I am not sure if chicken salad is a southern, American, or entire world thing…but it is definitely a Jenn thing. Or was, I should say. I would crave crazy amounts of chicken salad and when I did I wanted it fast and loaded. There was no doubt in my mind I had to come up with a recipe that would satisfy those cravings.
I started by thinking about what it was that made me fall in love with the dish in the first place. At the top of the list, was mayonnaise, creamy dreamy mayonnaise. Next was the texture from crunchy celery. Thirdly was probably the combination of salt, pepper, and lemon that made the whole meal come together by combining all the flavors and textures into one tangy plate. Notice how none of those things involved actual chicken?
I took my list of favorite details from my old chicken salad and created a new and improved Better Than Chick’N’ Salad! Those of you who are raising you eyebrows don’t even know! Make this, try it, you will never go back. It is cheaper, healthier, and tastier than whatever recipe you’ve been eating in the past. Plus, if you have certain ingredients that make your version unique you can throw those in too! This is an extremely versatile recipe.
I make this salad differently almost every time, but this version is my favorite. Chopped chickpeas mixed with sunflowers seeds, crunchy celery, creamy vegan mayo and the right amount of salt, pepper, and tangy lemon or vinegar. You really can’t go wrong. I made this version larger than normal because we eat it so fast in never lasts. Well, even this amount didn’t stick around…maybe next time I’ll triple it 🙂
If you make this let me know! I’d love to hear of any variations you’ve added to it too! Comment below or use my hashtag #peppersandpeaches on instagram or twitter!
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ¾-1 cup chopped celery (per your preference)
- 1 cup mayo (you can use less if you want it to be a little lighter)
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- juice ½ lemon or 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- dash red pepper
- For sandwich assembly:
- 8 slices of bread (I chose sourdough this time, but grain toast is also delicious)
- red onion for topping
- tomato slices
- lettuce of choice
- pickle chips
- additional mayo if you are obsessed like me
- Start by placing chickpeas in a food processor and pulsing several times. Be careful not to over process, as that is how you make hummus. If you do not have a food processor, just mash the chickpeas with a fork by hand. You want to break up the chickpeas so they are not whole. It is alright if a few are still whole as that will add to the texture.
- Next, combine chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Mix by hand until mixture is evenly distributed .
- Place bowl in fridge to chill for at least one hour. this is the most difficult part for me as usually keep eating bites out of the bowl....but it really is better if you let the flavors merry in the fridge for an hour or so.