Lunch doesn’t need to be complicated. Stuff a beautiful tomato with chickpea tuna salad. Or make a vegan tuna sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Try this chickpea tuna salad recipe on top of greens. The possibilities are endless, and the flavors are divine.
My new and improved vegan chickpea tuna salad recipe is made with whole foods. For that reason, my new vegan chickpea tuna salad not only tastes better, but it’s also even more healthy than the first version.
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When I was looking through my old recipes, I found recipes where I used Vegenaise, which I haven’t used in years.
Since learning and growing as a plant-based foodie, I removed many processed foods I initially used when first transitioning.
Making homemade cashew mayo has changed my outlook on cooking. This vegan chickpea tuna salad is much better than the old version, as it has more healthy ingredients and no processed foods.
When I was little, my grandma used to stuff tomatoes with tuna salad. Of course, I wasn’t fond of tomatoes because I was a kid.
Honestly,I think it was her way of “hiding” vegetables in our food (she wasn’t very good at it, I might add). So my sister and I scooped the tuna salad from the tomato and left that beautiful red tomato with leftover tuna on the plate. Luckily, I grew out of my dislike of tomatoes.
Chickpea Tuna Salad Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Chickpeas have a mild nutty flavor that’s almost bland with a slightly earthy taste. Since chickpeas have such a mild flavor, their taste can vary slightly depending on how they are cooked and what they are cooked with.
- Celery: Celery add freshness and crunch to the salad.
- Capers: Capers are reminiscent of the lemony tang and brininess of green olives but with a smack of floral tartness all their own. Because they’re packed in brine, capers also boast a bold salty, savory flavor profile.
- Dill: Dill has a deliciously fresh, citrus-like taste with a slightly grassy undertone. The trademark subtle sweetness means it works particularly well with garlic and mint, and it’s sometimes used as a substitute for parsley
- Dulse Flakes: Dulse has a salty ocean flavor with a slightly funky, fishy aroma that mellows out as it cooks.
- Old Bay Seasoning: Old Bay Seasoning tastes like a cajun seasoning heavy on paprika with hints of mustard, celery salt, and nutmeg.
- Cashew Mayo: Vegan cashew mayo is a blend of cashews, lemon, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and spices. It tastes better than any store-bought mayo I’ve ever tried.
- Lemon Juice: I prefer fresh lemon juice when making sauces and dressings.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard adds a tangy flavor to the chickpea tuna salad.
Chickpea Tuna Salad Ingredient Substitutions
- White beans are often used as a substitute for chickpeas.
- You can also make vegan tuna salad using hearts of palm or jackfruit.
- Fennel is a substitute for celery, but it has a licorice flavor.
- Skip the capers, or if you don’t have any, chop up green olives as a susbtitute.
- If you don’t like dill, try parsley or basil instead.
- Try chopping Nori seaweed sheets instead of using dulse.
- Celery salt and paprika are the two main ingredients in Old Bay seasoning. You have a good substitute if you have these spices in your cupboard. When substituting, mix ¼ teaspoon of celery salt with ¼ teaspoon of paprika. Use this for every 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning.
- Use store-bought vegan mayo, or make the vegan mayo with hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or white beans for a nut-free option.
- Bottled lemon juice works if fresh lemon juice isn’t available.
- Stone ground mustard is an excellent substitute for Dijon mustard.
How to Make Chickpea Tuna Salad
I used my food processor on the pulse mode to mash all the chickpeas to get the right texture. Although some chickpeas can remain in halves, you want most mashed completely.
Do not, though, over-pulse and end up with chickpea paste. I learned another little trick to pulse one can of chickpeas, not to overcrowd the food processor.
Then, transfer the mashed chickpeas and all the other ingredients to a large bowl.
Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.
Cashew Mayo vs. Store-Bought Vegan Mayo
Despite the convenience of buying store-bought vegan mayo, the homemade version not only tastes better but is better! For example, I buy raw cashews in bulk, if I need them or not. I have been known to search my local Sprouts and other organic market ads, and when they are on sale, I buy an obscene amount.
There are tofu mayo recipes out there, but I prefer to use cashews. ½ cup of raw cashews make an entire batch of vegan mayo, so if you are concerned about fat content, the ½ cup of nuts goes a LONG way.
And making cashew mayo is simple. Who doesn’t like simple? If you own a high-speed blender (my favorite is the Nutribullet), making mayo takes 5 minutes.
What Does Chickpea Tuna Taste like?
Of course, chickpea tuna salad isn’t fishy. I wasn’t fond of fishy tuna salad before transitioning to a plant-based diet. Instead, chickpea tuna salad has a beautiful, flaky, creamy texture and a slightly savory taste of the sea.
And if you are new to plant-based eating, it might help you along the way. I use Dulse and Old Bay Seasoning to get the slightest “sea-like” flavor, or any creole seasoning will do.
What is Dulse?
Dulse is a variety of seaweed that resembles leafy red lettuce when fresh. Its flavor will definitely remind you of the ocean — its minerality makes it a great stand-in for salt.
The benefits of Dulse include, for example, high levels of protein and fiber. Dulse is a nutrient-rich red alga that has become increasingly popular in health food circles due to its numerous nutrition properties. As a result, more and more experts advise people to implement sea greens into their diets, including dulse.
