This is the best vegan mashed chickpea sandwich you’ll ever have! It is a Vegan Caesar Smashed Chickpea Sandwich that is made with a delicious dairy-free and oil-free homemade Caesar dressing, giving it a delicious Caesar salad flavor. Fresh red onion gives it a nice kick and texture!
VEGAN CAESAR SMASHED CHICKPEA SANDWICH
I believe I have finally nailed the perfect Vegan Caesar Dressing. I’m so serious. It’s so delicious and tastes so authentic, I’m in love with it. And get this, it has NO nutritional yeast, no oil and is soy-free! So many versions contain added oils, mayo or soy.
Not just sharing a Caesar Dressing today, though. I’m sharing this Vegan Caesar Smashed Chickpea Sandwich recipe, of course! The inspiration for these came from going out with my girlfriends a week ago. My best friend ordered Caesar salad at the restaurant and kept talking about how much she had been craving Caesar salad and went on about how delicious it was. So, naturally, she then passed over the craving and grumble in my tummy.
Instead of just posting a Caesar salad, I thought I’d make a chickpea sandwich. I was flipping through Southern Living Magazine and saw a Caesar inspired chicken recipe in there and that got the ideas rolling for this recipe I’m sharing today. Obviously, that recipe is nowhere near vegan, had chicken, anchovies, mayo and oil, so I really had to do some magic to create something just as yummy but with none of the same ingredients.
I started with my 1st Caesar Dressing recipe that I posted over 4 years ago and tweaked it from there. That recipe is good, is loved by readers with over 100 comments, but it’s older and honestly, I knew I could amp it up and make it taste even more like a true Caesar.
THE SECRET TO THE BEST VEGAN CAESAR DRESSING
The artichoke brine is a game-changer here. The dressing is fabulous on its own and chilled overnight, it becomes a dip like consistency. I wanted it this thick so that it holds up well (not runny) in a sandwich.
HOW TO MAKE OIL-FREE VEGAN CAESAR DRESSING
It’s so easy to make oil-free dressings. I share all my tips on this How to Cook and Bake Without Oil. For this Caesar dressing, you will need a Vitamix or food processor.
First, gather the following ingredients (+salt/pepper/water):
- artichoke brine from a can (one soaked in water, not oil!)
- fresh lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- cashews
- garlic powder
- chickpeas
- red onion
- bread of choice
Next, add all of the Caesar dressing ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth. It is a thick dressing, so you will have to scrape down the sides a couple of times to get it all to blend.
Add the chickpeas and ONLY 6 tablespoons of the dressing and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a large bowl. Reserve the rest to make more sandwiches or use in salads. Mash until the dressing is evenly incorporated and the chickpeas are mashed but still have texture. Add the red onion and stir until mixed.
Assemble your sandwiches with extra Oil-free Vegan Caesar Dressing on the bread!
Devour! This recipe is perfect for the summer too because it’s HOT and no cooking required and takes just minutes to put together!
I hope you all love this Vegan Caesar Smashed Chickpea Sandwich! Be sure to leave feedback below after you make it!
If you make any of these recipes, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8#thevegan8!
Vegan Caesar Smashed Chickpea Sandwich
Ingredients
VEGAN CAESAR DRESSING
- 4 tablespoons (60g) artichoke brine from a can (one soaked in water, not oil!-linked here!)
- 4 tablespoons (60g) fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons (60g) water
- 2 tablespoons (30g) Dijon mustard
- 1 cup (140g) raw, unsalted cashews
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (start with 1/4 and add more if desired)
FOR THE SANDWICH
- 1 15 oz can of low-sodium chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 6 tablespoons (90g) of the above dressing
- 3 tablespoons (45g) finely diced red onion
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon or more of salt
- bread of choice
- optional: any toppings you like (I used cherry tomatoes, lettuce and hemp seeds/sesame seeds)
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Add all of the Caesar dressing ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth. It is a thick dressing, so you will have to scrape down the sides a couple of times to get it all to blend. Keep going until completely smooth. If you do NOT have a Vitamix, then you will need to soak your cashews overnight to get them really soft and then process in a food processor, which I find makes things smoother than a weak blender. It should be bold, rich in flavor and a salty bite...just like Caesar.
- The dressing should be nice, thick and creamy. I wanted it thick so it goes well and sticks to the chickpeas. The dressing is fabulous on it's own and chilled overnight, it becomes a thick dip-like consistency. Thin out with a bit of water if wanting to use on a salad or just use thick to dip veggies in or make more chickpea mixture. It's thickness is great to use as a spread on the sandwich.
