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Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad

June 19, 2020 by Lauren Waterman Leave a Comment


In need of a quick fix for lunch that’s full of protein and flavor? This chickpea tuna is a healthy vegan twist on an old classic.

Chickpeas are one of the more versatile legumes, starring in various hits like pastas, tacos, hummus, falafel, the list goes on. But don’t forget their lesser known performance in chickpea tuna salad. It’s a cult classic that you should definitely check out if you haven’t already.

PS – for a comprehensive list of all of my recipes that use chickpeas, check out this handy meal planning guide.

Why should you try vegan tuna?

Health Benefits

This salad is a great tuna alternative if following a vegan diet or trying to cut down on mercury in general. It’s recommended to eat no more than two cans of tuna per week due to high mercury levels. Do you know how many cans of chickpeas you’re allowed to eat in a week? The limit does not exist.

Chickpeas have a ton of fiber, which is crucial for so many reasons. Fiber can help reduce and prevent Diabetes, as it helps reduce inflammation of the blood vessels and helps maintain sugars while your’re digesting. It’s also great for reducing bad cholesterol, plus chickpeas also boast lots of calcium, potassium, and protein, so you can feel good about making this healthy swap.


Meal Prep Benefits

I’m such a fan of chickpea tuna since it’s a really easy meal to prepare and stays good for a few days in the fridge. I often double or triple this recipe and then eat it once on a salad, once on a sandwich, and once on a baked potato or bed of quinoa. It has an excellent crunch thanks to the celery and onion, but you can omit if you’re not a fan. Swap in diced cucumber, radish, etc. I always say that recipes are guidelines: they’re flexible, so make this salad your own, especially if you’re planning to eat it for a few different meals this week. Leave me a comment and let me know what worked for you!

This recipe is:

  • vegan

  • gluten free

  • nut free

  • easy

  • kid friendly

Easy Swaps to customize

  • White beans can be used in place of chickpeas if you have them on hand. For instructions on how to cook white beans, check out my link here.

  • Many folks have a hard time digesting chickpeas. Sub in jackfruit, super firm tofu, or seitan if legumes aren’t your thing.

  • Swap out the may for whipped aquafaba, mashed avocado, or even vegan plain yogurt.

  • Toppings: this sandwich would be amazing with sliced avocado, garden fresh tomatoes, julienned carrots, vegan cheese, or even a cream cheese and chive spread.

  • To make a tuna melt, add the chickpea tuna to one slice of bread, and top the other with a slice or two of vegan cheese. Place face up in the toaster oven or conventional oven for about 6 minutes. No toaster oven? No problem. Place the slices in the regular toaster and add the ingredients after, or even grill in a pan like a grilled cheese.

Steps to make chickpea tuna

First, Pick your chickpeas

You can used canned chickpeas or the dried variety for this meal. For more information about how to cook your own chickpeas from the dried variety, you can check out my chickpeas 101 post. Open and drain a can of chickpeas, and then rinse.

Second, Mash and add veggies

Mash in a bowl with a fork, and then add in vegan mayo. Dice celery and onion and add to the bowl. Another optional add in could be 2-3 pickles, some dill or chives. Mix with kelp granules for an authentic ocean flavor, and add salt and pepper to taste. Kelp granules definitely seem like a weird thing to have on hand, but I promise, once you snag a bottle, you’ll be sprinkling that stuff on everything. Turn white bean patties into crab patties in an instant, and make vegan tuna like it’s nobody’s business. These are actually just tiny pieces of dehydrated kelp that are ground really finely. They are a great source of iodine and provide a subtle but noticeable ocean flavor.

Serve

Spread chickpea tuna onto a slice of bread or on a bagel. Add your choice of vegan cheese, or thinly sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, dill, sprouts, etc. There’s really no wrong way to serve chickpea salad, but if you’re looking for other ideas, you’ve come to the right place.


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Ways to eat chickpea tuna salad

There plenty of ways to dress up chickpea tuna salad. Here are a few of my favorites:

You can make a sandwich, like the one here. Change up the toppings to include whatever is handy in your kitchen, and get creative with the bread. I used potato bread that I made in a cast iron skillet, but this would be good on rye, soft farmhouse oatmeal bread, a whole wheat bagel, or a spinach wrap. Sub in some Romaine lettuce boats if you want to skip the carbs.

Why not add it to a healthy green salad? It would be great over a bed of baby spinach with some fresh cherry tomatoes, avocado, olives, and cucumbers.

Eat it on it’s own with crackers, celery sticks, or cucumber slices. This is a perfect meal prep option for a busy work week.

Even opt for a tuna melt if you’re feeling adventurous. Top with capers and olives for a fun twist.

