Greek Chickpea Tuna Salad with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, garlic, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh dill, and more! A light and refreshing plant-based lunch!
While I’m a big fan of meat, I do love a light meatless meal from time to time that is full of plant-based protein, and your girl loves herself some chickpeas.
Enter: chickpea tuna salad.
Is there actual tuna involved? No. We simply combine chickpeas with some classic tuna salad ingredients in order to make a vegetarian friendly version.
Fresh ingredients like cucumber, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest, kalamata olives, fresh dill (and more) bring huge flavor to this healthy meal.
Ready in 10 minutes with no cooking involved, this easy recipe is the ideal lunch for the busy workweek.
Tuna Salad Ingredients:
Canned Garbanzo Beans: Also known as chickpeas. This star of the show takes the place of canned tuna and makes an amazing plant-based protein salad.
Mayonnaise: Mayo brings richness, creamy consistency, and helps tie all of the ingredients together.
Cucumber: Adds a burst of cooling juiciness!
Cherry Tomatoes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes: We’re hitting tomatoes from both angles! They bring a sweet, juicy, tangy flavor.
Kalamata Olives: This briny ingredient brings a great deal of richness and umami flavor. Swap them for any kind of olives.
Red Onion and Fresh Garlic: Onion and garlic add huge flavor and subtle heat to round out the flavor profile. Use green onion if you find red onion too spicy.
Fresh Herbs: Pick your favorite fresh herbs and add them in! Fresh dill, chives, fresh basil, or fresh parsley are all great additions.
Dijon Mustard: More tangy, zippy flavor to enhance the experience.
Lemon Zest: A little burst of vibrant citrus goes a long way in contributing deliciousness.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the salad to taste using salt and pepper.
Recipe Customizations:
- If you’re using garbanzo beans that have been cooked from dry beans, use 1 ⅔ cups.
- Use vegan mayo for vegan tuna salad.
- Swap the mayonnaise for one large ripe avocado. Either mash it or dice it and mix it in.
- Toss in red pepper flakes or hot sauce for a little spice.
- Add celery, red bell pepper, or any other fresh vegetables you like.
- Swap the cucumber for 2 tablespoons of dill pickle relish.
- Toss in some feta cheese for extra briny flavor.
How to Make Chickpea Tuna Salad:
Drain the can of chickpeas into a colander and rinse them well.
Transfer the chickpeas to a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher to your desired consistency. I like leaving mine fairly chunky.
Add in the rest of the ingredients for the salad and mix well to combine.
Taste the salad for flavor and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add in anything else you think it needs, such as more lemon zest (or lemon juice), more mayo, etc.
Serve and enjoy!
Store leftover chickpea tuna salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Ways to Serve:
- Leave it: Enjoy it as is!
- Tuna Sandwiches: Load up slices of bread to make a sandwich. I like eating it on toasted bread. Make tuna melts by toasting sourdough bread with your favorite cheese and loading the mashed chickpeas on top.
- Tuna Wraps: Stuff it in a flour tortilla with chopped romaine lettuce to make a wrap.
- Green Salad: Scoop it on top of a green salad full of other goodies. I like spring greens, avocado, carrots, sunflower seeds, and balsamic vinaigrette.
- Lettuce Wraps: Make lettuce wraps by dolloping this vegan chickpea tuna salad on top of butter lettuce for a light lunch.
- Dip it: Serve as dip with pita chips!
The next time you’re looking for a great meal prep recipe for work lunches, let this easy chickpea salad be your guiding light!
You’ll love the cooling nature of it, the fact that it requires little time or effort to prepare, and the big flavors.
If you love summer salad recipes like this, also try these reader favorites.
More Healthy Salad Recipes:
- Edamame Salad
- Cucumber Dill Salmon Avocado Salad
- Black Bean Salad
- Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
- Mediterranean Green Bean Salad
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad
An easy lunch worth putting on repeat!
Greek Chickpea Tuna Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise*
- 1/2 cup cucumber peeled and finely chopped**
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes finely chopped
- 1/2 cup julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives pitted and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chives fresh dill, or parsley
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp fresh lemon zest
- ¼ tsp sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Drain the can of chickpeas into a colander and rinse them well.
- Transfer the chickpeas to a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher to your desired consistency. I like leaving mine fairly chunky.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients for the salad and mix well to combine. Taste the salad for flavor and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add in anything else you think it needs, such as more lemon zest (or lemon juice), more mayo, etc.
- Serve as is, on top of a green salad, in sandwiches or wraps, etc.
- Store leftover chickpea tuna salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Just be sure to pulse the ingredients rather than blending them, as the garbanzo beans will turn into hummus.
Swap the mayo for Greek yogurt, one mashed avocado, vegan mayonnaise, or a drizzle of olive oil.
This easy chickpea tuna salad serves 2 very hungry individuals, or 3 individuals if you include something else such as bread or a side dish. Double the recipe and use two cans of chickpeas if you intend to make more than 3 servings.
Any kind of beans work great in this chickpea tuna salad recipe. Cannellini beans (or white beans) are the closest replacement for color, but black beans work too.
I saw no mention of tuna in the recipe…..how much…..what kind???
Hi Rolf! I address this at the beginning of the post 🙂
Sorry if I had read thru the recipe, I would have been aware that the chick peas are replacing the tuna. My bad
The ingredients do not include tuna, water or oil. One or two cans ?
Hi Cindy! I mention this in the beginning of the post, but there is no tuna involved. I know, it’s a bit confusing – the purpose of the chickpea version is to make a plant-based mock tuna for those who don’t eat meat or are looking for a meatless meal. That said, this recipe https://www.theroastedroot.net/mediterranean-salmon-salad/ (you can use tuna instead of canned salmon) or this recipe https://www.theroastedroot.net/3-ingredient-mayo-free-avocado-tuna-salad/ might be of interest to you if you’re looking to stick with tuna. Happy cooking!
Thank again sorry