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–+ servings
close-up of chopped Italian salad sandwich in a pita
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5 from 4 votes

Chopped Italian Sandwich

You have got to try this fresh and crunchy chopped Italian sandwich with zesty red wine vinaigrette! It’s a super versatile lunch packed with fresh veggies and herbs.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 minutes
Total Time17 minutes
Course: lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: chopped italian sandwich
Servings: 3
Author: Vegan Richa

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Italian Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons oil-packed sun-dried tomato drained and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1.5 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 or 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt or vegan mayo or other creamy additions to make this dressing creamy.

For the Salad

  • 4 ounces romaine lettuce
  • 1 medium cucumber partly peeled , edges chopped off
  • 1/4 red onion or about 1/4 cup chopped
  • 1/2 rib celery
  • 1/3 cup red bell pepper
  • 1/4 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 4 ounces firm or extra firm tofu , drained
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas canned or homemade, drained
  • 1/4 cup vegan Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil or other fresh Italian herbs for garnish
  • 2 pita pockets or bread of choice or use lettuce wraps
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Mix all of the Italian dressing ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
  • There are two ways to make the salad part of this Italian sandwich. The first method: pile the lettuce, cucumber, onion, celery, and bell pepper onto the cutting board, and chop all of them up really well. Then, add in the tofu, chickpeas, cheese, and tomatoes and continue chopping to chop some of the chickpeas and chop the tofu into chunky pieces. Add all of this to the bowl with the dressing, and toss well to coat. Taste and adjust the flavor, adding more salt, non-dairy yogurt, or seasonings, if needed. You can also add in a little bit of lemon zest, if you'd like, for an extra tangy salad. Then, garnish with fresh herbs and stuff into warm pita bread, between two bread slices, or serve it in lettuce wraps.
  • The second method: Chop each of the veggies separately into even pieces and add to the bowl with the dressing. Crumble in the tofu and add the whole chickpeas to the dressing bowl, then toss well so everything is well coated in the dressing. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.

Video

Notes

This recipe is gluten-free and nut-free.
For soy-free, omit the tofu and use more chickpeas instead. Also make sure that the non-dairy yogurt and vegan Parmesan are soy-free and/or nut-free, if needed.
Nutritional information is calculated without using pita bread.
This recipe is very flexible. Use other beans and veggies, if you like, instead of chickpeas, and you can use beans , chickpea tofu ,cooked vegan chicken instead of tofu

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 541mg | Potassium: 725mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 4345IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 3mg