When I was in high school and we were finally allowed to go off-grounds for lunch, we often went to a local deli where my friends would get various sandwiches with turkey, salami, ham, or all of the above, plus, lettuce, tomato, onions, vinegar and oil and I, a vegetarian in a place baffled by this, would get a the same but with cheese instead. I have thought about this sandwich and what it did well — salt, pepper, vinegar, oil, crunch — and what it did poorly — a stack of tasteless sliced deli cheese as filler — for way too long in the years (and decades, sigh) since because I still love a sandwich full of vegetables, but find most vegetable sandwiches very disappointing, either heavy with cheese (and I love cheese, but not, like, an inch of it) or overcooked, under-seasoned vegetables. Why not avocado and crispy kale? Why not hummus, marinated cucumbers and carrots? Why not… make it for yourself, Deb? Which brings us, as ever, back here today.
The pan bagnat is a sandwich that is a specialty of Nice, France. The sandwich is composed of pain de campagne, a round whole wheat bread, and the filling is modeled after a classic salade niçoise. Here is where I’m supposed to tell you what’s in a classic niçoise, but I cannot because I fell in a deep Google rabbit hole and came out, hours later, still unsure because it turns out there’s a lot of argument. Tuna? Not a given; just anchovies were in the original, apparently. Potatoes? Not traditional! Green beans? Truly only sometimes! Cucumber, apparently unacceptable. Soon comments will appear below from people who have had authentic niçoise salads with all of these things and telling me I really know nothing and it’s true! I only know that it’s a beautiful day outside and I want to focus on getting us out there, and the picnic sandwich we’ll take with us.
Here, I play off the idea of a niçoise salad filling, but with vegetarian swaps because I love a hearty sandwich full of vegetables now as much as I did in my teens. For anchovies, I use capers. For tuna, I use fork crushed, well-seasoned chickpeas, similar to what we use in my smashed chickpea salad. I keep the hard-boiled eggs but you can skip them to make it vegan. I could not get pain de campagne, so I used a baguette, but a ciabatta, which is flatter, would have been even better. I know capers, olives, and raw red onion are divisive and that’s okay, I want you to make this sandwich exactly the way you’d love it most. Do you have basil leaves? Add them if you love them. What is essential, however, is that every layer is well-seasoned and that you are not ungenerous with the olive oil. Bagnat literally means “wet,” referring to soaked bread, catching all of the deliciousness running off the ingredients. I can’t wait to see your spins on this; I hope you get to go beautiful places together this holiday weekend.
Previously
6 months ago: Corn Pudding and Sour Cream and Chive Fantails
1 year ago: Any-Kind-Of-Fruit Galette
2 years ago: Potato Vareniki
3 years ago: Ruffled Milk Pie
4 years ago: Tall Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes and Potatoes Anna
5 years ago: Failproof Crepes + A Crepe Party, Crispy Tortellini with Peas and Proscuitto, Confetti Cookies and Roasted Carrots with Avocado and Yogurt
6 years ago: Not Derby Pie Bars, Liege Waffles and Mushrooms and Greens with Toast
7 years ago: Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Bars and Soft Pretzel Buns and Knots
8 years ago: Japanese Cabbage and Vegetable Pancakes
9 years ago: Warm, Crisp and a Little Melty Salad Croutons and Chocolate Buckwheat Cake
10 years ago: Creme Brulee French Toasts, Leek Toasts with Blue Cheese, Vermontucky Lemonade, and Easy Jam Tart
11 years ago: Endive and Celery Salad with Fennel Vinaigrette, Rhubarb Cobbler, and Broccol Slaw
12 years ago: Brownie Roll-Out Cookies, Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad
13 years ago: Martha’s Macaroni-and-Cheese and Crispy Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies and Cherry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake
14 years ago: Raspberry-Topped Lemon Muffins
Chickpea Pan Bagnat
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Zest and juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pepper flakes, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 8-inch ciabatta rolls, baguettes, or 1 round pan de champagne
- Olive oil
- 1/2 small red or white onion, very thinly sliced
- Red wine vinegar
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 to 2 tablespoons capers, drained, chopped if they’re large
- 1/4 cup thinly black olives, Niçoise or oil-cured, pitted or unpitted
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 to 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
- A few basil leaves (optional)
Chickpeas
Assembly
Split your rolls or bread in half and drizzle both sides generously with olive oil. Spoon the smashed chickpeas on the bottom half first, then the onion, and a little drizzle of vinegar. Add eggs, if using, and season this layer with salt and pepper. Add the capers, olives, and cucumber. Add another gentle drizzle of olive oil and smaller dribble of vinegar, if you wish. Finish with the tomatoes and more salt and pepper on top, then basil, if you’re using it.
