+QP
When I first bit into one of these sandwiches, I couldn’t quite put my finger on what they reminded me of. That is until Chaz (my husband) declared them to be just like an egg sandwich—only much better, because no egg! If you want to bring out an eggier flavor, you could add a pinch of kala namak, also known as black salt. It has a sulfur-like taste that will totally remind you of eggs. Don’t overdo it as it’s quite pungent. —CS
MAKES 4 SANDWICHES
1 shallot, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
½ bell pepper, trimmed and diced
2 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and minced (remove stems if tough)
1 tbsp (14 g) vegan red curry paste
1 tbsp (15 ml) tamari
Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tbsp [30 ml])
1½ cups (256 g) cooked chickpeas
½ cup (114 g) plain vegan mayo
1½ tsp (3 g) nutritional yeast
Salt, to taste
Fresh baby spinach (about 4 handfuls)
4 vegan bread rolls of choice or 8 slices sandwich bread, toasted
Fresh cilantro, to taste
Place the oil in a large skillet. Heat it over medium-high heat and add the shallot, garlic, bell pepper and mushrooms. Cook until the bell pepper just starts to become tender, about 3 minutes. Stir occasionally.
In the meantime, whisk the curry paste, tamari and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set it aside.
Add the chickpeas to the vegetables and cook another 2 minutes. Add the sauce and cook until the liquid evaporates a little, about 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool before stirring into the mayo and nutritional yeast. Mash the chickpeas to a tuna-like consistency so that the chickpeas don’t roll out of the sandwiches as you eat. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
Place a generous handful of spinach on one side of the bread roll or on a slice of bread. Top with a quarter of the chickpea salad, cilantro to taste and the other side of the bread roll or another slice of bread. Repeat these steps with the remaining 3 sandwiches and serve immediately.