Chickpea "Tuna" Melt

There are many vegans who grew up eating meat and fish. While they choose to abstain for ethical, environmental, or health reasons, the craving doesn't always go away. This recipe is a chickpea "tuna" salad in a sandwich. I call it a chickpea melt, since I cannot in good conscience call it a tuna melt. As a vegetarian my whole life, I have never had tuna. Nevertheless, this sandwich was delicious as its own and I would definitely recommend it. 

Vegan chickpea "tuna" melt, with Chao vegan cheese

For the chickpea "tuna" salad:

1 can chickpeas 

4 tbsp vegan mayonnaise 

1 tbsp yellow mustard 

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 can artichoke hearts

1/4 red onion

1 stalk of celery

1 tbsp sea weed flakes 

2 tsp lemon juice 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

 

For the sandwich as a whole:

vegan cheese slices (I used Chao cheese slices)

2 slices of bread 

2 tbsp vegan butter 

1. Drain one can of chickpeas and pour into a mixing bowl (save the chickpea water, it can be used as an egg replacer). Then star to mash them all up with a fork.

2. Add in the artichoke hearts. Continue to use a fork to mash them in and incorporate them into the chickpeas.

3. Dice up onion and celery and mix them into the chickpeas and onions. Then add your condiments: mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and dijon mustard. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and add you lemon juice. 

4. Add your sea weed flakes and stir thoroughly. Then set aside. We will now begin to make the sandwich. 

5. Bring a pan to medium-low heat and add tbsp of butter. Let it melt and add a slice of bread. Add a slice of vegan cheese on top and cover with a lid. This will allow the cheese to melt quicker before the bread burns, especially if it is vegan. 

6. After 2 minutes, remove the lid and place about 2 tbsp of the chickpea salad onto the cheese. Cover with another piece of bread and slightly press down. Lift the whole sandwich up, add butter to the pan, and place the sandwich back in flipped over. 

7. Cook this side for 3-5 minutes on medium- low heat (feel free to adjust the timing based on how toasted you want the bread to be). Remove from heat, serve and enjoy!