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You can never have too many chickpea salad sandwich variations. This one's a little fussier than the last one (which, by the by, is currently MSV's second most popular post ever), but only a bit. And it really sings of warm weather.
You have your chickpeas, of course, plus sweet and sunny dried apricots, fragrant basil, verdant scallions, rich and crunchy almonds, and a creamy yogurt base combined with a heap of lime to hug the whole lovable thing. Add a baguette, and who could resist?
So here are the fussy bits. Do take a few minutes to toast the almonds. It makes a lovely little difference, boosting the savory side of your nuts (in a pinch, use roasted unsalted almonds). Second, you can technically dig in right after assembly, but the salad benefits from a rest in the fridge. There are several bold flavors here—apricots, basil, and all that lime—and they get to know each other a little better and settle down after an hour or so. The bonus here is that this makes a great traveling sandwich, be it for sunny picnics or florescent-lit desk lunches. Finally, use the baguette. Again, with these bigger flavors, a couple leaves of romaine aren't the ideal accompaniment. This salad does best with a dreamy crusty bread that can absorb its personality.
Otherwise, you chop a handful of things and have instant lunch for days.
Apricot-Basil Chickpea Salad on Baguette
serves 4-5
2 15-oz cans chickpeas
1/4 cup raw, unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
3/4 cup plain or plain unsweetened nondairy yogurt
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
5 medium scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and thinly sliced
heaping 1/4 cup dried apricots, cut into thin strips
1 tsp fine sea or kosher salt
generous 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
1 long baguette
Drain chickpeas. Rinse well in a fine sieve and set aside to let drain thoroughly. Prep everything that needs chopping now to give them time to drain.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Dry toast chopped almonds a few minutes, tossing very frequently, until fragrant. Transfer to a plate to let cool.
Whisk together yogurt, basil, lime juice, celery seed, paprika, and garlic powder. Set aside.
Transfer chickpeas to a mixing or serving bowl. Mash roughly with a fork or potato masher. Add scallions, apricots, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Add yogurt mixture and toss thoroughly. Adjust pepper, if needed.
Ideally, let salad chill for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to mingle. Serve sandwiched on baguette.