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Bon Appétit

Cheesy Chickpea Salad Toast

4.6

(4)

Cheesy chickpea salad toast partially sliced into with ridged potato chips on the side
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni

Humble canned chickpeas become the stuff of open-face sandwich dreams with the help of a few flavorful, crunchy mix-ins and a whole lot of cheese. Finely chopped red onion, cornichon pickles, celery, and dill make for a mixture reminiscent of tuna salad. In place of the typical mayo, however, you’ll stir in grated sharp cheddar, which transforms into cheesy pockets when broiled atop buttery toast. Grate your own for the best meltability. And don’t forget the hot sauce—we love a few hearty dashes of Frank’s RedHot.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    25 minutes

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
8 thick slices sourdough or French bread
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed
½ small red onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
8 oz. extra sharp cheddar, coarsely grated
½ cup coarsely chopped cornichons
½ cup coarsely chopped dill
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Flaky sea salt
Hot sauce and potato chips (optional; for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat broiler. Heat 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, and 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook 4 thick slices sourdough or French bread, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Repeat with 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and remaining 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, and 4 thick slices sourdough or French bread. Arrange slices on a baking sheet.

    Step 2

    Place two 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed, in a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon, potato masher, or your hands, coarsely crush some of the chickpeas, keeping pieces fairly large (leave at least one third of the chickpeas whole). Add ½ small red onion, finely chopped, 2 celery stalks, finely chopped, 8 oz. extra sharp cheddar, coarsely grated, ½ cup coarsely chopped cornichons, and ½ cup coarsely chopped dill; drizzle with oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix well.

    Step 3

    Pile some chickpea salad on top of each toast, covering edge to edge. Broil until cheese is melted, 3–4 minutes.

    Step 4

    Sprinkle toasts with flaky sea salt; drizzle with hot sauce. Serve with potato chips if desired.

TagsDinnerLunchMainSnackVegetarianEasyQuickWeeknight MealsToastSandwichChickpeaBean and LegumeVegetableCheddarCheeseDairyDillHerbs & Spices30 Minutes or LessBon Appétit

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