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 Soyfree and nutfree.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: lunch, One Pot meal, Sandwich
  • Cuisine: Korean

Ingredients

For the Caramelized Onion

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or sugar)
  • 2 teaspoons gochujang paste

For the Chickpea Salad Sandwich

  • 15 ounce can of chickpeas (drained, or 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas (or use other beans of choice))
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt (or vegan mayo)
  • 2 teaspoons gochujang paste
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or other herbs of choice)

For assembly

  • bread, (wraps, lettuce leaves, and/or salad greens)
  • vegan mayo

Method

Caramelize the onions.

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and a good pinch of the salt, and mix and cook until the onions start to turn translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir occasionally and add splash of water if the pan is drying out.
  2. 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.

Make the gochujang chickpea salad.

  1. 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.)
  2. 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 a pack for your lunch or serve now.
  3. 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!

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.