Superfoods that are popular are often high in carbs, even if they are healthy and…
chickpea pan bagnat
When I was in high school and we were finally allowed to go off-grounds for lunch, we often went to a local deli where my friends would get various sandwiches with turkey, salami, ham, or all of the above, plus, lettuce, tomato, onions, vinegar and oil and I, a vegetarian in a place baffled by this, would get a the same but with cheese instead. I have thought about this sandwich and what it did well — salt, pepper, vinegar, oil, crunch — and what it did poorly — a stack of tasteless sliced deli cheese as filler — for way too long in the years (and decades, sigh) since because I still love a sandwich full of vegetables, but find most vegetable sandwiches very disappointing, either heavy with cheese (and I love cheese, but not, like, an inch of it) or overcooked, under-seasoned vegetables. Why not avocado and crispy kale? Why not hummus, marinated cucumbers and carrots? Why not… make it for yourself, Deb? Which brings us, as ever, back here today.
The pan bagnat is a sandwich that is a specialty of Nice, France. The sandwich is composed of pain de campagne, a round whole wheat bread, and the filling is modeled after a classic salade niçoise. Here is where I’m supposed to tell you what’s in a classic niçoise, but I cannot because I fell in a deep Google rabbit hole and came out, hours later, still unsure because it turns out there’s a lot of argument. Tuna? Not a given; just anchovies were in the original, apparently. Potatoes? Not traditional! Green beans? Truly only sometimes! Cucumber, apparently unacceptable. Soon comments will appear below from people who have had authentic niçoise salads with all of these things and telling me I really know nothing and it’s true! I only know that it’s a beautiful day outside and I want to focus on getting us out there, and the picnic sandwich we’ll take with us.
Here, I play off the idea of a niçoise salad filling, but with vegetarian swaps because I love a hearty sandwich full of vegetables now as much as I did in my teens. For anchovies, I use capers. For tuna, I use fork crushed, well-seasoned chickpeas, similar to what we use in my smashed chickpea salad. I keep the hard-boiled eggs but you can skip them to make it vegan. I could not get pain de campagne, so I used a baguette, but a ciabatta, which is flatter, would have been even better. I know capers, olives, and raw red onion are divisive and that’s okay, I want you to make this sandwich exactly the way you’d love it most. Do you have basil leaves? Add them if you love them. What is essential, however, is that every layer is well-seasoned and that you are not ungenerous with the olive oil. Bagnat literally means “wet,” referring to soaked bread, catching all of the deliciousness running off the ingredients. I can’t wait to see your spins on this; I hope you get to go beautiful places together this holiday weekend.
Previously
6 months ago: Corn Pudding and Sour Cream and Chive Fantails
1 year ago: Any-Kind-Of-Fruit Galette
2 years ago: Potato Vareniki
3 years ago: Ruffled Milk Pie
4 years ago: Tall Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes and Potatoes Anna
5 years ago: Failproof Crepes + A Crepe Party, Crispy Tortellini with Peas and Proscuitto, Confetti Cookies and Roasted Carrots with Avocado and Yogurt
6 years ago: Not Derby Pie Bars, Liege Waffles and Mushrooms and Greens with Toast
7 years ago: Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Bars and Soft Pretzel Buns and Knots
8 years ago: Japanese Cabbage and Vegetable Pancakes
9 years ago: Warm, Crisp and a Little Melty Salad Croutons and Chocolate Buckwheat Cake
10 years ago: Creme Brulee French Toasts, Leek Toasts with Blue Cheese, Vermontucky Lemonade, and Easy Jam Tart
11 years ago: Endive and Celery Salad with Fennel Vinaigrette, Rhubarb Cobbler, and Broccol Slaw
12 years ago: Brownie Roll-Out Cookies, Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad
13 years ago: Martha’s Macaroni-and-Cheese and Crispy Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies and Cherry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake
14 years ago: Raspberry-Topped Lemon Muffins
Chickpea Pan Bagnat
This is my go-to method for hard-boiled eggs. All ingredients should be adjusted to your preferences. Instead of cucumber, you might use red pepper, thinly sliced fennel, artichoke hearts, or another vegetable for crunch. Instead of capers or olives, you might chop some cornichons or other pickles. If you’d like, toss the sliced onion with 2 tablespoons of vinegar, a pinch of sugar and salt and let them marinate/gently pickle for 10 to 20 minutes (or longer, if you have the time) before putting them on the sandwich. Try to hit most of the layers with some salt and pepper; you’ll be glad you did when you bit into the perfectly seasoned sandwich your picnic deserves.
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Zest and juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pepper flakes, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 8-inch ciabatta rolls, baguettes, or 1 round pan de champagne
- Olive oil
- 1/2 small red or white onion, very thinly sliced
- Red wine vinegar
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 to 2 tablespoons capers, drained, chopped if they’re large
- 1/4 cup thinly black olives, Niçoise or oil-cured, pitted or unpitted
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 to 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
- A few basil leaves (optional)
Chickpeas
Assembly
Very lightly smash the chickpea mixture with the back of a fork or a potato masher. You’re not looking for a hummus-like puree but something closer to a coarse chop with a few smaller bits to hold it together. Add olive oil, lemon zest, juice, and parsley and mix. Season well with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Taste and make sure it tastes as good as it should be.
Split your rolls or bread in half and drizzle both sides generously with olive oil. Spoon the smashed chickpeas on the bottom half first, then the onion, and a little drizzle of vinegar. Add eggs, if using, and season this layer with salt and pepper. Add the capers, olives, and cucumber. Add another gentle drizzle of olive oil and smaller dribble of vinegar, if you wish. Finish with the tomatoes and more salt and pepper on top, then basil, if you’re using it.
Close the sandwich(es) and wrap them in foil. Set a few of your heaviest pans or books on top for 10 minutes — this encourages the ingredients to mingle together and flattens the sandwich enough to ensure that you do not need to unhinge your jaw like a snake to take a bite. Eat right away, or keep wrapped sandwiches in the fridge, a cooler, or picnic basket until needed. I hope it’s soon.
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