Bored of the same old ham and cheese sandwich for lunch? Guy-gourmet never looked so good as this smashed chickpea sandwich that will have all your colleagues eyeing your lunch with envy!

And guess what? Chickpeas are low in fat and high in protein, which is what all us guys need to keep our weight in control. Adding legumes like chickpeas to your packed lunches during the week will even help you lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Prep Time: 10 mins   Servings: 3 sandwiches

What you need:

Pesto Chickpea Paste

  • 1 cup packed basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup almonds (slivered or sliced)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 lemon (you’ll need: 1 tsp lemon peel zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (or a 15 ounce can)

Sandwich components:

  • Whole grain bread
  • 2 slices of tomato (optional)
  • ½ cup of spinach (optional) 

Steps

  1. Put all the ingredients for pesto, except for the chickpeas, into a food processor and blend until smooth. (To make lemon zest: grate the peel of a lemon, before squeezing out the juice.)
  2. No food processor? No problem. Just put the almonds (slivered or sliced) in a plastic bag and mash them into tiny bits with the back of a spoon. Chop the garlic and basil into small bits. Mash all of it together in a medium bowl with a fork, until it looks like a paste.
  3. Drain and wash the chickpeas, then mash them in a medium bowl until it becomes a chunky paste.
  4. Add ⅓ cup of the pesto and mix well, then taste. Add more pesto to punch up the flavour until you’re happy with the taste.
  5. Grab a healthy whole grain bread and build your sandwich with ingredients like tomato and spinach.

If you like this recipe, share it with your friends!

Sources: