Barbecue Chickpea Sandwiches

Hello, Summertime!  Boy, am I glad to see you again.  Now that you're here, you have me craving grilled and barbecued food.  Or at a minimum, food with good barbecue sauce.  I know I'm not the only one, lots of people love barbecue sauce.

I know this because my second most viewed/googled post of all time is for Vegetarian BBQ Pulled "Pork" Sandwiches, which is kind of embarrassing since there's not even a recipe in that post - just sauce and canned mock duck.  (If you were wondering, my #1 most viewed post is for Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos, which makes me nauseous to even think about since I ate this right before the flu bug that I and several others contracted at a New Year's Eve party manifested itself.)

If you like barbecue sauce and sandwiches as much as I do, you'll love this idea for a very healthy, animal-free, and lightning FAST bbq sandwich.  In the time it takes you to open a can or a jar, you'll have your sandwich guts ready.  Don't skip the onion or pickles, they add a great acidity and crunch to the mix that helps keep the sandwich from becoming just a mushy bbq-flavored hummus.

How many picnics have you had so far this year?  I hope at least one!  My goal is to have lots of picnics this summer - there's nothing better than sharing a portable meal on a carpet of soft green grass (or a sandy beach, or sturdy park bench), a bright blue sky overhead, and a bottle of chilled wine in your cooler.  These sandwiches would be a great picnic food with a crunchy slaw or kale salad, watermelon, and some chocolate or ice cream for dessert.

Barbecue Chickpea Sandwiches
Serves 2

1 can or pint chickpeas, drained
1/4 medium red onion (or 1 shallot), diced fine
2 Tbsp pickled jalapenos (or pickles), diced fine
1/2 - 3/4 cup barbecue sauce (homemade, or a store bought if you can find one without high fructose corn syrup - it's not easy)
4 slices good bread
several slices leaf lettuce
cheese, optional

Using a fork or potato masher, smash your chickpeas.  Leave some texture so it's not too hummussy.  Mix in your onion, pickled jalapenos, and barbecue sauce.  It should be a good sandwich consistency so start with 1/2 cup sauce and add more if needed.

Scoop the bbq chickpea mixture onto slices of bread and top with lettuce and cheese (optional).

ONE YEAR AGO:  Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
TWO YEARS AGO:  Mini Frittatas
THREE YEARS AGO:  Green Bean Tuna Salad