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!
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!
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! 😉
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.
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!!
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
Best dressing ever
Thank you so much Sydni!!
This sandwich was absolutely delicious! Love the caesar dressing.
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!
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.
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!
This was wonderful, tasty, quick and not expensive. I used the artichokes, not just the brine, for I am not English and didn’t understand the word ‘brine’ at first 😉
I alternated some, didn’t add salt& pepper. I used a fresh garlic clove and salted cashews. I had the Vitamix on low. It worked for me. Had it with fresh spinach, beans, grated: white cabbage, fennel, carrot. It was my awsome dinner.
It’s delicious!! Also good with pepperoncini juice and tahini😍. Love your recipes! My family is obsessed!
So glad you enjoyed it!
This looks amazing! I’m wondering if it would be okay to add the chopped red onion to the mixture, rather than adding it directly to the sandwich? I need it to be as simple as possible for my teens to “grab ‘n go”, so having the onion pre-added would streamline sandwich-making on busy mornings!
Hi Karen! I’m not sure how it would taste, I’ve not tried it! I would think it would be fine, try adding it and see!
If I bought jarred artichokes and it states that the jar contains water & oil , can I still use this brine?
Thanks Brandi your my favorite !!
Hi! I haven’t tried it but I think it would still be ok. Thank you so much!
I’ve made this several times and love it!! I like to chop up the artichokes and add it to the mix. It makes a really good of salad too, if you just mix it with some lettuce and tomato and skip the bread. Yum!!
Hi! Thank you for this holy grail of chickpea salad recipes!! BY FAR the best I have EVER had. How long do you think the dressing will stay fresh? Due to time constraints, I will need to make the dressing 4 days prior to mixing with the chickpeas..do you think that’ll be ok?
Thanks again for amping up my lunch game!!
Caroline
Yay, that is awesome you love it so much!! The dressing is good about a week, so you are good!
Oh. My. Goodness. This is hands down THE BEST chickpea salad I have EVER had!!! I thought I had died and gone to heaven after eating this!! The dressing is amazing and I can’t wait to use it in other things but for now, I’ll be making this for lunch next week as well!!!
Yay! That’s fabulous to hear Monique! Thank you very much for the awesome review!!
Is this dressing better than old? Your old dressing has been made in my home every week for the last year or two. Keep up the good work. 🙂
Hi Britt! I think it’s better and more authentic tasting and you can see from all the reviews above how much everybody loves it, haha! But since you love the original one so much, I’m not sure. Try it and see 🙂
Wondering if fresh garlic could be substituted for powdered garlic? I find powdered garlic leaves a strong after taste.
Hi Joan! Sure, you can add 1-2 cloves or as much as you want. This doesn’t have a strong aftertaste at all because of all the acidity but you can certainly use fresh cloves.
This looks so yummy! Do you know how long the caesar dressing keeps? thank you
It keeps about a week or so!
I’ve made this three times for lunch already, and the extra dip is wonderful as an appetizer to dip cucumbers and pepper in! We love it!
So awesome Nancy, so glad you love this!
Dear Brandi, I really love Caesar dressing….but NOW I only love YOUR “Caesar” dressing!!
I cannot adequately express how deliciously craving-satisfying and delightfully easy your recipe is!!
I followed it exactly and, even though I only have a tiny inexpensive food processor, it turned out scrumptious!!
Thank you for being such a wonderful role model by caring for your family through delicious, healthful food! ( and thank you for being so gracious to share the recipes!
Sincerely, Mary
I wanted to give you 10 stars!!
So true! Very grateful!
Awww yay, what a wonderful review Mary! Thank you so much for taking the time to make it and leave such a kind comment! So happy to hear!
Oh Brandi!!
Your mastery of cooking with the plant kingdom is down right amazing! This is by far the best one-a-fish two-no-fish I have ever had! Made the simple recipe last night and then enjoyed it for lunch the next day! As usual, it was simple and spot on! Will use the artichokes tonight with zucchini noodles and the roasted red pepper sauce! I can’t wait to get your cookbook!!
Awww yay Stuart! You are so very kind, thank you so much for the lovely words and amazing review!!
This recipe looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it. Do you have any nutrition or macro information on it?
Hi there! Am so happy to have found your site recently! We have nut allergies in our home, so are there any non-nut substitutes I could use in place of the cashews? I saw your response to one of the comments, advising to use 1/2 cannellini and 1/2 cashews to reduce the cost, but cost is not our issue. What do you think?
Hi Wendi! You can try all beans if you like, just know that the flavor and texture will be much less creamy and rich (more runny) but might be okay since it will be mixed into the chickpeas anyways, so it might not be as detectable. I’m just not typically a fan of all bean sauces since the texture is not creamy and it does taste a bit like beans. Or, you could possibly try raw sunflower seeds?
Hi Brandi! So I wanted to circle back and let you know how it all turned out. I substituted 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds and 1/2 cup cannellini beans for the cashews, and it turned out great! There was a bit of a sunflower seed-ish taste to the dressing (which makes sense, as sunflower seeds are not nearly as mild as cashews), but it did not detract in any way from the flavor. And I didn’t feel that the texture was runny at all. Probably not as thick as it would be with cashews, but it was chunky and creamy, and everyone (including my 13 year old and my 15 year old) gave it 5 Stars! We used up all of the dressing making MORE chickpea sandwiches the next day! I think next time I’ll try with 1/3 cup sunflower seeds and 2/3 cup cannellini beans next time, just to see how it turns out with a slightly less sunflower seed-ish flavor. But this was great on its own and I wanted to share, for those who can’t do cashews!
So awesome to hear it worked out well, thank you so much Wendi for the review!