Gochujang Chickpea Salad Sandwich with Caramelized Onions
A creamy, spicy gochujang chickpea salad sandwich with spicy-sweet gochujang caramelized onions is a Korean-style twist on this lunchtime favorite! It’s hearty, satisfying, and packed with FLAVOR! Options for gluten-free , Nutfree , Soyfree
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I love cooking with gochujang, like in my gochujang bowl, peanut gochujang rice, gochujang cauliflower wings, gochujang lentils, and gochujang tofu sandwich. This gochujang chickpea salad is my most recent gochujang recipe.
I’ve got a bunch of chickpea salad sandwiches on the blog because there isn’t just one way to make a chickpea salad sandwich. You can add a lot of different spices, herbs, flavors, sauces, and crunchy additions to make super quick lunches that are unique every single time! In this salad, we have creamy dressing with spicy gochujang, paired with caramelized onions that have been cooked with gochujang! Making them sweeter and spiced and gorgeous. You can use these onions in so many ways, on burgers, wraps, bowls and more.
For this chickpea salad sandwich, we add gochujang into the creamy dressing for the chickpea salad. We also caramelize the onions. Once the onions are halfway cooked, we add some gochujang to them as well, so you get these sweet-and-spicy, delicious onions to top the chickpea salad sandwich. Serve it in a bread or pita sandwich or in a wrap or lettuce wrap or as a dip with tortilla chips or pita chips!
Why You’ll Love Gochujang Chickpea Salad
- quick, easy make-ahead lunch
- packed with FLAVOR!
- topped with sweet-and-spicy gochujang caramelized onions
- easy to make gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free
Instructions- Mix in the garlic, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then mix in the rest of the salt along with the maple syrup and gochujang. Add a splash of water to help the gochujang mix into the onion, then reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are starting to turn golden and the garlic has cooked. Switch off the heat and set aside while you make the salad.
- Add the chickpeas, spices, salt, yogurt, gochujang, and lime juice to a bowl. Mix well, press and mash about half of the chickpeas using a fork or masher. Mix in the onion, bell pepper, and cilantro. Now, taste and adjust flavor, adding more non-dairy yogurt or vegan mayo, if needed, for more creaminess. (You can also fold some of the caramelized onion into the chickpea mixture.)
- Then, assemble the sandwich. Add a layer of vegan mayo onto one slice of the bread, and top it with salad greens, lettuce, or fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley. Generously pile on the gochujang chickpea salad and then the caramelized onions, and close the sandwich with another slice of bread. Wrap it up in parchment paper, slice, and either pack for your lunch or serve now.
- Serve it in a bread as above or pita sandwich or in a wrap or lettuce wrap or as a dip with tortilla chips or pita chips!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- oil – To caramelize the onions. Use stock for oil-free.
- onion – You’ll make caramelized onions and use some fresh onion in the gochujang chickpea salad too.
- garlic – To flavor the onions.
- salt – To help the onions caramelize and bring out the flavors in the chickpea salad.
- maple syrup – Adds a little sweet to offset the heat of the gochujang in the salad.
- gochujang paste – Choose gluten-free and/or soy-free, if needed. You can also substitute chili garlic sauce or chili crisp for a similar flavor if you can’t find gochujang.
- chickpeas – The base for the salad. Use canned or homemade. Or use white beans of choice.
- spices – Garlic powder and black pepper also season the chickpea salad.
- non-dairy yogurt – Makes the chickpea salad creamy.
- lime juice – For tang.
- bell pepper – For crunch! Feel free to add other chopped, crunchy veggies like celery.
- cilantro – Or use your herbs of choice.
For the sandwich, you can use bread, pita, wraps, or lettuce wraps to assemble the gochujang chickpea salad sandwich.
To add creaminess to the sandwich, you can use vegan mayo or non-dairy yogurt.
💡 Tips:
- You can choose to mash only half of the chickpeas for a chunkier texture.
- To prevent messiness, wrap the sandwich in parchment paper while eating or packing it for lunch.
To make the gochujang chickpea salad sandwiches:
1. Heat oil in a skillet and cook onions with salt until translucent.
2. Add garlic, salt, maple syrup, and gochujang, then cook until onions are golden.
3. Mix chickpeas, spices, salt, yogurt, gochujang, and lime juice in a bowl.
4. Add onions, bell pepper, and cilantro to the mixture and adjust seasoning as needed.
5. Assemble the sandwich with vegan mayo, salad greens, gochujang chickpea salad, and caramelized onions between bread slices.
6. Wrap the sandwich in parchment paper before slicing and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Gochujang can be gluten-free if made with rice instead of barley.
- Traditional gochujang contains soy, but soy-free versions are available.
- This recipe can be gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free with the right substitutions.
- You can make your own soy-free and gluten-free gochujang sauce at home.
- The chickpea salad and caramelized onions can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Assemble the sandwich when ready to eat to avoid sogginess. sentence in a different way:
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