More recipe ideas:


As always, if you make this vegan tuna recipe, tag me on Facebook or Instagram, and let me know how it goes! You can also check out my Pinterest page for more easy weeknight dinner or meal prep inspiration.

If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy some of my other quick dessert and appetizer recipes to match! See some of my favorite recommendations below:

Appetizers:

  • Easy, Gluten Free White Bean Cauliflower Hummus

Desserts:

  • Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Frosting

  • Lemon Poppyseed Loaf with Blood Orange Glaze

Vegan brown butter sage garlic cream fusilli pasta || I’ve been seeing a lot of pasta Sundays going around the Internet lately, so I decided to join in! we spent the day working on house projects and gardening, then finished with some yummy food on the grill, which I will add to my stories now. I’m going to leave you with this 🔥 pasta from earlier in the week that was a total hit in my house. 
Here is an easy dinner that is a sure fire way to get in all of your veggies, and takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. I’ve included the recipe below in case you want to hit save so you have it on hand for later.
1/2 cup onion, diced
6 to 10 clothes of garlic, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil (read below for oil free option)
1 tbsp dried sage
2 tablespoons vegan butter (I used @earthbalance)
1/2 cup red bell peppers, diced finally
3/4 cup baby button mushrooms, have
1/2 cup broccoli, diced finally
1 cup kale, shredded
1/4 cup frozen peas 
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced finally
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup nutritional yeast or vegan mozzarella
🔷 Begin boiling water in large pot. Be sure to add a pinch of salt to the water- this is for flavor and also keeps your pasta from sticking together.
🔷Once water reaches a boil, add pasta. Dice onions, garlic, and sauté with sage over medium heat in a large pan for 5 minutes. If you are oil free, you can sauté in veggie stock or aquafaba. 🔷 Add in butter at this stage, and diced mushrooms and peppers.
🔷 Add and sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, kale, and peas, as well as spices.
🔷When pasta is finished cooking, drain all of the water except for 1/2 cup.
🔷Add 1/2 cup starchy water along with pasta to the large pan with veggies in it. 🔷Add in nutritional yeast or mozzarella at this point and stir until the sauce thickens. 🔷 I topped mine with hot pepper flakes and parsley, but you can also top with more cheese, pinenuts, fresh tomatoes, etc. We also used beyond sausage or protein, but this pasta would be awesome with white beans, chickpeas, or tempeh. Simply cook them in the pot along with all of the veggies to absorb that flavor. Let me know if you try this!

Homemade veggie burgers with red pepper jam and crispy Brussels sprouts || Who doesn’t love a black bean sweet potato burger? These had a great texture and held together perfectly on the grill. I topped them with vegan feta, red onions, collard greens, vegan mayo, and a red pepper jam that I made by boiling down some older looking red peppers, adding a pinch of sugar and @kartago_harissa. ✨I am including the recipe for the burgers below in case anybody would like to click save to have on hand for later.
▫️2 cups roasted sweet potatoes
▫️1 1/4 cup cooked rice
▫️1/2 cup black beans, drained
▫️1 cup roasted cauliflower
▫️1 cup roasted eggplant
▫️1/2 cup peas
▫️1/2 cups corn kernels
▫️1 cup walnuts
▫️1 teaspoon liquid aminos or soy sauce
▫️3/4 teaspoon salt
▫️1/3 teaspoon pepper
▫️1 teaspoon paprika
▫️1 tablespoon flax seeds
▫️1 tablespoon garlic powder
roast the eggplant, cauliflower, chopped sweet potatoes on a baking sheet at 400° for 30 minutes. I used leftover rice from takeout, but you can boil rice and use that if you’d like. Toss all ingredients into a food processor or blender, then form into patties and bake at 350° for 25 minutes in the oven or on the grill. 
For the brussels sprouts the recipe is: ▫️about 15 brussels sprouts cut in half
▫️2 teaspoons olive oil
▫️1/2 teaspoon salt
▫️1/2 teaspoon pepper
▫️1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers
▫️1/4 teaspoon oregano
▫️1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
▫️1 teaspoon onion powder
▫️1 teaspoon brown sugar
Toss in olive oil and spices, then pan crisp or roast in the oven for 20 minutes at 400°.

20 minute healthy sweet potato cookies || Happy Fridaaaaaay!! Eat some cookies y’all, they’re good for you 😘 Link for the #recipea is in the bio.

Sun-dried tomato, cucumber, and chickpea picnic salad || Everyone keeps asking what they should bring to barbecues this summer, and I think this might be your answer. This is a super simple salad to rustle up, doesn’t spoil in the heat, and tastes delicious. I’m including the recipe in case you want to click save to have it on hand next time you’re headed to a cookout. 
2 cups cooked Farro (or rice, orzo, quinoa, couscous, etc.)
2 cups cooked white beans
1 cup artichoke hearts, halved
1/3 cup onion, diced
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
2 cups cucumbers, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup spinach, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
I will have more step-by-step directions up on the blog tomorrow! Does this salad seem like something you would be interested in? What kinds of summer barbecue foods would you like recipes for? Enjoy your grilling!

