I never like to spend a lot of time preparing lunch, which can make it difficult to come up with something. Not only is this easy to throw together, but it makes plenty for a few lunches. The recipe is adapted from 1000 Vegan Recipes. If you’re not a fan of garbanzo beans, I suggest trying white beans instead. I also added chopped cashews, but sunflower seeds, chopped almonds, or pepitas would also be great. Cucumber can be subbed in for the celery as well and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast wouldn’t hurt either. Miss the omegas? Toss in some flax seeds! The recipe calls for 1 tsp of kelp powder and of course, the only amount I could buy was a pound. A pound of kelp powder?! Sure! I put that on . . . and . . .What do you use kelp powder for? (besides mock tuna salads)? Well first of all, it helps to know that kelp powder is loaded with health benefits. According to Livestrong.com it helps lower LDL cholesterol, lowers breast cancer risk, lowers blood sugar, and is a great source of iodine. After some research, I found it’s great to throw it in your smoothie, sprinkle it on your veggie sushi rice, add it to bread dough, and even use it as a seasoning—in place of salt. What do you use kelp powder for?
INGREDIENTS:
2 cans garbanzo or white beans
2 stalks celery or 1/2 C cucumber, chopped small
1/4 C minced onion
1/2 C cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, or pepitas, chopped
1 Tbs nutritional yeast
1 tsp capers, drained and chopped
1/2 C Vegenaise (or other vegan mayo)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp kelp powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Lettuce leaves
Tomato slices
8 slices of bread
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, coarsely mash the beans, or chopped them up on a cutting board. Add the celery (or cucumber), onions, nuts, capers, mayo, lemon juice, mustard, nutritional yeast, and kelp powder. Season with salt and pepper if you’d like. Combine thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve on bread with the lettuce and tomato and enjoy!
- 2 cans garbanzo or white beans
- 2 stalks celery or ½ C cucumber, chopped small
- ¼ C minced onion
- ½ C cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, or pepitas, chopped
- 1 Tbs nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp capers, drained and chopped
- ½ C Vegenaise (or other vegan mayo)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp kelp powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Lettuce leaves
- Tomato slices
- 8 slices of bread
- In a medium bowl, coarsely mash the beans, or chopped them up on a cutting board.
- Add the celery (or cucumber), onions, nuts, capers, mayo, lemon juice, mustard, nutritional yeast, and kelp powder. Season with salt and pepper if you'd like. Combine thoroughly.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Serve on bread with the lettuce and tomato and enjoy!