Close the sandwich(es) and wrap them in foil. Set a few of your heaviest pans or books on top for 10 minutes — this encourages the ingredients to mingle together and flattens the sandwich enough to ensure that you do not need to unhinge your jaw like a snake to take a bite. Eat right away, or keep wrapped sandwiches in the fridge, a cooler, or picnic basket until needed. I hope it’s soon.
I am so doing this but might use homemade focaccia for it. I needed another chickpea recipe since I usually cook a pound at a time and sometimes I struggle to use them all in a week.
Watch out if you want to let it sit around, I’ve found focaccia can get too wet for this kind of sandwich if not eaten promptly.
I also cook a pound of beans at a time. I find they freeze (and thaw) very well in their liquid. Drop what you don’t have plans for in a freezer safe mason jar or freezer zip top bag and freeze. (or just make these sandwiches. They do look good.)
Added to my craving list.. There should be a warning on your website for pregnant people not to read any recipe :-)
I was pregnant when the weeknight nachos recipe went up – now, 3 kids later, it’s still our favorite family meal!
I’m pregnant too and all I’ve been doing is reading smittenkitchen in my spare time and salivating!
Same, pregnant right now too and it looks SO good!
LOL same!!
Ah, me too! Although, there was a very sad phase where I’d eagerly cook delicious things, and find them inexplicably nauseating when the time came to eat them… now enjoying the hungry phase, though.
This looks delicious and I cannot get enough of smashed chickpea sandwich variations. David Lebovitz did an excellent take on salade nicoise last year that addressed the debate on authenticity for me.
Ooh, looks super yummy!!!
Well I know what I’m making this weekend! For the ambitious, Alexandra Stafford’s sourdough ciabatta is super easy to make and just requires some forethought. I’ll get some going today to have fresh bread on Saturday for this amazing looking sandwich:
https://alexandracooks.com/2021/04/25/simple-sourdough-ciabatta-bread/
This looks heavenly. I don’t like tuna hence no saladè niciose for me. Ido have a jar of central grocery olive salad in the refrigerator so guess what’s on the menu Monday?
I think it’s MFK Fischer who wrote about taking these sandwiches to the beach as kids and sitting on them to flatten them in the car?!? That was a politer age, all I could think was…fart sandwiches!!!
Too funny!
Ms Fisher mentioned that the warmth of the…body…helped melded the flavours together, too. Sounds delightful!
For the last 30+ years I’ve been going to Zoccoli’s Deli in Santa Cruz, California, a family run Italian old-school deli that’s been there since 1948. They have an Antipasto sandwich which is salami, provolone cheese, marinated artichokes and mushrooms, with chopped peppers and olives on a sourdough roll with Italian dressing. Being vegetarian, I would sub Jack cheese for the salami and it’s the best sandwich ever, dripping in dressing from the marinated veggies…. Oh how I miss that sandwich since moving to Oregon. This sandwich of yours looks like a contender, especially if I add some of the extras from their sandwich. Yum! And thank you as always for the inspiration!
Zoccoli’s is an institution! I used to go there all the time when I was at UCSC. I may need to take a trip back just for the sandwiches.
I saw your post as I was thinking about lunch…and had my answer. Delicious combo and very easy to assemble (although next time, I might mix the capers and olives with the chickpeas since they kept falling off the sandwich)!
This looks so good and immediately brought back memories of when I used to buy a chickpea sandwich from ‘wichcraft here in NYC for lunch!
(a recipe for that sandwich, with a lemon confit, is here: https://www.popsugar.com/Recipe-Wichcraft-Chopped-Chickpeas-Roasted-Red-Pepper-Sandwich-3039365 )
That was what inspired my original Smashed Chickpea Salad (but I don’t use preserved lemon, though you could!)
