Smashed Chickpea Sandwich

Am I right that cleaning kitchen appliances is the worst thing about cooking? Especially the food processor and blender which have so many parts where little pieces of food can get stuck requiring you to scrub, rinse, scrub, rinse, repeat until finally clean.

Let's say you were craving the taste of hummus but didn't want the extra effort of cleaning your food processor. Then a smashed chickpea sammy is perfect for you! Totally adaptable like hummus itself to whichever flavors you are in the mood for, but only necessitating a fork and bowl to prep. This time I used some fresh veggies, a little bit of lemon juice and thyme. This little sandwich is great for lunch or even as a light summer dinner. Try it out (and let me know what other flavors you come up with!).

Smashed Chickpea Sandwich (inspired by Smitten Kitchen)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chickpeas (cooked, rinsed if from can)
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup finely diced cucumbers
1 tbsp minced red onion
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste
hamburger bun, toasted
2 green leaf lettuce leaves

Directions:
Mix the chickpeas, carrots, cucumbers, onion, lemon juice and thyme in a bowl. Use a potato masher or fork to smash everything together. Add the olive oil and mix to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Serve atop toasted hamburger buns with lettuce leaves. Open face is the way to go!