Chickpea Tuna Salad – FeelGoodFoodie

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This chickpea and tuna salad is a great alternative to the traditional one, substituting chickpea puree for the tuna for a vegetarian recipe that’s high in protein, fiber, and easy to make. Just 10 minutes for a quick easy lunch full of crisp fresh veggies so great when you’re looking for a healthy option or a change of pace. Serve like tuna or chicken salad on corn salad, sliced ​​bread or in a wrap.

If you loved my turkey salad or chicken salad recipes, this twist on chickpeas is a surprising substitute with its heartiness and big flavor. The chickpeas have amazing texture and flavor, and the Greek yogurt imparts a creamy texture and delicious flavor. It gets even creamier with a few tablespoons of aquafaba, the liquid from the chickpeas. Pair these with crispy onions, crisp celery and refreshing dill, you’ll find this matches my other cold salad recipes in texture and flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Vegetarian Tuna Salad

• It’s a tasty alternative. This chickpea salad has the same delicious ingredients as its predecessor, the tuna salad. We love a good tuna salad recipe, and this chickpea version holds up a delicious bite with the creamy dressing and spicy, crunchy onions and crunchy celery.
• Healthy, beneficial ingredients. It’s high in protein and fiber to keep you full and energized throughout the day.
• Really great texture mimicking tuna. Because we puree the chickpeas to a chunky consistency and mix them with similar ingredients, it resembles the texture of tuna salad.
• So good for lunch. There are so many ways to serve this creamy vegetarian chickpea salad. Serve on homemade bread, lettuce, in a wrap, on top of a salad, or with fries or pita for dipping. Plus, it only takes 10 minutes to prepare!

Ingredients for Chickpea Tuna Salad

• Chickpeas: I like to use canned low-sodium chickpeas so we can work some of the liquid (aquafaba) into the salad and not add a lot more salt to the recipe. If you have time, dry-cook the chickpeas and reserve some soaking liquid before draining.
• Yogurt: I use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise as a more nutritious alternative with a fantastically tangy taste, it’s super creamy and offers some really great health benefits with probiotics and protein.
• Onions & Celery: The best thing about cold salads is the crunchiness of the veggies on top of the creamy base and soft chickpea puree. Shallots are my favorite with a neutral onion flavor, but any onion will work depending on what you have on hand.
• Tahini: This sesame butter combined with the yogurt acts as an emulsifier and substitute for mayonnaise. It has a deep earthy flavor that enhances the dressing and is so flavorful when paired with the lemon and mustard.
• Aroma: Lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and fresh dill enhance the flavor of this chickpea salad. You can swap out the citrus for lime, use any herb you like, and even swap out the mustard for a slightly different flavor.
• To serve: You can serve this on pita bread, flatbread, or buns, or keep it light and serve in a salad wrap or over fresh spring mix as a salad.

How to make vegetarian tuna salad with chickpeas

1. Place the washed chickpeas in a bowl with the reserved liquid.
2. After mashing them with a potato masher, add the diced celery and shallots and fold to combine.
3. Pour in the tahini, lemon, yogurt, mustard and spices dressing.
4. Add the dill and mix everything together until combined.

Tips for making vegetarian chickpea tuna salad

1. Don’t skip the aquafaba! Aquafaba, or the liquid in a can of chickpeas, has many uses, but I like to use it in this recipe to give the chickpeas a creamy texture and make them easier to puree. You can also add a little to your blender when making hummus for a super smooth end result.
2. Blend in a food processor if you like. I think the fork works really well here, especially when using the aquafaba, but it does require some muscle power. If using a food processor, don’t overprocess the chickpeas. You want them to have a pureed but chunky consistency and not turn into hummus.
3. Let it rest and cool down first. You can dip right in, but letting the chickpea salad sit in the fridge for a few hours will allow the flavors to develop over time.
4. double the recipe. This is such a delicious and hearty recipe, you’ll love having leftovers to enjoy as another meal or as a snack. Eat bread for lunch one day and eat it again the next over a bed of lettuce with extra veggies. And as mentioned above, when you sit, the taste just gets better.

Popular substitutions and additions

• make it vegan This is an easy swap to make this Chickpea Tuna Salad vegan. Instead of Greek yogurt, use a non-dairy variety like almond yogurt, or you can even use tahini or oil.
• Add capers or pickles. Because we’re trying to mimic the fishy-salty flavor of tuna, capers or even pickles work so well in this recipe.

• Add more vegetables. Choose crunchy ingredients like chopped red peppers, broccoli, or grated carrots.
• Mash the avocado into the mixture. Add avocado as you mash the chickpeas for a healthy addition.
• Substitute mustard. Instead of Dijon mustard, swap it out for hot mustard, or omit that ingredient altogether and use a dill relish for a sour bite with this chickpea salad
• Make it spicier. Add a spicy spice like red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to crank up the heat. Chopped fresh or pickled jalapenos or hot sauce would also be pretty tasty.

What to serve with creamy chickpea salad

How to store vegan tuna salad

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It may separate a bit while it’s sitting, so give it a quick stir before serving to redistribute the ingredients. This chickpea salad is great for meal prep. Separate into individual containers with side dishes of fresh fruit, vegetables and salad or bread for handhelds or fries for dipping.

Can I Freeze Chickpea Salad?

I do not recommend freezing chickpea salad because some ingredients lose their consistency and texture, such as B. the dairy of the Greek yogurt and the freshness and crunchiness of the fresh vegetables.

frequently asked Questions

My vegetarian take on a traditional tuna salad uses chickpeas to create a healthy and delicious recipe that’s quick and easy to make. This chickpea salad is packed with healthy ingredients from yogurt and tahini dressing ingredients, creating a wonderful palate full of crunchy veggies and fresh herbs. This is a fantastic recipe for making a quick lunch and saving leftovers for meal prep for the week.

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