Yummy Vegan "Tuna" Chickpea Sandwich Spread

I'd be willing to bet just about every vegan out there has experimented with the chickpea sandwich spread. It was one of my earliest vegan go-to dishes, and it will forever remain a staple of my vegan lunch-world. I love it because of how tasty, simple, and relatively inexpensive it is to make, and also because it reminds me a lot of the tuna fish sandwiches I used to eat in my pre-vegetarian childhood days. (There's always that whole comfort-food childhood association thing that we all know is very powerful.)

Anyway, you probably have your own version of this sandwich spread, but for what it's worth, I am throwing mine out there for your consideration. 

Vegan "Tuna" Chickpea Sandwich Spread

2 cans  (or around 4 cups) cooked chickpeas, rinsed and mashed.

Juice of 2 smallish lemons (about 1/2 cup)

1 1/2 teaspoon Bragg Organic Sea Kelp Delight

1/2 Tablespoon spicy brown mustard

1/3 to 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise

1 can black olives (sliced)

Dill pickles, chopped (to taste--I love pickles so I use as many as it takes to get the flavor right).

1 cup chopped celery

Optional:

Some fresh parsley if you have any

1 Tablespoon Annie's (or Trader Joes) Goddess Dressing

To begin, I recommend if you don't already have one, that you purchase a pastry cutter to use for mashing up your beans. This is really the quickest, best, and easiest way to do this, and they only cost between 5 and 10 bucks, depending on where you get it. I use mine all the time for mashing veggies, whether it's avocado for guacamole, beans for some kind of dip or spread, or even tofu for a scramble---best 5 bucks I ever spent.

After you have mashed your chickpeas, stir in the lemon juice and sea kelp--this will serve as your "tuna" base. Then add all of the other ingredients and continue to mix. Once it looks like you are about ready to go, give it a taste and see if it needs anything--here is where you can tweak the flavors until it tastes just right. I like to add some of the tahini-based "goddess" dressing for a little more flavor. Sometimes I will throw in a little dill, or maybe more lemon, depending on my mood. If I do not have any goddess dressing, I might add a little bit of cider vinegar and some tahini. But I usually just use the dressing. (Be forewarned, most store-bought vegan goddess dressings contain wheat, so if you are looking for a wheat-free version of this recipe, don't use the dressing.)

I frequently make a big batch of this chickpea spread on Sunday, and then my husband and I have sandwich filling to get us through the week. It's definitely a staple in our repertoire of lunch foods, and also a great way to use up that bit of extra celery that seems to live in the bottom of my veggie bin. (By the way, this spread is also tasty on pita or crackers, if you are looking for a yummy little snack.)