Chickpeas and kale are a tasty team, and this combination makes a great spread for bread, a filling for pita bread or a wrap (along with some tender lettuce and sliced tomatoes), or layered scoop of it on a sturdy flatbread and served open-faced. For a nice warm weather meal, this is great served with any sort of potato salad and a simple fruit medley. This makes about 2 to 2 1/2 cups. Recipe from Plant Power: Transform Your Kitchen, Plate, and Life with More Than 150 Fresh and Flavorful Vegan Recipes by Nava Atlas. ©2014, published by HarperOne, reprinted by permission. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky.

Chickpea and Kale Sandwich Spread or Salad
Ingredients
- 2 medium kale leaves any variety, rinsed well
- 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 cups cooked or one 15- to 16-ounce can drained and rinsed chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional, but highly recommended
- 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves or 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves
- 1 to 2 scallions green parts only, cut into large pieces, optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin or more to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Fresh green sprouts optional
Instructions
- Combine the kale and carrot in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped.
- Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until the chickpeas are evenly chopped and everything is nicely blended—don’t over-process; leave the mixture a bit chunky.
- Transfer to a serving container and serve at once, or cover and refrigerate until needed.
Variation: Use a good handful of baby spinach or arugula in place of the kale.
Nutrition information (per 1/2 cup serving)
Calories: 220; Total fat: 7g; Protein: 13g; Carbohydrates: 29g; Fiber: 9g; Sodium: 208mg
- Here are more recipes for bean salads.
- Here are more recipes for vegan sandwiches and wraps.
13 Comments
Juli Lane
July 10, 2014 at 5:46 amThis is an absolutely fantastic spread! We have followed you through Vegetariana, Vegetarian Express, Vegan Express–your recipes are consistently outstanding. Thanks!
Elisa
July 10, 2014 at 4:17 pmUnexpected taste! Daughter who doesn’t like the texture of mayo based salads–even the chickpea tuna salad, liked this one very much and will take recipe back to college with her! Cost is about a dollar a meal for four!
Nava
July 10, 2014 at 6:04 pmThanks so much, Judi! Wow, if you’ve been with me since Vegetariana, we’ve been on this journey together for a long time!
Sadhna Grover
July 18, 2014 at 9:45 pmThis recipe is looking so nice, so definitely the taste will be awesome.
Ali
October 12, 2014 at 10:22 amI have been using this recipe for a long time and anybody who has tried it has loved it 🙂
Nava
October 12, 2014 at 6:57 pmThanks, Ali! So glad you enjoy this.
violet rocket
October 27, 2014 at 7:36 pmThank you so much for this delicious recipe! When I was becoming a vegetarian almost 20 years ago, my mama bought “Vegetarian Express” for me, a cookbook I use to this day! My favorite recipe is Peanut Butter Spirals. Thank you for all of your recipes past & present!
Tessa
November 1, 2014 at 2:00 pmCan’t wait to try this recipe. Ingredients call for 2T nutritional yeast. Is my sense correct that the recipe is referring to flakes and not powder (as powdered nutritional yeast measurements are usally half that of that called for when using flakes) Thanks–
Jena
April 22, 2015 at 4:55 pmLove this recipe! It’s so good and easy to pack for lunches.
Nava
April 22, 2015 at 10:19 pmThank you, Jena. Glad you enjoy it.
Andrew Mendosa
December 23, 2016 at 10:59 amWould this work with swiss chard as a substitute for the kale?
Nava
December 23, 2016 at 11:02 amAndrew, I’d have to admit that I’m not sure. If you like raw chard, then by all means, but I find it has a kind of unpleasantly chewy texture if not lightly cooked. Or maybe you can massage it in the same way that kale is massaged, so that it softens and breaks down a little. Or, you can lightly steam it before using it in the recipe. If you experiment with this, can you let us know how it turns out?
John C.
September 25, 2017 at 4:23 pmGreat recipe! Thank you!