This Vegan Roasted Vegetable Focaccia Sandwich is packed with caramelised roasted vegetables and zesty crushed chickpeas, on soft focaccia bread. It's perfect for lunch and picnics! Get the recipe below.
Looking for a hearty and flavour-packed vegan sandwich? This Vegan Roasted Vegetable and Chickpea Focaccia Sandwich is layered with sweet roasted vegetables and a delicious crushed chickpea filling for a satisfying plant-based meal that's perfect for lunch, picnics, or meal prep.
Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and creates irresistible caramelised edges. Combined with fluffy focaccia and a bright, lemony chickpea filling, this sandwich is bursting with Mediterranean-inspired flavours and textures.
What makes this vegan focaccia sandwich truly special is the zesty crushed chickpea mixture. Instead of simply adding hummus, lightly smashing the chickpeas with lemon, fresh herbs, and capers creates a chunky, flavourful filling that adds both texture and protein.
You can make this sandwich with store bought focaccia but if you want to take things to the next level, why not try one of my delicious focaccia recipes:
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Ingredients
Get your shopping list at the ready. It may seem like a lot of ingredients for a simple sandwich but I promise you each ingredient is worth it!
For the roasted vegetables
- Cherry tomatoes
- Orange pepper
- Aubergine
- Courgette
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
For the zesty crushed chickpeas
- Chickpeas
- Unsweetend vegan yogurt
- Lemon
- Capers
- Parsley
- Dijon mustard
- Salt
To assemble
- A focaccia loaf of your choosing
- Basil leaves
- Balsmic glaze
Step-by-step instructions
There are just 4 simple steps between you and this sandwich.
- Step 1: slice the vegetables and roast for 30 minutes until soft and caramelised
- Step 2: mash the chickpeas and combine with the yogurt, lemon, capers, parsley and salt
- Step 3: toast the sliced focaccia in a dry pan
- Step 4: spread the chickpea filling on the bottom slice of bread, top with the roasted vegetables followed by the basil leaves and a drizzle of balsamic glaze
Hint: Be sure to leave some texture when crushing the chickpeas. Over-mashing can make the filling dense and heavy, whereas a chunky texture creates a more satisfying sandwich!
Substitutions
Need to tweak some of the ingredients due to availability? Don't worry, I've got you covered! You can make the following substitutions in this recipe:
- Chickpeas: Swap chickpeas for butter beans or cannellini beans.
- Yogurt: Replace vegan yogurt for vegan mayonnaise.
- Leaves: Use spinach, watercress, or mixed leaves instead of basil.
- Bread: Use ciabatta or sourdough if focaccia isn't available.
Variations
You could make the following additions to the recipe for a slightly different flavour profile:
- Peppery: add rocket to the sandwich for an extra peppery note.
- Protein: add slices of grilled tofu or tempeh for extra protein.
- Antipasti: add grilled artichokes in oil or olives for more flavour.
Storage
You can store the roasted vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
The crushed chickpea filling can be stored separately in the fridge for up to 3 days.
For the best texture, I recommend assembling the sandwich just before serving.
Frequently asked questions
This sandwich is delicious warm or cold, making it ideal for packed lunches and picnics as well as being served with the vegetables fresh out of the oven.
Traditional focaccia is usually vegan, but always check labels as some shop-bought varieties may contain milk or honey. All of the focaccia recipes on my blog are suitable for a vegan diet so why not make your own?
The recipe
Roasted Vegetable and Chickpea Focaccia Sandwich
Equipment
- large baking tray
- Sharp knife
- chopping board
- Mixing bowl
- fork
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 10 cherry tomatoes sliced
- 1 orange pepper sliced
- 1 courgette sliced
- 1 aubergine sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 235 ting chickpeas drained weight from a 400g tin
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened vegan yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon capers chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 focaccia loaf
- basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C / 425F / gas mark 7.
- Arrange the peppers, courgette, aubergine and cherry tomatoes on a large baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 30-35 minutes, turning halfway through, until tender and caramelised.
- Place the chickpeas in a bowl and lightly mash them with a fork, leaving plenty of texture. Stir in the vegan yogurt, lemon juice, capers, parsley, Dijon mustard, and season to taste.
- Slice the focaccia horizontally and lightly toast the cut sides under the grill or in a dry frying pan for 2-3 minutes.
- Spread the crushed chickpea mixture generously over the bottom half of the focaccia.
- Top with the roasted vegetables.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze and scatter over fresh basil leaves, if using.
- Place the top half of the focaccia on top, press gently, then slice and serve.
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