This Chickpea Tuna Salad is a great meal prep lunch that's high in fiber and plant-based protein. It's perfect for pescatarians!
You guys know I love my chicken salad recipes, but I can't leave my pescatarian friends out. Of course, tuna salads are a great option, but let me introduce my chickpea tuna salad as your new go-to!
Chickpea tuna salad is the perfect pescatarian lunch because it has lots of protein from the fish, plus extra plant-based protein and FIBER from the chickpeas. Chickpeas are an incredible source of fiber, which is often missing in many chicken and tuna salads. This chickpea tuna salad is so yummy to eat with crackers, in a wrap, or in a sandwich melt. I love making it in my weekly meal prep and adding it to my adult lunchables for on-the-go lunches.
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Higher protein and fiber. This chickpea tuna salad checks both the protein and fiber boxes, making it super filling and satisfying.
- Ready in under 30 minutes. When I'm meal prepping lunch, it needs to be fast and easy. This is both!
- Pescetarian and gluten-free. If you have dietary restrictions, this recipe is suitable for my pescatarian and gluten-free friends.
Ingredients
Chickpeas. For additional plant-based protein and fiber. We mash up the chickpeas so they help create a more filling tuna salad that is perfect for meal prep
Tuna. Any canned tuna will work! I typically recommend Albacore tuna stored in water, as we are adding our own source of fat and seasoning to this recipe.
Hemp seeds. For added healthy fats and protein. This is an optional ingredient, however its such an easy addition to help you add a bit of extra nutrients.
Greek yogurt/mayonnaise. As with all my chicken or tuna salads, I always like doing a mix of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise to cut down on fat and boost the protein. I find the using 100% Greek yogurt can be too tangy, so the mayonnaise helps create the perfect taste and texture.
Celery. For a little crunch and added veggies!
Red onion. If you aren’t a fan of red onion, you can use shallots. Another one of my tips is to soak the diced red onion in some cold water for about 5 minutes before draining. This creates a much more mild flavour.
Dill. Fresh dill helps create the perfect fresh flavour in this salad.
Sriracha. For a little spice! You can use whatever hot sauce you enjoy.
Dijon mustard. For a little zest and pop of flavour, I recommend old fashioned dijon mustard.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- In a large bowl add chickpeas and tuna. Use a fork or potato masher to gently mash the chickpeas with the tuna, breaking up any large chunks to create an even base.
- To the bowl, add greek yogurt, mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, sriracha and dijon mustard. Mix well.
- Stir in dill, celery, hemp seeds, red onion. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve with crackers or on a wrap, sandwich or salad.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: this recipe is naturally gluten-free.
To make dairy-free: replace the yogurt with an unsweetened thick dairy free yogurt option of choice or just use ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon of mayonnaise.
To make vegan: try my vegan smashed chickpea salad.
To make vegetarian: replace the tuna and use 2 cups of chickpeas.
To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut-free.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Vegetable chopper (this isn't mandatory but it makes dicing the onions and celery much easier!)
Storage
This chickpea tuna salad will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Top Tips for Success
The biggest tip to making a good chickpea tuna salad is ensuring everything is diced finely so you get a bit of everything in every bite. This is super important in this type of salad too, since you will likely be eating it as a "dip" with crackers.
To help make this prep even easier, I recommend using a produce chopper to ensure you are getting evenly sized small diced veggies.
Frequently Asked Questions
There's so many options! Here's what I like to do:
- Add as a topping to a base or lettuce or spinach for an easy salad (I like to pair mine with some whole grain crackers for a balanced meal)
- Serve as part of a lunchable or snack box with chopped veggies, and crackers
- Add to a wrap with some spinach
- Toast a slice of bread, top with avocado and this chickpea tuna salad for an open faced sandwich
Yes! Just prepare them ahead of time using the method on the package provided.
That is my personal preference, as I like to add my own fat source using mayonnaise, hemp seeds, avocado etc. I find sometimes the tuna stored in olive oil is a bit too oily, for me especially when being added to recipes like this one.
More Easy Lunch Recipes
If you liked this chickpea tuna salad, try these next:
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this chickpea tuna salad, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Chickpea Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 1 x 540 mL can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 x 170g can albacore tuna drained
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise see note below
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 2 teaspoon sriracha optional for spice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 cup celery finely diced (about 2 stalks)
- ¼ cup hemp seeds optional
- ½ cup red onion finely diced
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl add chickpeas and tuna. Use a fork or potato masher to gently mash the chickpeas with the tuna, breaking up any large chunks to create an even base.
- To the bowl, add Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, sriracha and dijon mustard. Mix well.
- Stir in dill, celery, hemp seeds, red onion. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve with crackers or on a wrap, sandwich or salad.
McKenzie says
A good lunch meal prep option! I used salmon instead of tuna
Aubrey Lerwick says
I love this recipe! The chickpeas make it so creamy and delicious. It’s my go to “back up” meal plan because it uses ingredients I usually always have. Love all your recipes that I’ve tried so far!
Gemita says
My go to salad! I've made it my own by swapping and adding some of the ingredients.I add diced cucumbers, red peppers and baby tomatoes instead of celery. I add roasted sunflower seeds instead of hemp. I like the crunch. I finish it off with a few black olives. Its delicious! Thank you for the inspiration.
Carly says
I made this last night and just had it for lunch with some rice and salad greens - absolutely delicious! I feel satiated and love a recipe with such healthy and whole ingredients. Thank you, Nicole! And any chance you’ve tried freezing it?
Anne says
Although I like most fish, I don't like tuna. Trying this recipe was the first time I truly enjoyed tuna! I've tried it with canned salmon as well, and it’s also great! Thank you Nicole!