Literally THE best vegetarian sandwich I’ve ever had hails from (believe it or not) Montana. The Wich Haus in Whitefish, MT to be specific.
https://www.thewichhaus.com/
They have a celery root sandwich that is unfathomably good. I am generally a hardcore carnivore and pick it every time. It is like the best crunchy coated deep fried fish sandwich you have ever had but with a slight celery/cauliflower flavor instead of fishiness. It’s described as: Breaded and fried celery root with whipped Tucker Farms sheep’s cheese, parsley, tarragon, candied lemon, capers, pickled onion, and lemon mayonnaise on our soft haus wheat bun. I can’t not stress enough how even that tasty sounding description pales PALES in comparison to how delicious this thing actually is.
Ah! I made breaded fried celery root tacos the other day and they were amazing! Celery root is not my favorite raw, but slow roasted, it’s so good! I also made a gyro type sandwich with some from the same slow roasted batch, fab!
Ottolenghi just put this celery root recipe out. He’s featuring it in his London restaurants 😄
https://www.tastecooking.com/recipes/celery-root-steaks-with-cafe-de-paris-sauce/
This is on the menu for the coming week! I was just telling my 20 something kids about a sandwich I would get (high school c. 1979-81) at the health food co-op. Shredded cheddar and carrots mixed with alfalfa sprouts on a whole wheat sandwich bread.
Johanna, I occasionally make a cream cheese, grated carrot, alfalfa sprouts and chopped walnut on a wholemeal (sorry, Aussie and not sure if same as whole wheat) wrap. Delicious!
I went to grad school in Australia on the late 80s. At the time, there wasn’t much to like about North Queensland food. But I did discover that Aussie-style veg sandwiches with carrots, sprouts and beetroot were delicious!
Yum! Sounds like my favorite sun sandwich growing up in Chicago. Crunchy crust, soft insides soaked in vinaigrette, with so many layers of flavor in between, it was like a party in my mouth! Thanks Deb! I’ll be dredging up all the condiments and flavors I can scrape out of the fridge. This looks fun!!!
I love this recipe idea, especially that it calls pan de « champagne » :) Since moving to France 2 years ago we have also had endless discussions and Google rabbit holes on the authentic salade niçoise and I still don’t know whether or not it should have cucumbers. But we just make it the way we like it and call it a day. Ultimately taste matters more than authenticity (at least for me)
This is like, everything I need in a recipe. Chickpeas, good bread, lemons and capers and onions? It’s all my favorite flavors in one. I love a more traditional pan bagnat, but this one is GOING ON THE LIST.
This looks like an outstanding addition to my lunch rotation! Can’t wait to make it next week.
Also – I’m super excited for the newsletter next Wednesday! :-)
What is happening next Wednesday with the newsletter????
Deb mentioned that the newsletter would be delayed until Wednesday for a surprise pleasant reason.
I’m so glad you’re reading! Tomorrow is something new and fun!
There’s a small chain of bakery-cafes in the Boston area that does an amazing hummus sandwich. They pair it with pickled daikon and carrot (like what you might find on a banh mi), cilantro, Thai basil, cucumber, and sriracha mayo. It’s an odd combination, but it is utterly delicious. I’ve done a copycat of it at home, but I miss being able to just order it for pickup while at the office! Working from home does have its less-than-ideal points in some ways!
Hi Laura, what chain of cafes?? I’m moving to Boston in the fall and that sandwich sounds delicious!!
I believe Laura was referring to Flour :-)
I need to make a trip to Flour to try this! The only other veg sandwich locally that I get excited about is at Verrill Farm in Concord – their avocado arugula sandwich. I often start bike rides there so I can have one when I return.
Haaa, le Pan Bagna!
Souvenirs de mon enfance à Nice. Le Soleil brulant, l’odeur de sel sur la plage de galets. Le fort goût d’oignons et en crudités et l’huile d’olive qui coulait dans nos mains, sur la plage. Nous en avions plain le visage.
Plus on attendait, plus le pain devenait mou et tendre. C’était comme manger le soleil dans les légumes, boire la Terre dans l’huile d’olive et sentir la mer dans les anchois.
Si il y existe plusieurs versions et recettes, depuis que je suis à Montréal, il me manque toujours un ingrédient important : la Méditerranée.
Anthony le niçois.
This poetry brought me right to the beach during a trip to Menton in my 20s. Lovely late spring daydream! Thanks to Anthony for the image and Deb, as ever, for the virtual table that brings all of us together.
bien tourné, Anthony!
Oooh. Not a fan of chickpeas, but I may have to try this with white beans!!
