Vegan Chickpea and Tahini Sandwich with Avocado and Parsley Pesto

Categories : appetizers & savoury snacks, lent, pulses & grains, Recipes, vegetarian or vegan

A different - and if I may say so myself - tastier version of a chickpea and avocado sandwich. Sautéed chickpeas with a delicious tahini and grape must syrup dressing, sliced avocado, and homemade dairy-free parsley pesto with a citrusy tang.

I remember the first time I saw a recipe for a chickpea and avocado sandwich, several years ago. I thought it was a brilliant idea. I tried it and yes, liked it, but didn’t quite fall in love with it. So I kind of forgot about the whole thing.

Then, a few weeks ago, I was researching possible recipes for a sponsored post with tahini, over on the Greek side of the blog. It suddenly occurred to me that I could try this sandwich again, with a few changes to jazz it up a bit.

Looking through similar recipes I discovered that a lot of them had pesto. That seemed like a good idea, but my recipe had to be suitable for Lent so regular pesto with cheese was not an option. No prob, I’d make my own. I decided to try different greens and herbs to see which I liked best. So I used spinach and arugula in one, parsley in another, and chard in a third. Parsley won. It’s a super simple pesto, with tahini to replace the nuts and some of the oil, and a little bit of deactivated yeast to give it a hint of cheesiness. It’s gorgeously tangy from the lemon, and very fresh tasting.

Vegan Chickpea and Tahini Sandwich with Avocado and Parsley Pesto www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: A side view of a small pot of parsley pesto, sitting next to a stack of bread slices and half an avocado.

I took the chickpeas up a notch (or ten) by frying them for a few minutes in some olive oil with a sprinkle of salt and paprika. SO much tastier than the plain cooked ones. Then I made a delicious, thick dressing with tahini, lemon, chives, grape must syrup, salt and pepper, and mixed the chickpeas in that. It’s super intense, but when it’s combined with the avocado it creates a perfect balance.

Vegan Chickpea and Tahini Sandwich with Avocado and Parsley Pesto www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: A top view of the ingredients. Sliced whole-wheat bread, a bunch of parsley, one whole and one halved avocado, a whole lemon and a bowl of lemon wedges, a small jar of pesto, a bowl of sautéed chickpeas, and a bowl of lamb’s lettuce.

The first version of this recipe had a whole avocado for the two sandwiches that the quantities yield. Some was mixed into the chickpeas and some was sliced. However, when I tested it for a second time I only used half. This was even nicer, as the overall flavour was less “diluted” by the creamy avocado. Feel free to experiment to find the perfect balance for yourself.

Vegan Chickpea and Tahini Sandwich with Avocado and Parsley Pesto www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: Two slices of bread, one of them spread with parsley pesto and slices of avocado, the other with lamb’s lettuce and chickpeas in tahini sauce. Both slices are on a marble cutting board surrounded by more ingredients.

The salad leaves in the photo are lamb’s lettuce, and in all honesty I added them for styling purposes. Their taste doesn’t interfere with the rest of the flavours though, so that turned out to be a good match. Of course you can leave them out if you prefer.

Vegan Chickpea and Tahini Sandwich with Avocado and Parsley Pesto www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: A side view of a cut sandwich, the layers of ingredients clearly visible between the bread. In the background, a small jar of pesto, a pot of chives, and a bowl of lamb’s lettuce.

As you can imagine this baby is quite filling. It’s the perfect snack or light meal. I really hope you give it a try, and please let me know what you think if you do! If you take a snap make sure to use #thefoodiecorner hashtag so I can see it!

Vegan Chickpea and Tahini Sandwich with Avocado and Parsley Pesto www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: A front side view of the sandwich, close up - the ingredients spilling out from between the bread. To the left, the jar of pesto with a spoon in it.

Ingredients

For the parsley pesto
100gr parsley, leaves and thin stalks only
4 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs tahini
2 Tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 Tbs deactivated yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp lemon pepper

For the chickpeas
100gr chickpeas, cooked (weighed after cooking)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika, sweet
1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbs tahini
2 Tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp grape must syrup
1/2 tsp chives, finely chopped
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp lemon pepper

For the sandwich
4 slices wholegrain and/or multi-seed bread
4 Tbs of the parsley pesto
1/2 an avocado, ripe, sliced
small handful lamb’s lettuce

Step 1

To make the pesto:
Process the parsley with the olive oil and tahini in a food processor. Do this in batches if necessary. Add the lemon, yeast, salt and lemon pepper and pulse a little more until smooth. Transfer to a jar and keep in the fridge for up to two days.

Step 2

To make the chickpeas:
Toss the chickpeas with the salt and paprika and fry for 3-5 minutes in the olive oil over high heat, until lightly browned. Set aside.

Use a fork to beat the tahini, lemon juice, grape must syrup, chives, salt and lemon pepper. Mix in about 2/3 of the chickpeas, crushing some of them if you want. Keep the rest as a garnish.

Step 3

To assemble the sandwich:
Spread 2 tablespoons of parsley pesto on a slice of bread. Top with 1/4 of the sliced avocado. Put some lamb’s lettuce on another slice of bread, top with half the chickpea mixture and close the sandwich. Repeat with the second one and enjoy!

Notes
The Greek version of this post is sponsored. All opinions are my own.

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