Ways to Use Dulse in Recipes:
- Mix flaked dulse into homemade salad dressings.
- Use dried flakes on top of popcorn.
- Add strips of whole-leaf dulse to your favorite pickled vegetables.
- Sprinkle flakes over your vegan poke bowl.
- Steep whole-leaf dulse in water for a restorative and savory “tea.”
- Mix flaked dulse into homemade bread dough.
- Add to a bowl of ramen.
- Sprinkle flaked dulse over a baked potato to amp up the flavor of a classic.
Recipe Variations
You can add any vegetables to my vegan chickpea tuna salad recipe. Celery, and green onions, for example, are a must. But feel free to add any chopped vegetables you enjoy, like red peppers, or many people add capers as well.
For instance, I make a vegan curry chickpea sandwich spread seasoned with curry powder. You can add fresh dill to give it a Mediterranean flair or spice it up with red pepper flakes and chili powder. The choice is yours.
Serving Suggestions
If avoiding bread, serve chickpea tuna salad inside a carved-out tomato. All you need is a large, hot house tomato and a paring knife.
Then, gently cut the top off the tomato, and about ¼ inch from the outside of the tomato, carve around the inside. Next, use a spoon to scoop out any excess tomato flesh, and add heaping spoonfuls of chickpea tuna salad.
Or, serve chickpea tunas salad in a pita with your favorite veggies.
If filled tomatoes aren’t your thing, then serve it with greens in a bowl, or eat it with rice crackers. Any way you choose to eat this fabulous chickpea tuna salad, give it a try; you won’t be disappointed.
Not only is chickpea tuna salad a great meal to take to work or eat at home, but you can also make it the day before and grab it on the way out the door.
I made my son a chickpea tuna salad melt on whole-grain bread with Havarti Follow Your Heart cheese slices. And he wanted a second sandwich. Kid tested; mother approved!
Any way you eat it, chickpea tuna salad never disappoints.
Recipe FAQs
The answer is anything. Serve it on crackers or celery. I noted that it tastes excellent inside a tomato, red, or green bell pepper. It tastes fabulous on apple slices as well. I even love dipping homemade potato chips into my chickpea tuna salad.
Chickpea tuna salad has a wonderful, flaky, creamy texture and a slight taste savory sea flavor. However, it doesn’t taste fishy at all!
Chickpeas boast an impressive nutritional profile. They contain a moderate number of calories, providing 269 per cup (164 grams). Approximately 67% of these calories come from carbs, while the rest comes from protein and fat.
Tips
- Use your favorite bread, wrap, or pita (toasted or untoasted)
- I love tomatoes slices, cucumber slices, micro-greens, lettuce, and dill pickles.
- Place a generous portion of vegan chickpea tuna salad in between the bread and vegetables.
- And enjoy!
- Other great additions: shredded carrots, sliced red or green bell peppers, jalapenos (for a little heat), mild banana peppers (for the less daring), and some even like to add a thin stripe of mustard.
- Be adventurous; try different combinations of herbs and spices for unique versions every time.
You will love this new chickpea tuna salad recipe. So, the next time you are looking for a quick lunch, try this recipe.
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📖 Recipe
Chickpea Tuna Salad
Lunch doesn’t need to be complicated. Stuff a beautiful tomato with chickpea tuna salad. Skip the bread, and choose a vegetable to hold your favorite vegan chickpea salad mix. Or, make a tuna melt, or load up your favorite rice crackers! The possibilities are endless, and the taste is divine.
Instructions
Chickpea Tuna Salad
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Rinse and drain chickpeas and put them in a food processor with a large blade.
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Pulse until partially mashed (some will still be in halves); you don’t want it mushy.
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Add all the other ingredients.
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Stir the chickpea salad and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Stuffed Tomato
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Using large hothouse tomatoes (firm and large), cut the top off the tomato
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Using a paring knife, carefully remove the tomato’s inside by cutting gently in a circle around the inside of the tomato about a ¼ inch away from the skin.
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Remove the inside of the tomato. It should appear like a small bowl.
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Lay, opening side down, on paper towels to remove excess moisture.
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Now, fill your tomato with chickpea tuna salad.
Other Serving Suggestions
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Eat on top of greens
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Eat on a sandwich, wrap, or inside pita bread
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Make a tuna melt with whole grain bread and your choice of vegan cheese (i used Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese Slices)
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Serve with crackers instead of bread.
Notes
- Vegan Cashew Mayo will last 7 days refrigerated.
- If taking this salad to work, keep the salad and the tomato separate until you eat it; it stays together better that way.
- Remember, keep your tomatoes on the counter; don’t put them in the refrigerator. They last longer at room temperature.
- Use your favorite bread, wrap, or pita (toasted or untoasted).
- Other great additions: shredded carrots, sliced red or green bell peppers, jalapenos (for a bit of heat), mild banana peppers (for the less daring), and some even like to add a thin stripe of mustard.
- Be adventurous; try different combinations of herbs and spices for unique versions every time.
- Place a generous portion of vegan chickpea tuna salad between the bread and vegetables.
- I love tomato slices, cucumber slices, micro-greens, lettuce, and dill pickles.
Nutrition
Serving: 8gCalories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 10gFat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 208mgPotassium: 348mgFiber: 9gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 231IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 4mg
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