I’m not sure if it was Deb or an algorithm that decided that pickled vegetable sandwich slaw should show up in the related recipes section but I like where this is headed…
https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/06/pickled-vegetable-sandwich-slaw/
This sounds amazing. I’d mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar and crushed garlic together to drizzle on the bread and veggies. I’d also use a good sourdough roll or a homemade coconut four Naan bread since I don’t eat breads anymore, but for this I’d make an exception!. Thanks so much for sharing this delish vegan sandwich recipe.
Oooh please tell me more about this coconut flour naan bread. I’m currently trying (in the early stages) of going gluten free and need a viable bread alternative that taste good.
I. Love. This. And you, because…this.
OMG. I am reading this at 7 am in bed and I am drooling and I want to leap up immediately and make this. I did have to laugh at the comment from someone asking if they could substitute other white beans for chick peas because of an allergy, when the whole recipe is about tailoring it for your own taste.
This sounds like a sandwich that my husband and I have been enjoying since we began eating ‘plant based’ last year. I purchased BLACK SALT that makes the chickpea concoction taste just like egg salad.
God, that looks great.
And to think I almost I almost didn’t click on this (and I always do) well I’m under a lot of stress right now and this sandwich is just what I need .. won’t solve my problems but will give me lots of comfort❤️ Thanks so much Deb
What do you think of this as a side salad? My husband is not into bread these days.
I was out of bread so I made this as a salad bowl. I thought it worked great. Started with the smooshed chickpea mixture and then added the olives (didn’t have any capers) and chopped veggies. Mixed everything together and topped with sliced hard boiled egg. It was delicious and filling.
Hey Laurie, I made this for dinner tonight as a main course salad! I chopped the cuke, onions, and eggs instead of slicing them and mixed everything together with extra olive oil and vinegar – and it was delicious. I feel like this is the kind of dish I can make all summer long and never make it the same way twice. And – I’ll have awesome leftovers for tomorrow.
I’m so excited to make this! As a former vegetarian myself, I totally understand what you’re talking about here Deb and I still find myself seeking out hearty, flavorful veg sandwiches even though I eat meat now.
Although a slightly different flavor profile, the main photo reminds me of one of my fave veggie sandwiches — the mediterranean from Potbelly. Hummus, feta, roasted peppers, cukes, & artichoke hearts on multigrain + lettuce, tomato, onion, oil & oregano — yum!
You could put it on Romaine leaves and roll it up..
Oh my! I never knew there was a sandwich modeled after the salad! My 1/4 French aunt made the salad for my family back when I was a teenager and we have enjoyed the salad on occasion ever since and we have to make it from her recipe. This variation of yours looks and sounds delicious!
Dear Deb, You are a genius! And an important voice. Thank you.
Very delicious sando! My husband LOVED it! I made mine with smashed cannelloni beans (with olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and shallots), cukes, tomatoes, sliced potato slices, avocado, shredded carrots, hard boiled eggs, basil, olive muffuletta salad, salt pepper, and drizzle of oil (All on a warm crusty roll). YUMMMMMM!!! It’s a keeper!
Made this yesterday! Had no cucumbers or tomatoes (and don’t like onions), so used a grated carrot for crunch. It was great!
Just as yummy as I expected. It is very filling. My husband and I split one ciabatta and had a hard time finishing. For meat eaters out there, I added a couple of slices of crumbled bacon which added crunch and general deliciousness.
This sounds amazing! Just the very thing to have with a fresh green salad this summer.
I made this for lunch today, and both my mom and I really liked it.
I used about half of a baguette from Walmart. I am sure a higher quality, sturdier bread would work better (especially if I wanted to bring it somewhere), but the sandwich was still delicious.
I left out the capers but included everything else. I sliced about a quarter of a large red onion. I also used several slivered basil leaves.
After assembling everything, I followed your advice to wrap it in foil and put something heavy on top. (I used a cast iron pan.)
This recipe was amazingly flavorful. I particularly liked the lemony mashed chickpea base. It was delicious.
I don’t have a go-to vegetarian sandwich for hiking and whatnot, but I’d certainly consider using this one in the future. The chickpeas alone would make a hearty sandwich, and I could use whatever toppings I had on hand. I think avocado could even work well.
Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
*Slight correction: I didn’t add the parsley. It grows almost wild in my yard (it spreads very fast for whatever reason, even with essentially nonexistent care), but it seems to have gone to seed, so it’s not as lush at the moment as it usually is.
