Vegan Gochujang Chickpea Smash for Sandwiches & Tacos

This easy vegan gochujang chickpea smash recipe is a tasty and high-protein filling for sandwiches, wraps and tacos. You'll love it!

I'm upping my sandwich game with this smashed chickpea sandwich filler.

This protein-packed lunch received 5 stars from my husband, so it's on regular rotation now.

It's quick to make, with a spicy filling that will make your taste buds tingle.

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Jump to:

• 💭 What is gochujang?
• 🥪 What you need to make Gochujang smashed chickpea sandwiches
• 📖 Variations
• 🍽 Equipment
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Smash those chickpeas!
• 🍞 Toast that bread!
• 🥣 Storing the chickpea mixture
• 🌡️ Can you freeze smashed chickpeas?
• 🌮 Serving gochujang smashed chickpeas
• 🥪 Related recipes
• ⭐ Save your favourite recipes for free!
• 👩🏻‍🍳 How to make Vegan Gochujang Chickpea Smash for Sandwiches & Tacos
• 📖 Recipe
• Comments

💭 What is gochujang?

Just in case you haven't come across or tried gochujang paste yet, it is a fermented red chilli paste from Korea.

This sweet and spicy paste is used regularly in Korean cooking and is becoming more and more popular in the west.

It's made from fermented glutinous rice (sticky rice grown across Asia), soybeans, chilli powder, barley malt powder and salt.

And happily it's vegan too.

It comes in a range of heat levels, so be careful when buying it.

Once you've tried these smashed chickpeas in a gochujang sauce, try crispy fried tofu with gochujang sauce or shredded gochujang tofu and chickpea wraps.

🥪 What you need to make Gochujang smashed chickpea sandwiches

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make these chickpea salad sandwiches.

Chickpea salad smash ingredients

• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - I used canned chickpeas, but you can soak and cook dried chickpeas if you prefer to do that
• Red bell pepper - use another colour of bell peppers if you prefer
• Carrot
• Red onion - use a regular brown onion, if that is all you have or even spring onions (green onions)
• Gochujang paste
• Tahini paste - sesame seed paste
• Lemon juice
• Dill - fresh dill or dried dill

Sandwich ingredients

• Good quality bread - white, wholemeal, seeded or sourdough bread
• Vegan mayonnaise
• Salad leaves - a mixture of soft salad leaves or crunchy iceberg lettuce
• Cucumber - sliced, for a cool contrast to the chickpeas

I like to keep the sandwich fillings simple and let the chickpea smash shine, but you can vary these to suit your mood.

Some grated carrot is a good option to add, if you want more fresh veggies in your sandwich and quick pickled radish would give it a bit of zing.

See the step-by-step photos and printable recipe card below for method, quantities, noted and nutritional information.

Also, try these delicious Caesar's smashed chickpea sandwiches.

📖 Variations

A few tweaks you can make when you meal prep this delicious sandwich filling.

• Peanut butter - instead of tahini paste if you don't have tahini
• Mayo - add mayo to the chickpea sandwich spread to make it creamier and less spicy
• Fresh herbs - you can add chives or parsley instead of dill
• Spring onions - instead of red onion for a softer finish

🍽 Equipment

All you need to make this gorgeous chickpea salad sandwich recipe is:

• Cutting board & a sharp knife
• A large bowl (mixing bowl)
• Potato masher
• Measuring spoon
• Spoon to mix and dollop onto sandwiches

👩🏻‍🍳 Smash those chickpeas!

Chickpeas are such an amazing ingredient, they are a great source of plant-based protein, dietary fibre, iron, vitamin B6, magnesium and calcium!

Stock up on them, so you always have a few tins in the cupboard, ready to add to dishes like this smashed chickpea salad sandwich, but also add them to salads, soups, stews and curries.

Use a potato masher to smoosh your chickpeas (no need for a food processor), but the secret to good chickpeas smash is to leave some chickpeas whole.

Hint: You want a good texture to your chickpeas mash, so don't mash it until it is smooth. An uneven texture gives a much nicer mouth feel.

Love chickpeas? Try these easy buffalo chickpea tacos.

🍞 Toast that bread!

This type of sandwich filler is best served in bread with a bit of substance or crunch.

If you want to serve it with fresh bread, you want a firm one with a good crust like a sourdough.

My recommendation is to toast (broil) your bread before assembling your sandwich.

It is sooooo good!

🥣 Storing the chickpea mixture

Once you make the spicy chickpea smash, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Which is very convenient, because there is just enough chickpea filling for 3-4 sandwiches, depending on how generously you dollop it on.

🌮 Serving gochujang smashed chickpeas

Here are a few more serving suggestions for this scrumptious sandwich filling.

• Lettuce wrap - serve it in a crunchy iceberg lettuce wrap and top it with quick pickled onions or pickled cabbage and tahini dressing
• Tortilla wrap - with salad leaves and tortilla chips for crunch
• Baked potato - pile on a baked spud and top with sour cream or grated vegan cheddar
• Tacos - soft or crunchy tacos filled with iceberg lettuce, the chickpea smash and topped with sour cream and cheese

I'm sure you will have some good ideas too!

🥪 Related recipes

Looking for more sandwich inspiration? Try these:

For more inspiration, check out 101 Vegan Sandwiches - Back to School Kids Lunch boxes.

Step 1

• Add the drained chickpeas to a mixing bowl.
• Smash them until you have a rough texture with some whole chickpeas.
• Add the veg (full recipe card below).

Step 2

• Add the gochujang paste, other flavourings and herbs.
• Mix until well combined.

Step 3

• Toast (broil) your bread.
• Spread both slices generously with mayo (cream cheese would work well too).
• Add salad leaves to one slice.

Step 4

• Add a generous layer of smashed chickpeas on top of the salad leaves, then top with slices of cucumber.
• Top with the other slice of bread and serve!
• Enjoy!

📖 Recipe