This take on tuna salad uses chickpeas for a vegan version! Perfect as a sandwich, in a pita, or on top of crackers! Easy to prep for a simple lunch. This Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad is a great way to incorporate more beans into your diet!
It’s the New Year, and this is the time of year when we’re bombarded with all the ‘New Year, New Me’ talks and discussions. As a dietitian and diabetes educator, I encourage you to make whatever goals/resolutions you decide will improve your health—not something that will stress you out! Might I make one suggestion? Incorporate beans/legumes any way you can! Enter this Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad!
Beans are an excellent addition to your diet because of their nutrient profile and the list of health benefits research shows they provide! Beans/Legumes are a great source of plant-based protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. While beans/legumes do also contain carbohydrates, because they also contain protein and fiber, they’re shown to help stabilize blood sugar levels. They can/should be incorporated in people with diabetes. Not to mention that beans are affordable, sustainable, and versatile. Have I convinced you yet to incorporate beans into your eating pattern?
Ingredients: Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad
- Chickpeas: Whether you’re making yours homemade or buying store-bought, aim for low-sodium and/or no-added salt chickpeas for this recipe. You can decide not to add salt if this is not an area you’re looking for for a health condition.
- Celery: I kept the chickpea ‘tuna’ salad simple and added only diced celery for added crunch. Feel free to add diced red onion; however, raw onion is not my jam (and always makes me burp!).
- Mayonnaise: Many recipes will even use vegan mayonnaise here, so if you want the dish to be completely vegan, do so. You can also do half mayonnaise and half Greek yogurt if you wish. I cut back by a tablespoon in total and added mustard for creaminess instead. This is just a quick guide, but feel free to adjust as you like!
- Mustard: As mentioned, added for some creaminess and a tad less fat. However, you will not notice the flavor/tanginess/color in the mix. Promise!
- Black Pepper: I only used black pepper for seasoning here. Feel free to add a pinch of salt if you like. Adding herbs like parsley and dill would be nice as well. Again, this is a basic chickpea ‘tuna’ salad. Soon to come: a Mediterranean version!
How To Make Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad
It really doesn’t get any easier than mashing the chickpeas, adding everything together, and voila, Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad.
- Mash: Roughly mash the chickpeas. Use a fork and/or a potato masher and mash just about 3/4 of the chickpeas. By mashing, you allow the salad to stick together. You could use a food processor to mash the beans; however, I find that it makes them into mush too quickly and is another dish to wash. The name of the game is to keep it simple.
- Next, add the celery, onion (if using), mayonnaise, mustard, and black pepper. Stir well to combine. Adjust seasoning as desired.
- Serve on toasted bread for a sandwich, on top of crackers for a quick appetizer, or simply eat with a spoon!
Serving Suggestions
This Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad is versatile and can be served as you would a regular tuna salad. Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve:
- Sandwich: This is a perfect sandwich filler (like tuna). Remember, this is a way to add more beans to your eating pattern. It does not mean you’re not able to enjoy tuna, too! As in any sandwich, select a nice hearty bread, lettuce, tomato, and you’re good to go!
- Salad: Serve with leafy greens and you’ve got yourself a salad!
- Wraps: Add to a tortilla and/or wrap, tuck into pita, or even make a lettuce wrap!
- Crackers: This makes a great quick appetizer if you’re throwing together a party (or even just enjoying yourself). Make sure to serve the Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad separately from the crackers; otherwise, the crackers will get soggy!
Other Bean Recipes
- Simple Lentil Salad
- Marinated Chickpeas
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Black Bean Tacos
- Vegetarian Chili
Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad
This take on tuna salad uses chickpeas for a vegan version! Perfect as a sandwich, in a pita, or on top of crackers! Easy to prep for a simple lunch. This Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad is a great way to incorporate more beans into your diet!
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
Ingredients
- 1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, low-sodium and/or no-added salt, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup celery (2 small stalks of celery), diced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional add-ins: 1 tablespoon chia seeds, diced red onion, sprigs of dill
Instructions
-
- Mash: Roughly mash the chickpeas. Use a fork and/or a potato masher and mash just about 3/4 of the chickpeas. By mashing, you allow the salad to stick together. You could use a food processor to mash the beans; however, I find that it makes them into mush too quickly and is another dish to wash. The name of the game is to keep it simple.
- Next, add the celery, onion (if using), mayonnaise, mustard, and black pepper. Stir well to combine. Adjust seasoning as desired.
- Serve on toasted bread for a sandwich, on top of crackers for a quick appetizer, or eat with a spoon!
- Prep Time: 5
3 thoughts on “Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad”
Love adding more beans to our dishes each week. I might mix tuna with the chickpeas! I’ll let you know how it goes!
I love this easy recipe. I have done my version without the mayo and just added olive oil with some spices. I nice slice of avocado adds to the creaminess. Delicious. I just had a thought, add some nori aka seaweed for a “fishy” taste. Endless possibilities. Thanks.
Endless possibilities is right! Adding my ‘Mediterranean’ version in the next few weeks: olive oil, marinated artichokes, black olives, roasted red pepper! Love the Nori addition for a ‘tuna’ like taste! Thanks for stopping by!