We are always looking for more ways to include beans into our diet and this Chickpea Tuna Salad is such an easy way to do that. It takes less than 10 minutes and is as simple as mixing everything together in a bowl. A really vibrant and colorful salad that is so easy to adapt.
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We are on a big bean kick at the moment! They are a great source of fiber and protein, and really budget friendly too.
We usually use chickpeas for making hummus or bulking out stews, but they are such an easy addition to a salad and this chickpea and tuna salad is bursting with flavor. Tuna and chickpeas are both such cupboard staples and this is our favorite way to use them.
The best thing about this tuna salad with chickpeas is that it is perfect for meal prep. I make a batch on Sunday night and then it will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. Add it to salads, pasta, sandwiches - healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated or take a lot of time.
Looking for more chickpea recipes? Take a look at our easy 10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry, comforting Moroccan Chickpea Stew, or our simple Roasted Chickpeas.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) - A can of chickpeas is such a staple in our kitchen. You can use dried chickpeas and cook them yourself, but using canned makes this chickpea tuna salad so much quicker. Make sure to rinse the chickpeas after draining.
- Tuna - We always use tuna in spring water, to keep it lower in calories. But, you can use tuna in oil if you prefer.
- Celery - Such an easy way to add crunch. If you really don't like it, you can leave it out.
- Red onion - I know some people can't eat raw onion, so you can cook it first if you prefer. Soaking it in water can help too. You can swap the red onion for shallots, but we love the pop of color from red onion.
- Cucumber - An English cucumber. For extra flavor, why not use our Easy Pickled Cucumbers?
- Capers - Adds a lovely salty flavor to the tuna chickpea salad.
- Tomatoes - We used cherry tomatoes, but for a more intense tomato flavor your could use sun-dried tomatoes.
- Parsley - This herb goes really well with tuna. But, you could swap it for fresh dill or chives too. Always use fresh.
- Olives - I know this will divide people, but it's such a great way to add a lot of flavor. We used Kalamata olives, but any will work. Stuffed garlic olives are a good swap.
- Yogurt - This is the base of the dressing. This chickpea salad doesn't have a lot of sauce to it, but the Greek yogurt adds a little creaminess and extra protein. You could swap this for mayo if you prefer.
- Oil - Use a really good quality olive oil.
- Lemon - You may need to use more or less depending on how juicy your lemon is. Use some lemon zest if you want extra lemon flavor.
- Mustard - We used Dijon, but you could use wholegrain.
- Salt and pepper - Generously season and adjust to taste.
- Garlic - Make sure it is very finely crushed or grated, so it mixes in with the sauce.
- Feta cheese - This is optional, but it's nice crumbled on top before serving.
Variations
As with most types of salads, this chickpea tuna salad recipe is so easy to adapt. Whatever your favorite salads ingredients are - throw them in! You really can't get this wrong, even with the amounts.
Some other ingredients that we love to add to this chickpea tuna salad are:
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Bell pepper
- Fresh chilies
- Lettuce
- Roasted vegetables
You can also adapt the dressing that is used. Why not try our Lemon Vinaigrette, Honey and Mustard Dressing or Tahini Dressing?
How To Make a Chickpea Tuna Salad
- Step 1: In a large mixing bowl add the tuna, chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, celery, onion, capers, olives and parsley.
- Step 2: In a small mixing bowl, add the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.
Mix well to combine.
- Step 3: Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss well to coat everything.
- Step 4: Transfer to serving bowls and top with the feta.
Serving Suggestions
We love this tuna chickpea salad on a Picky Plate or on any kind of salad plate. You can also just scoop it up with our Homemade Crackers.
It's also great to serve up at a BBQ alongside our Marinated Chicken Skewers or Vegetable and Halloumi Kebabs.
There is also no reason why you can't stuff this high protein chickpea salad into a sandwich as the filling - it's great in wraps, flatbreads and pita too. You could always mash it all up to make it a bit easier to put in it.
Dannii's Top Tips
- To make this high protein chickpea tuna salad even quicker, you could use a vegetable chopper to chop everything up.
- The leftovers might lose a bit of flavor over time, but you can just add a squeeze of lemon juice to it all and some extra fresh herbs and it really brings it all back to life.
- We like leftovers in a pita with some cooked halloumi.
- You can peel off the "skin" from each chickpea if you prefer, but we don't mind leaving them on.
Frequently Asked Questions
This keeps really well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Just give it a good mix before serving it up. If you are going to add lettuce to it, do it before serving as it will wilt if left in this mixture too long.
No, we wouldn't recommend freezing this as it would be too watery after being defrosted.
Yes, you can. Soak 1½ cups of dry chickpeas in water overnight. Then you can boil them in fresh water until they're soft.
More Tuna Recipes
If you've tried this Tuna Chickpea Salad, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Chickpea Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 240 g (1.5 cups) of Chickpeas - canned; drained weight
- 102 g (3.6 oz) of Tuna - canned, drained weight
- 1 rib of Celery - diced
- 0.5 Red onion - diced
- 0.25 Cucumber - diced
- 1 tablespoon of Capers
- 8 Cherry tomatoes - quartered
- 8 Kalamata olives - halved
- 5 g (0.25 cups) of Fresh parsley - finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon of 0% Fat Free Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil - extra virgin
- 0.5 Lemon - juice only
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- 2 pinch of Sea salt
- 2 pinch of Ground black pepper
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 15 g (0.5 oz) of Feta - crumbled
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl add the tuna, chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, celery, onion, capers, olives and parsley.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and mix well to coat everything.
- Transfer to serving bowls and top with the feta.
Recipe Tips
- To make this high protein chickpea tuna salad even quicker, you could use a vegetable chopper to chop everything up.
- The leftovers might lose a bit of flavor over time, but you can just add a squeeze of lemon juice to it all and some extra fresh herbs and it really brings it all back to life.
- We like leftovers in a pita with some cooked halloumi.
- You can peel off the "skin" from each chickpea if you prefer, but we don't mind leaving them on.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Sam says
Made this to prep for lunches this week. I am not a fan of olives or celery so I just omitted those two things. Tastes great! Very refreshing.