To call this a faux-egg salad is a bit of a misnomer; chickpeas are awesome in their own right and are faux- nothing, but ... this IS rather egg salad like. Also, is this a sandwich filling? Topping for a salad? Scoopable with crackers? You decide. What I know for sure is that is is awesome the day you make it, and offers great joy when you have it for lunch the next day, AND is super portable so makes a good lunch-on-the-go. Plus, making the filling offers great stress therapy because you get to smash things!
Couple notes:
Fry the capers or not, your choice. The fried little salty bits are quite good, but even not, the blast of saltiness is a must.
If you're going for a sandwich, opt for a nice hearty bread with chew. And please toast it. Maybe even rub it with a little garlic before assembling.
Chickpea Salad (Faux egg salad)
Serves 4 - 6, but hugely depends on how you're using it
Ingredients
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 14-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons whole grain or dijon-style mustard
1/2 cup green onions, very thinly sliced
1 tomato, diced
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped fine
1 medium serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced, optional
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lemon
slices of bread, optional
Directions
Press the capers with a paper towel to removes as much moisture as possible. Place them in a small, cold skillet along with the olive oil, and then begin to fry them over medium heat. Stir often, and cook until the capers start to brown. Transfer to a paper towel to cool.
In a large bowl, using a fork or potato masher, smash the chickpeas well. Add the yogurt, mustard, green onions, tomato, walnuts, cilantro, chile, and fried capers to the chickpeas. Stir well, until uniform. Taste and add a bit of salt and pepper if you like. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon across the top, stir again, and adjust with more as needed. Refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
When you’re ready to make sandwiches, toast the bread if you like, rubbing with a bit of garlic clove, if you like it. Top with a generous scoop of the chickpea salad. You can serve open faced or topped with a second slice of bread. Enjoy!