Coronation Chickpea Sandwich (With Creamy Curried Chickpeas)

We have veganised an all-time favourite British classic - a Coronation Chicken Sandwich! And it is AMAZING, with the creamy curried chickpea filling, bursting with flavours of cumin, lime, sweet sultanas and a hint of chilli heat! Our Vegan Coronation Chickpea Sandwich is a wonderful quick lunch option or something to pack for a filling snack on the go (or even a coronation banquet)!

Jump to:

• The Origins of Coronation Sandwich Filling
• Sandwich Filler That's Better Than Chicken
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• Reader Review
• Step-By-Step Method
• What Goes Well With This Curried Chickpea Sandwich?
• Storage and Leftovers
• Recipe FAQs:
• Other Vegan Recipes To Try
• Coronation Chickpea Sandwich

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The Origins of Coronation Sandwich Filling

The British love a good sandwich. It has been a go-to lunch option, a snack and even part of a posh afternoon tea for years! Coronation Chicken was first created in 1953 for the banquet of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, however, variants of the dish, known as jubilee chicken and the deviled chicken were known years before that!

It was a little while later that Coronation Chicken became a sandwich filling though. 

Sandwich Filler That's Better Than Chicken

For our vegan chickpea sandwich version, we substituted traditional chicken with a humble chickpea but kept all the other flavours and textures to retain the authentic flavours of the original.

We love this Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich because:

• Who doesn't love chickpeas?
• It is quick and easy to make, yet it tastes better than any other coronation sandwich we have had.
• It has lots of interesting flavours and textures working in perfect harmony. 

Ingredients and Substitutes

Here are all the simple ingredients you'll need for this tasty coronation chickpea sandwich recipe:

• bread: we like ciabatta, sourdough or panini rolls, or slices of bread. 
• chickpeas: we used tinned chickpeas to make this recipe effortless, but if you wish, you can use dried chickpeas. BBC Good Food article here shows various ways to cook your dried chickpeas. A little secret: this recipe works well with butter beans and cannellini beans too.
• curry powder: we typically use medium or mild curry powder. 
• oil.
• raisins: or sultanas, or chopped dried apricots. 
• lime or lemon juice.
• mango chutney: can be replaced with apricot jam. 
• fresh coriander: also known as cilantro.You may also add a sliced spring onion (or finely chopped red onion). 
• chilli pepper: red or green. It may also be replaced with chilli flakes (red pepper flakes). 
• vegan mayonnaise: if you're not following a vegan diet, you may use regular mayo, Greek yogurt or creme fraiche. 
• cucumber & lettuce: sliced into rounds
• toasted almond flakes: optional, but it's a lovely addition for texture. 

Find ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

Step-By-Step Method

Step 1: Prep the Veg & Nuts

Separate and wash gem lettuce leaves. You may want to remove or thin the thick stalks of the lettuce. Slice the cucumber into rounds. 

If using, toast your almond flakes in a dry pan, until slightly browned and starting to smell all nutty. Set aside for later. The almonds are completely optional and are used for extra texture and some nutty flavour. 

Step 2: Fry the Chickpeas

Then drain the chickpeas and run some cold water through them to remove any excess sodium and starch. Dap them with a sheet of kitchen paper towel to remove moisture. 

Heat a large frying pan with a drop of oil, curry powder, add chickpeas and cook stirring continuously for 2-3 min over medium heat, until all chickpeas are well coated and warmed through. Leave aside to cool slightly.

Step 3: Make the Creamy Sandwich Filling

Finely chop the coriander (including the stalks) and chilli. You can use any chilli you like, but if you can't handle the heat, remove the seeds.

In a large mixing bowl, mix vegan mayo (or yoghurt) with mango chutney, lime juice, sultanas, chopped chilli and coriander. Season with salt and pepper. It may look like a lot, but if you make your sandwiches with a large bread roll it will make sure your sandwich isn't dry. 

Then add the cooled chickpeas to the coronation dressing and mix well. Crush some of the chickpeas with the back of a fork or a potato masher to thicken the sandwich filler a little bit. Season with salt and black pepper if needed.

Step 4: Assemble The Sandwiches

Cut your bread rolls in half lengthways. Place some gem lettuce leaves on the bottom bread slices, then spoon the coronation chickpea mixture and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Top with sliced cucumber and place the other half of the bread on top.

What Goes Well With This Curried Chickpea Sandwich?

If you want a substantial meal, serve the Coronation Chickpea Sandwiches with crisps or some french fries or a cup of Carrot and Ginger Soup for an ultimate vegan British-style lunch! However, these are great to have on their own - moist and filling, they can stand as great lunch on their own!

These sandwiches are perfect the next day to take to work for lunch too!

This delicious sandwich won't go amiss on a big party platter, your summer picnic menu or afternoon tea either!

Storage and Leftovers

Coronation chickpea sandwich filler can be stores in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days. If you don't fancy making another sandwich with your leftovers, we have some other lunch ideas for you!

Make it into a coronation chickpea salad (or curried chickpea and pasta salad) or simply spoon some on top of a green salad. Not impressed? How about a lovely Jacket Potato with creamy Coronation chickpea topping? Another great way is to fill tortilla wraps with this delicious recipe (just follow our Curried Chickpea Wrap recipe). 

Recipe FAQs:

Other Vegan Recipes To Try

We hope you loved our Vegan Coronation Chickpea Sandwich as much as we do. For other plant-based recipe ideas, have a browse through our vegan recipe collection here, including:

• Vegan Pineapple Stir Fry with Curried Coconut Sauce
• Autumnal Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Dahl
• Green Bean and Chickpea Biryani with Crispy Onions