National Picnic Day is April 23, and we’re looking forward to celebrating with a pleasant picnic on a nice, warm spring day. That said, picnics aren’t usually known for their gourmet meals. So give your picnic some panache with this delectable chickpea salad sandwich.
Don’t let the fancy name fool you; it’s a cinch to make. Especially with this recipe from LoveAndLemons (which has several other easy picnic recipes to try).
Ingredients:
For the chickpea salad:
- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon capers
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sandwiches:
- Handful of thin green beans, trimmed
- 1 soft baguette, sliced in half
- 8 to 10 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
- Thinly sliced red onion, rinsed and dried
- Mayonnaise for spreading
- ¼ English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 radish, thinly sliced
- 6 to 8 fresh basil leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Make the chickpea salad: In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, tahini, Dijon mustard, garlic, capers, green onions, cilantro, lemon juice, and pinches of salt and pepper. Pulse until combined, but do not puree. Season to taste.
- Blanch the green beans: Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water nearby. Drop the green beans into the boiling water for 1½ minutes, then scoop into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Once cool, drain, pat dry, and chop into 1-inch pieces.
- Assemble the sandwiches: Spread the chickpea salad on one side of the baguette. Press the chopped green beans into the chickpea salad and top with the olives and red onion slices. Spread a layer of mayo on the other half of the baguette and top with the sliced cucumbers, radishes and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Press together, slice and enjoy!
Like we said: It’s a chick-piece of cake to make! Besides, your taste buds won’t realize how easy it was to prepare.