This was so delicious! I made this for lunch today, and my whole family loved it. My husband and I made the recipe basically as written (subbing the type of bread with what we had on hand – whole wheat for him and GF for me). I modified my toddler’s sandwich to omit the many ingredients she might find questionable (capers, tomatoes, basil leaves, onions, red wine vinegar) and add a slice of cheddar cheese— but honestly, even getting her to eat chickpea spread with olives and hard boiled eggs was a major win. We’ll be adding this to the lunch rotation for sure.
Dear Deb.
Are you, like everyone else, tired of the
Bitches of the Internet who show up in the comments, everywhere, and tell everyone they’re doing it wrong (whatever it is)?
Stay strong, keep cooking.
Although Deb’s site receives a very few rude comments, it is overwhelming a joy-filled, helpful community where people share their experiences with the recipe, ask for help with a cooking issue, suggest variations, give recommendations, detail memories evoked by the food, etc.
These are so, so good, and satisfying. Thank you!
I can’t believe I have reached a point in life where I need a recipe for a sandwich, particularly after a lifetime of hippie veggie sandwiches. But – I really did need it! And I made it. Thank you! It is a great sandwich. I added roasted red pepper and skipped the raw onion. And thanks to the person who said they would put their capers and olives in the chickpea mix – I did it with the capers and was very happy. Love Smitten Kitchen!
This was amazing, Deb. I used Kalamata olives, soaked the onion to cut the zing, and lightly toasted a Panera supermarket baguette instead of using ciabatta, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. Going straight into rotation. Thank you!
I apologize if I missed this but how far in advance can these be made? I’d like to take them for a camping trip.
Delicious! Made the sandwich as specified but without optional eggs to keep it vegan. I used a ciabatta loaf, not rolls, and found that I had a bit of a soggy bottom situation. Any thoughts? Are rolls crustier? This issue did not prevent me from devouring the sandwich, though. :)
What brand of canned chickpeas do you use? I just made the chickpea filling in anticipation of dinner and lunch this week. It’s delicious but my beans are not creaming well with mashing and the outer “skin” is very prominent. It’s a brand thing- I’ve run into slight texture changes with great northern beans in a can – not all brands are the same! And when the bean is supposed to stand alone, even slightly better texture makes a difference.
Hey Kora, I’m not sure if you meant to reply to my post with your question, but I’d be happy to help :) I use Goya chickpeas (standard, not low-sodium). They are consistently creamy and moist (perhaps this is the cause of my soggy sandwich!). I have tried other brands and they are dry and crumbly in comparison. I also use a muddler to mash them (also great for guacamole!).
I had a rather sketch can of chickpeas so I took off all their ‘jackets’ and it made for a creamy mash. It’s a 10 minute project but I have a stack of podcasts to go through and I find it kind of soothing so…
I brought these today for a picnic on the bank of the beautiful Lower Seymour River in supernatural Vancouver, BC. Made them according to the recipe and they were just as sublime as our surroundings! Don’t skimp on the capers, olives, and vinegar; they really give the sandwiches their oomph. Thanks for another great veggie recipe. Next time I’ll leave out the egg and make them vegan.
So glad it was a hit — this is the exactly life I had dreamed up for these sandwiches.
So good! I didn’t have any rolls so used some thick pita and turned it into salad for folks who don’t like bread.
I appreciate the note on seasoning the chickpea mixture well. I used extra salt, lemon, and oil.
Just a really delicious recipe and so appreciate how easily it can be made vegan.
Your pictures are always so beautiful. Is there a way to get one to print with the recipe? I just get the recipe with no photo when I press the print icon. Thanks.
Thank you — currently, no, but soon, with the next redesign there will be a choice to print with or without a photo.
This was exactly what I wanted today, but didn’t even know it. As soon as I read this post I ran right to the market to get the few ingredients that weren’t already in my fridge. Wow! This is so delicious!!! The chickpeas are…perfection! Thank you for reading my mind.
This was amazing! Delicious!
This amazing sandwich inspired me in the direction of a vegan nicoise salad of sorts. I incorporated of palm into the chickpea mixture, added a pinch of black salad for the egg vibe and then served it plated on a bed of arugala with the other ingredients (minus the eggs) and drizzled with the vinaigrette. What can I do? I live with vegans Lol!
I cannot believe I have never tried seasoning every layer of a sandwich before. What a delicious difference! I made the chickpea mash with Zaatar. I bought small ciabatta rolls because I am making sandwiches for only me and this gave me a way to make different variations. I have now eaten 3 sandwiches with the ingredients listed, added sprouts, beets, banana peppers-not all together and in no particular order. This is my new favorite veggie sandwich and I predict I will be eating it often! Thank you.
