Recipe: Chickpea Egg Salad

You Don’t Need Eggs for the Best ‘Egg’ Salad of Your Life

From Eggs to Chickpeas: Let’s Reinvent a Classic

If there’s one sandwich that has stood the test of time, it’s egg salad. Creamy, comforting, and endlessly adaptable, it has graced lunchboxes, Sunday picnics, church socials, tea trays, and café menus for over a century. In fact, it’s the only sandwich with a permanent spot on my café menu—every other one rotates weekly.

The enduring popularity of egg salad isn’t surprising—it’s been around for centuries. Did you know it even predates the invention of the sandwich? There’s evidence the Romans mashed eggs and mixed them with a sauce, creating a dish remarkably similar to today’s version. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, hard-boiled eggs were commonly mixed with a little mayonnaise and sometimes a hit of mustard. With the rise of the sandwich during this same time period, egg salad naturally found its way between two slices of bread. One of the earliest known printed recipes for an egg salad sandwich appeared in the 1896 edition of The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer. It was simple and straightforward: just hard-boiled eggs, mayo, salt and pepper, spread between two slices of buttered bread.

Today, the egg salad sandwich continues to evolve. For a chef, the classic combination of fork-mashed eggs, a dollop of mayo, and a spoonful of mustard is a blank canvas. Depending on the flavour direction I’m craving, I’ll add crunch, tang, something salty or zippy, spices, and herbs. And the beauty of egg salad? It works just as well on plain ol’ Wonder Bread as it does on crusty artisan sourdough, a buttery croissant, or even crackers.

A delicious egg salad sandwich served at my cafe. In this version, we added fresh red grapes to the filling for some tartness and colour.

Plant-Forward Eating: A Simple Swap That Works

But for all its appeal, egg salad isn’t for everyone—my son Ben won’t touch it. He refuses to eat eggs in any form, whether scrambled or in a quiche—doesn’t matter. Nothing will change his mind. So, I set out to create another version he’d actually enjoy.

Enter Chickpea ‘Egg’ Salad—a perfectly delicious alternative for those who dislike eggs, are vegan, have an egg allergy, or simply want more fibre in their diet.

Nutritionally, chickpeas hold their own:

• Eggs: 0g fibre

• Chickpeas: A whopping 7.6g per ½ cup! That’s a gut-health game changer.

And there’s more. While eggs are rich in choline and vitamin B12 and have a slightly higher protein content (13g per serving), chickpeas still pack a punch with 9g of protein while also providing iron, magnesium, and potassium. Plus, they have zero cholesterol.

My version really amps up the flavour and cravability. Using my Holy Trinity—a sharp knife, salt, and creativity (as I shared in my Tostada article)—I crafted a version that delivers in both texture and taste. It took the chickpea filling from basic to crave-worthy! When Ben took his first bite, the lifelong egg salad hater nodded and smiled. He didn’t just tolerate it—he devoured the whole sandwich!

Eating well doesn’t mean giving up the foods you love and bring you comfort—it’s about finding new ways to enjoy them. And sometimes, the best swaps don’t feel like compromises at all. This chickpea salad is proof that eating more plants can be just as satisfying, if not more. So, if you’re skeptical, I get it. Even if you love egg salad sandwiches this nutritious swap is a delicious and satisfying alternative. Give it a try. You might just discover a new favourite lunch.

🌱 Your Action Steps this Week

🌱 Try the Chickpea ‘Egg’ Salad Sandwich – Swap out your usual egg salad for my chickpea version this week. Play with different mix-ins. Try adding curry powder and raisins for a curried version, fresh dill and capers for a tangy twist, or avocado for extra creaminess. Serve it on toast, in a wrap, or with crackers. Make it your own. Try it this week and let me know—did it win you over?

🌱 Incorporate More Chickpeas Into Your Meals – Challenge yourself to add chickpeas to at least one meal this week. Toss them into salads, blend them into hummus, or roast them for a crunchy snack.

🌱 Master the Holy Trinity – Try applying my Holy Trinity to a meal this week!

• Practice your knife skills - try switching from using a small paring knife to a larger chef’s knife. You’ll go faster and have more control. YouTube has some great tutorial videos.

• Experiment with different salts. I generally cook with Diamond Crystal Kosher salt (all other kosher salts pale in comparison), and then finish with fun salts like Canadian Vancouver Island Sea Salt or British Maldon. Sprinkle them over the dish just before serving - they give a delightful very satisfying crunch.

• Get creative with ingredients in your favourite dishes. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Swap out one ingredient in a family fav and see how it transforms the flavour. Add a new spice, use a different herb, or mix in an unexpected texture—sometimes the best discoveries come from a little creativity.

What other classics could use a plant-based twist?

Stay tuned, because I have plenty more ideas coming your way in the coming months.

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Recipe: Chickpea ‘Egg’ Salad Sandwiches

Feel free to jazz up how you enjoy this sandwich. Go the traditional route with the filling between two slices of bread, or create something open-faced and spoon it over sliced tomatoes and top with a slice of avocado.