpea smash made with a creamy cashew dressing & charred corn! A perfect make ahead lunch that keeps well in the fridge for days.
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews (soaked in boiling hot water for 15 minutes)
- ¾ cup corn kernels
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
- ¾ cup celery, diced*
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tsp miso paste
- 1 tsp capers in their brine
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ⅓ cup unsweetened plant milk
- 2 tbsp chopped dill (can use frozen, or 2 tsp dried dill)
- 8 slices bread of choice
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Start by quick soaking the cashews in boiling hot water for at least 15 minutes. OR long soak the cashews in the fridge overnight in cold water.
- While you wait for the cashews, heat a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the corn kernels and cook for 5 - 7 minutes (stirring periodically) until they start to char and “pop”. Remove the corn from the heat.
- Add the chickpeas to a large bowl and mash them roughly with a fork or potato masher. Stir in the chopped celery and corn.
- When the cashews are done soaking, drain them from the water and add them to your blender. Add in the lemon juice, tahini, miso, capers and their brine, nutritional yeast, and plant milk. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the sauce over the chickpea mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the dill and adjust to taste as needed. Add more lemon juice for tang or a hot sauce for a bit of spice! Add more milk if needed for a creamier texture.
- Serve on your favourite toasted bread, scoop onto salads, or enjoy as is! Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Our approximate cost for 4 sandwiches is $7.55 CAN ($1.89/serving) using chickpeas cooked from scratch or $9.34 using canned chickpeas. Just the chickpea smash costs us approximately $5.46. In comparison, if I were to use two 170 g cans of flaked tuna the tuna alone would cost at least $5.
- Category: Burgers & Sandwiches
- Method: Various
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Karine
I just made these for the second time tonight. I love this recipe and this sandwich filling is so yummy. Packed with great ingredients. It makes it easy to prepare lunches. Thanks, this will definitely become one of my regular recipes. Thanks so much for sharing.
Kathryn Alexandre
I'm so glad that this one is easy for you to prepare for lunches! Thank you so much for trying it and for letting me know you love it. (And thank you for the star rating. Taking the time to comment and rate the recipe really means so much!)
Christina
Made this tonight for dinner and both my husband and I are taking it for lunch tomorrow. Yummy!!
Kathryn Alexandre
Awesome! I'm so glad you both loved it. Enjoy your lunch tomorrow and thank you so much for leaving a star review!
Leslie
I love the simple ingredients In this
Kathryn Alexandre
I'm glad! This is a go to for us so I'm glad you like it as well!
Cheryl
Haven't even made the sandwiches yet, but the sauce is so good. My favorite chickpea salad ever. I subbed cukes for celery.
Kathryn Alexandre
haha awesome!! I always end up eating a bunch of it before I even get it on bread too! I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you so much for letting me know and for the star rating!