Oh my goodness, that chickpea mash! I didn’t have half the stuff for the full sandwich though so just took the inspiration and made sandwiches on a toasted bagel with the chickpea mash, roasted eggplant, roasted tomatoes, pickles, smashed potatoes, tahini, and Sriracha. So so good.
Fantastic! I made the chickpea mash…then made a mash with capers, olives, and marinated artichoke hearts. I also made a quick pickle of carrots and cabbage. I skipped the eggs and cucumber. As I write this, I realize my sandwich is nothing like the the recipe, but like so many SK recipes, this is a great foundation for a million other inspirations!
Thank you!
Just had this for lunch and it was fantastic–thank you!! I crushed half a clove of garlic into the chickpeas and used grilled zucchini slices instead of the cucumber. It was delicious—and just as good when we made the second sandwich open-face for lack of bread. Finally I spread the rest of the chickpeas on a big slice of tomato and that was really good, too! This was a real winner, Deb!
I loved the flavors!! I skimped on seasoning the layers because I was worried I would overseason it 🙄 but of course Deb was right and I could’ve had a heavier hand. I would also hollow out my bread next time to give the ingredients more room to smash down!
I made this with tuna because we had some to use up, but will be on repeat all summer with either the chick peas or tuna because it’s so good. Took me right back to my study abroad in France where this would show up on the university lunch menu every few weeks in their regular sandwich rotation. I don’t remember my classes at all, but the food was fabulous.
I am in veggie sandwich heaven. As a vegetarian for 34 years, I can attest that a good veggie sandwich is hard to come by. I went to a farmers market today and got a baguette so I could try this, and I can hardly wait for lunch tomorrow to have another. This is generous on both flavor and texture. I will try various breads, but a fresh baguette worked really well.
This is a really great sandwich. We had it last week on home made focaccia and it didn’t get too soggy, although I used super market plum tomatoes that weren’t very juicy. I’m making Jim Lahey bread for it today. We’ll probably have it again next week too. It’s such a great sandwich.
I made homemade ciabatta yesterday and seven of these sandwiches. As I was making them I thought: I should have made them using your “focaccia sandwiches for a crowd” technique. Next time! But the sandwiches were delicious and perfect for an evening canoe and picnic. I didn’t have capers, so I chopped up some pickled carrots instead. I also pickled the onions in advance, then Used some of the vinegar for the dribbling. Delicious.
Fantastic. I’m making for one, and this easily scaled down. As Deb mentioned, swap away on the veggies. I didn’t have fresh tomatoes, but did have home-made tomato raisins (oven roasted whole cherry tomatoes, recipe from sohla el-waylly). great vegetarian/vegan option for a light but filling meal.
It’s very, very possible that my execution is to blame, but I didn’t love this. The chickpea mix by itself is nice, and I can see making that again for sandwiches or pitas. The whole shebang, for me, was kind of… wet? Which I guess is the point? I did love the effect of wrapping and pressing the sandwiches and will for sure do that again :) Loved the idea of this sandwich and am looking forward to using it as a starting point/inspiration for something different! <3
You know what you might like playing with: kelp flakes! We get them at WF and add them to our mock-tuna salad (chickpea base). We just use a teaspoon for a whole batch, but it imparts a little taste of the ocean in there. Can’t wait to try this version!
SO delicious! And quick to make. I always got the “veggie & cheese” sub too… thanks for leveling up my sandwich game. I’m going to make this all summer!
You know what’s an /even better/ spread than this? Make your spinach and chickpeas tapas recipe, and then throw it through the blender… and become the most popular person around, who has to hide it from the male people in your house because otherwise it disappears.
I’ve made this twice now and it is so delicious! Thank you for sharing! I’m not a big chickpea or sandwich fan but I am now converted for this.
Just diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and live in a food desert, Tanzania. Parmesan cheese costs 2 arms and 2 legs. No miso in sight. One brand of vinegar. But I will persist in becoming a vegetarian.
What I really wanted to say is thanks. For the incredible recipes and the laughs.
FIVE STARS!! AMAZING. Really tasty and fresh. Awesome for a hot day. I did press mine under a cast iron skillet, a great idea! Ate half last night right after pressing and the other half this morning. I think it was even better this morning after the bread soaked a bit.
