The mashed chickpea sandwich, a vegan staple and mock version of traditional tuna. Up until now, I have been forced to use mayo or other oil filled condiment in order to get that creaminess I craved. Either that or mix in hummus to make up for the lack of creaminess, but it was never the same as a really creamy base. Not any more! Enter chickpea brine, the most recent craze in the vegan foodie world. I’m not really sure who started this craze, but I have seen it all over. Chickpea brine has been making it’s way around in vegan desserts as a main ingredient in achieving the perfect vegan meringue. I’ve also seen it as a marshmallow type cream, and other creamy sweet condiments. Truth be told, that all scares me. I have never been a fan of beans in my desserts. In all fairness, I haven’t tried many, but that’s mostly because the ones I have tried have not been good. I can detect that bean taste easily, so for now I am putting the sweet bean idea on the side. However, as I was making another batch of mashed chickpeas, and dreading the decision of whether I went creamy with mayo or healthy and drier without, the idea hit me like a freight train! Of course! Brine! Thank goodness I hadn’t drained my can of beans yet. So I collected some brine and off I went to experiment with fingers crossed I had found my answer to creamy mayo free sandwiches!
I looked up a variety of homemade regular mayo recipes and decided I was going to use a mix of apple cider vinegar and lemon juice to get the tanginess I wanted in my sandwich. I liked the combo of both versus one or the other because they create a good balance. I whisked it up with my stand mixer and it came out nice and fluffy! You could also use an electric beater. My first trial was awesome but I felt it needed some structure. I didn’t want to use a bunch of fillers or extra ingredients, so I decided to try pureeing a small part of my chickpeas into a paste to see if that would do the trick. It was perfect! I didn’t have to use anything extra that would alter the taste. Once I mixed the fluffy creamy concoction in with the other ingredients and spices, it turned out fantastic! It gave it that touch of creaminess without the added fat and oil. Score!
This was such a random experiment turned amazing recipe, and sometimes these are the best ones to post about. I quickly grabbed my camera and started shooting. I knew I had to share this, and fast!
This is such a great find for those of us who aren’t huge mayo fans! Plus, it’s a much healthier alternative. If you try this out, please please let me know! I love hearing your comments on all my experiments. You can leave a comment here, find me on Facebook or tag me on Instagram at veggiesdontbite #veggiesdontbite so I don’t miss it!
Sophia DeSantis | Veggies Dont Bite
Yields 2 sandwiches (makes 2 cups chickpea mixture)
Super creamy but no mayo or oil! Finally a way to eat mashed chickpeas that doesn't leave you feeling yucky inside. Fully loaded with your favorite veggies so super healthy and delicious!
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 can chickpeas (15 oz)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chickpea brine (juice from can of chickpeas )
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds/pepitas
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (optional, my hubby is not a fan so I leave it out for him)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Himalayan pink salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Gluten free or sprouted wheat bread
- Sliced cucumber
- Lettuce
- Tomato
Instructions
- Drain the can of chickpeas, reserving the juice. Chop carrots, celery and dill into chunky pieces with a food processor and put into a large bowl .
- Next add the chickpeas into the food processor and pulse until chunky. Take out all but 1/4 cup and add to the bowl with the veggies and dill. Puree the leftover chickpeas into a paste and set aside.
- Add the reserved chickpea brine (you can store the rest for future use), along with the vinegar and lemon juice into a bowl and beat with a stand mixer (with whisk attachment) or beater until it begins to get thick and creamy. Add the chickpea paste and continue to beat until it turns into a thick creamy mixture.
- Add the creamy mixture to the bowl with the chickpeas and veggies. Add pumpkin seeds, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix until just combined. Serve on bread with cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce!
Notes
For the creamy chickpea brine whip you can use a beater or a stand mixer. Hand whipping isn’t recommended as it will take a really long time and not get to the creamy state you need. If you want a really fast version and don't want to mess with whipping the brine, then simply add 1/2 cup chickpeas instead of 1/4 when pureeing to a paste, then mix with the chopped chickpeas and veggies. Feel free to adjust seasonings to meet your taste needs, these measurements worked best for what my family likes but you can always add more dill, lemon and garlic powder.
Tips to prep ahead: Chop veggies and beans beforehand so all you need to do the day you make it is put it all together.
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