Homemade sourdough with almond butter, Maca powder, kiwi, strawberry, and hemp seeds || So I think I missed toast Tuesday, but honestly every day is toast Tuesday in my house because I’ve been on a serious sourdough kick. If you check out my website, I have a ton of awesome bread recipes, but no sourdough recipes yet because I’m relatively new to the game. But honestly I’m in love. One of my friends dropped off a sourdough starter during quarantine, and there’s been no looking back since. I topped this toast with some almond butter I had mixed with @shopkarenberrios Maca powder. If you guys aren’t familiar with Maca, it’s a delicious Peruvian super food full of health benefits. It’s rich in antioxidants, and is a great source of protein, minerals, amino acids and is great for energy support, and has a rich nutty flavor.

Skinny sip tea with forget-me-not, hibiscus, Jasmine, rose, rosemary, and lemon|| Are you guys team tea? I remember having tea at my grandma’s house throughout my childhood, iced in the summer and hot in the winter, so it always carries a special memory for me. I love perusing tea shops on vacations and bringing home exotic flavors of loose leaf to remember the trip. @essencesiptea was so kind to let me try their incredible teas. This Skinny Sip tea clears toxins, reduces fluid retention, alleviates indigestion, reduces bloating, and targets existing fats. It uses traditional Chinese medicine principles and balances with natural herbs to nourish and cleanse your digestive system. Plus it is gorgeous to look at, which you know I’m all about. It tastes floral and delicate, and I am in love. If you’d like to try this tea, you can use my code chickpea_and_herb10 for 10% off your first order. #takeasip

Vegan chickpea ‘tuna’ on homemade potato bread, #recipea on the blog now || Such an easy, protein filled lunch, that’s even kid approved! Check the link in my bio to see how to make this meal. We had a great weekend celebrating Father’s Day. We drove to the mountains to visit my family, and saw some of my girlfriends from high school Friday night. We then went on a really great hike with the family on Saturday and did a bunch of grilling, because how else do you please dads? Then yesterday we saw my husband’s family and picked lots of fresh blueberries. Any suggestions for what I should do with them? How were your weekends, what did you do to celebrate?

Grilled apricot and okra kale salad with blackberries || Happy summer solstice! To celebrate, some of my foodie friends and I have gotten together and created some gorgeous summer dishes for you to feast your eyes on. Follow the hashtag #plantbasedsolstice to see more inspired summer meals that really celebrate the season! For this dish, I picked kale fresh from the garden, and then grilled apricots, okra, and corn with the husk on (let me know if you would like a tutorial on this!). I then added fresh blackberries, fresh red onion, vegan ricotta cheese, celery, kale sprouts, and avocado. I topped it with homemade seitan for protein and drizzled the whole thing with a vinaigrette made from olive oil, oat milk, poppyseeds, maple syrup, and garlic. This was such a fresh and fun meal, and I could eat it again and again. What are your favorite summer dishes?

Yield: 2

Author: Lauren Waterman, Chickpea & Herb
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Chickpea Tuna Salad on Potato Bread

Chickpea Tuna Salad on Potato Bread

In need of a quick fix for lunch that’s full of protein and flavor? This chickpea tuna is a healthy vegan twist on an old classic.
Prep time: 10 MCook time: Total time: 10 M

Ingredients:

  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1 tablespoon vegan mayo
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 tbsp red onion, diced
  • 1/2 tsp kelp granules
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper

Instructions:

For the chickpea tuna
  1. Open and drain a can of chickpeas, and then rinse. Read more in the post about how to cook your own chickpeas from the dried variety.
  2. Mash in a bowl with a fork, and then add in vegan mayo.
  3. Dice celery, onion (optional 2-3 pickles), and add to the bowl. 
  4. Mix with kelp granules for an authentic ocean flavor, and add salt and pepper to taste.
For a the sandwich
  1. Spread chickpea tuna onto a slice of bread or on a bagel. Add your choice of vegan cheese, thinly sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, dill, sprouts, etc.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @chickpea_and_herb #recipea
Created using The Recipes Generator

Filed Under: Meals Tagged With: chickpea, chickpea tuna, chickpeas, easy vegan lunch idea, easy vegan meal, healthy lunch, healthy vegan lunch, homemade bread, lunch ide, lunch idea, potato bread, potato bred, salad ideas, sandwich ideas, tuna replacement, tuna salad, tuna substitute, vegan salad, vegan sandwich, vegan tuna, vegan tuna salad, vegan tuna salad sandwich, vegan tuna sandwich

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