- Add the chickpeas and ONLY 6 tablespoons (90g) of the dressing and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a large bowl. Reserve the rest to make more sandwiches or use in salads. Mash until the dressing is evenly incorporated and the chickpeas are mashed but still have texture. Add the red onion and stir until mixed. Taste and add any more salt if desired. Depending on how salty (or not) your chickpeas were, it will affect how much salt you'll need. I also liked a good turn of freshly ground black pepper. I did place the mixture in the fridge to chill and set the flavors for awhile before eating.
- When assembling the sandwiches, I like to spread extra Caesar dressing on the bread like a "mayo" and as an extra boost of Caesar flavor. Assemble sandwiches as desired!
- For the extra artichokes, I like to grill them and add them to alfredo sauce and pasta. Try my Garlic Alfredo or another option is this amazing Roasted Artichoke Salad OR these delicious Vegan Crab Cakes!
Brandi, Brandi,Brandi!!!! these recipes for the smashed chickpea sandwich and caesar dressing are FABULOUS!!! SO, SO DELICIOUS!! You are a WONDER for figuring all of this out, so the world can enjoy your delicious creations!! I have only one question: a potato masher and fork where NOT working for me to smash the chickpeas…I had to resort to individually smashing them like one at a time between my fingers! So my hands were covered in the chickpea mixture. Can you suggest another way for me? Even if you don’t, I thank you SO MUCH for these AWESOME recipes!!! Sheila Dugan
Hi Sheila, so very happy to hear you loved this sandwich so much! Oh man, some chickpeas can be really annoying to mash, huh, haha. I will edit the recipe, so sorry about that, if I get a stubborn bunch in the can, I just pulse all of the mixture together in a food processor and that works perfectly!
I buy my artichokes in a huge container, so I need to know exactly how much brine are you referencing to use? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Gwen, I have listed 4 tablespoons brine in the ingredient list.
This is my favorite chickpea mash recipe! I love the tang of the Caesar sauce! Absolutely delicious! I have made this countless times this summer – I usually double it! I’ve added celery at times along with sunflower seeds and topped with pickle slices. For anyone that’s GF, BeFree brown seeded bread (toasted) is really good with this. I always have extra Caesar sauce left and have cooked it on low heat with broccoli, garbanzo beans and cooked brown rice for a quick meal. It may sound strange but I liked it! 😉
Aww yay, really happy to hear that Terri! Celery sounds like such a wonderful addition, especially for the crunch! Thanks for sharing!
This sandwich was absolutely delicious! Love the caesar dressing.
Best dressing ever
Thank you so much Sydni!!
Do we neednto soak our cashews? If not, why do so many other recipes call for soaked cashews? Thank you and can’t wait to try this enticing recipe for the dressing and the sandwich!
This is addressed in step 1
What goes better on the 4th of July than Brandi’s Vegan Caesar Smashed Chickpea sandwiches. Plant Based Vegan’s delight! This time I doubled the batch of dressing and put some in the freezer. Absolutely delicious (and so quick and easy)!
Thank you so much Lora for the amazing review!!
This is my favorite sandwich on earth. I shared your recipe with my aunt and she called me while she was eating to tell me that it was, indeed, the BEST sandwich on earth. She added lettuce and tomato and called it a “GLT” for garbanzo, lettuce, and tomato! I cracked up. Talking to her made me crave it so I will be making it ASAP.
So Good! I skipped the salt and added capers to the chickpea mixture instead and Boom! Next level! We ate our chickpea spread in wraps with microgreens and tomato and some of the leftover artichokes. Next time I will double the recipe! 😉
Hi What can be substituted for artichoke brine? Thank you
You could try olive brine, not sure of the difference in flavor, but that is my best guess.
I substituted hot pepper ring brine in place of the artichoke brine (I like a little spicy kick) and it turned out absolutely amazing. I will come back to this recipe and HIGHLY recommend! Can’t wait to make these for my husband…..if there’s any left after I’ve made and devoured a batch!
I would love to know what bread you used. Is sourdough good for vegans? I’m still very new to this lifestyle. Thanks
Hi Nadia! I used a bread found in the Sprouts grocery store bakery section. They have several oil-free whole food breads there that are delicious. Yes, sourdough is fine for vegans! I’ve bought a sourdough from Sprouts also. They have several that only have like 3-5 ingredients. Just read the label to make sure you are getting one without milk/eggs, etc.