I omitted onions and eggs for now because covid messed up my taste buds for those two ingredients. But if I get the right taste back I’m definitely adding onions!
The basil kicks it over the top for me. Please use it if you can!!!!!
Definitely season as you go.
Might add roasted red peppers to my next round.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so lovely! Can’t wait to eat the leftover sandwiches for lunch tomorrow. Love the brightness of the chickpeas thanks to the lemon zest. And the basil leaves are a must! Thanks for this recipe, Deb!
I have made this sandwich so many times with whatever I had on hand, and it is SO good every time. I love that meat is not a super crucial factor in a lot of SmittenKitchen recipes. Every single dish is so good that I never really miss it.
So good and so easy. Family favorite summer meal. We haven’t used capers, olives, or hard boiled egg, but I’m sure those would all be fabulous additions. We do add red pepper and avocado. Great to have in the fridge for a quick dinner or lunch. We keep ciabatta rolls in the freezer for this purpose and just toast them up. A local sandwich shop has something similar and I was so happy to find this recipe so we can make it at home. Thanks Deb!
OMG! When you “trust me” you are spot on. This sandwich was exactly what I was craving but didn’t know what it was.
The pickled red onion, yes! I skipped the egg (just personal taste but I could be persuaded)
Finally tomato was from my farmshare – not a Roma but during tomato season – no contest. Thank you Deborah!
I have made this about 10 (20?) times since you posted it, and I usually hate sandwiches. Like another commenter, I keep a take and bake Demi baguette in the freezer only for this. I wanted to post some things I have tried that are amazing in this sandwich for people on the fence: salami, ham, provolone, olive tapenade, feta, salmon salad, pepperoni, jalapeño feta spread, red peppers. I’ve never gotten around to the boiled eggs or the tomato, because, not my tea, but agree that the basil puts it over the top. Yesterday I discovered that *someone* had used all the capers up making me anchovy pasta, but this sandwich is so flexible it survives almost any omission. I like the amount of oil but for others I leave it out other than the oil in chickpeas, which I make according to exact recipe every time (unless I am doubling it to use to top a greek salad the next day). Above all, thank you endlessly for this recipe and all the others. I am the first person to acknowledge I can’t cook but you help me fake it every time.
1. Thank you; I am so glad you’re enjoying this recipe. 2. I have so many questions about your commenter name. :)
This is a new household favorite – good in a sandwich, on chips, or just as a salad. A few tweaks – we add the capers (and sometimes olives) directly to the salad, rather than as a sandwich layer. I also use pickled red onion, pickled peppers (from SK’s Sandwich Slaw recipe) and pickled cucumbers. If we have avocado in the house I use that as a sub for the hard boiled eggs (if we don’t I just skip that layer).
Made a few of these but used some tomato confit instead of fresh tomatoes as part of hurricane preparation. They were so good, I didn’t even mind not being able to cook while the power was out!
I loved the post, it’s amazing! Thank you for sharing
My family destroyed these! Really delicious.
I make this all the time these days. I often mix the capers, onions and olives into the chickpeas which makes it hold together slightly better. I don’t always add the egg out of laziness but it’s delicious either way. I love this as a hearty and healthy lunch option.
Utterly delicious! I thought I wasn’t a chickpea fan (not too keen on garlicky hummus), but this recipe proved me wrong. The chickpeas themselves with olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, and fresh parsley were excellent. Adorned with pickled red onions, cucumbers, kalamata olives, capers, and more olive oil and parsley on a fresh baguette, they were sublime. Make this!
I made these for my husband and I last night and we loved them. We used ciabatta bread and we left off the hard boiled egg. Thank you for sharing
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I make these sandwiches frequently and call them Kitchen Sink Sandwiches. I have likely put every possible thing in them: green and black olives, pickled and unpickled veggies of nearly every type (banana pepper, fennel, radish, etc.), pesto, olive relish, etc. I use these sandwiches to try new combos and clean out my fridge. They’re great for quick lunches after the longer task of initially constructing them. One of my favs!
The onion would taste less aggressive if first finely chopped and soaked in the wine vinegar. Do that before preparing anything else in the recipe and it has a very beneficial effect.
When I am not too overwhelmed with preparations, this is my hands down favorite road trip sandwich. Absolutely delightful, and gives me something to look forward too mid-drive.
Deb never misses with her recipes – many of my heavy rotations came from this site or her books – but this sandwich is a standout.