After seeing iterations of this recipe go viral on FoodTok, I knew I had to try making it. It’s the perfect way to sneak in vegetables without noticing too much and can be customized to meet any preferences. There really is no wrong way to do it and it’s so fun to come up with on your own. You can put it on top of a bed of lettuce, make it into a sandwich (or into a chickpea melt – keep scrolling for a surprise), or act as a dip for crackers; the possibilities are really endless. Here’s how I like to make it!

Ingredients

Mayonaise

1/6 of a red onion

5 celery stalks

1 can of garbanzo beans/chickpeas

Paprika

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Now is an important time to note that I didn’t include exact measurements for the spices and mayo. That’s because 1) you should choose the add-ins that you enjoy the most and leave room for experimentation and 2) I eyeball and constantly taste it to make sure it’s going in the right direction. Some other great additions that I didn’t have on me but have tried before in the recipe are dijon mustard and finely chopped pickles! You can also substitute the garlic powder for onion powder instead, or take it out completely if you feel as though the red onion will be potent enough on its own.

Preparation

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas. To make sure they are drained enough I’ll typically shake around the strainer a few times and rustle them around with a paper towel until it becomes damp. There’s nothing worse than a chickpea salad that’s too runny!
2. After the chickpeas are dried, transfer them to a medium-sized bowl and start mashing. I like to keep some chickpeas whole to have differences in texture. At this point I will add some mayo to the beans, squeezing the tube for 3 seconds (anyone else measures their proportions by seconds?). Also accompanying the mayo are the garlic powder, paprika, and some salt and pepper. I also noticed that I shook the garlic powder and paprika bottles for three seconds as well, twisted the salt container around five times, and twisted the pepper container around eight times. I’ll make sure it’s mixed evenly throughout and mash a bit more.
3. Next, roughly chop your celery and onion to however large you want pieces to be. Personally, I prefer the onion pieces to be a little smaller than the celery so that I don’t get anything too big to where my eyes start to water.
4. Another trick is to buy celery that’s already been washed to prevent unnecessary water from mixing in with the salad. I get this particular kind from Costco. Be sure to wipe them down with a dry paper towel just in case there are any dirt remnants left over!
5. Then add the chopped celery and onion to the chickpea mixture. Give it a good mix, add two more seconds worth of mayo, and any more garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix again. Et voilà! Be sure to tag me in any attempts at this recipe and enjoy!

Chickpea Salad Melt Recipe

My life has been changed ever since I experimented in the kitchen and made this using leftover chickpea salad. It’s so good that I crave it even though it’s supposed to be healthy for you.

Ingredients

Chickpea salad

Two slices of bread

One slice of cheese (your choice – I chose provolone)

Salad green (optional, but I put spinach on mine to sneak in some veggies)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper.
2. Drizzle olive oil on the back side of the two slices of bread you plan on using. Place the amount of chickpea salad you want to use on the back of the bottom slice of bread. Add on any toppings (like salad greens), and cover it with the cheese of your choice. Cover with the top slice of bread.
3. Leave in the oven for ten minutes (this gives you the perfect amount of toast), or until the desired color is reached. Get ready for your life to be changed!

💘 Hanna