Any substitutes for artichoke brine? That an ingredient that will never cross my doorway.
It’s crucial to the flavor to this recipe, but I have this other Caesar dressing that is equally as delicious and no brine. https://thevegan8.com/vegan-caesar-dressing/
I have been hooked on this all week! Time to make another batch. Phenomenal!!
Oh my. This is GOOD. Really, really good. I could and probably will eat this straight from the bowl. I am going to try my leftover in a wrap tomorrow!
I used chopped celery instead of the red onion, it was truly delicious.
Great recipe and it tastes great. I have made it several times. i also substituted pickle juice instead of artichoke brine a few times and it worked out well too.
Thank you so much Bob, that is great to hear!
I tried this for lunch today and it was sooooo delish!! I am loving your cookbook too!
That is wonderful to hear DeDe!
YUM! This was a huge hit today! I made this for a couple of friends I was visiting and my daughter after school. Everyone loved it! Thanks for the recipe.
That is so awesome to hear!!
I made this to take to a baby shower today, and it was a huge hit with everyone! They all wanted the recipe. I’m excited to add this as a regular meal rotation for this spring and summer. Thank you for your simple and delicious recipes!
That is so wonderful to hear Delaina, thank you!
Delicious! I made this tonight and put it on a pita with onion, lettuce and tomato. I can’t wait to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow 😊
Oh that sounds like a delicious idea!
Hi!
I love this so much, but I’m supposed to stay away from (or limit, a lot) cashews.
Is there anything I can sub the cashews out for??
I’m so bummed that I can’t eat so much of my favorite dishes anymore. Thank you!
You can try white beans, but just keep in mind that they won’t have the same hearty, chunky texture that chickpeas provide. It’ll be more of a soft, mushy texture.
Thank you! I think what I might try is to use half cashews, half beans. I made it with full cashews yesterday because I really need the extra sustenance, and omgggg it was so good.
You’re a vegan magician🤩
Amazing!!!! It’s so quick and easy to make! The ingredients are easy to find at any store! Thanks for sharing this!!!
Hi! This sounds so good! I make a no-tuna salad with chickpeas and use lots of dill pickle relish and celery in it, so I’m excited to see how this tastes!
I have one question tho… can you freeze the extra dressing? Because I don’t use any salad dressings (I just like a pinch of pink salt on my salads) so I wouldn’t use it up as quickly.
Thanks, and I love your posts! 🥰
Yes, you can freeze it! Just let it thaw overnight next time and give it a quick whisk.
This is the first recipe I try of yours and it is delicious! I was so intrigued by the use of artichoke brine in this recipe and it turned out lovely. I did add some chopped dill pickles, fresh dill, a splash of yellow mustard and a sprinkle of dried terragone and pickle juice to my mixture and am so looking forward to enjoying it tomorrow, I find these type of recipes much better the next day. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Made this and love it!!! The dressing is amazing and easy to make. Thanks so much.
Made this last weekend and it was delicious! The dressing is amazing and creamy – something I will keep on hand for salads too. I will definitely make this again and again.
That’s awesome to hear!
I am always looking for quick lunches and this looks fabulous. Can you recommend a substitute for the mustard or can it be omitted? It is one flavor I just can’t tolerate. Also, do you make your breads or what do you like?
The mustard helps to give the flavor. You can try omitting it but it may need a pinch of vinegar in its place. I buy bread sometimes from Sprouts in the bakery section. Healthy 3-4 ingredient bread. But I don’t eat bread too often. I also have a Spelt homemade bread recipe here on the blog!
Due to a tree nut allergy, I used white beans as you suggested in the comments. The dressing is 🤤. Sandwich was fantastic!
So glad to hear that Miranda!
Just made this. Love LOVE it. So good.
I saw this on instagram and had to make it! I didn’t have artichoke brine but I did have vegan Worcestershire sauce (Annie’s) so I put 2 tablespoons of that plus some water — turned out so good! Will def make it again!
Awesome Lisa!
Soooooo good!!!!! I’m usually not a fan of Caesar dressing, but this is really good
So happy you loved it, Sherry!
Omg! These cookies are amazing! I made these for a party with SAD eaters and everyone loved them. I think they are now my favorite chocolate cookie recipe! Thank you, Brandi, for this awesome recipe!