This easy Chickpea Tuna Salad is a colorful mix of fresh summer vegetables and two staples you can always (and I mean ALWAYS) find in my pantry: canned chickpeas and canned tuna. Yes, canned tuna. This is not a vegan tuna substitute recipe (if you are looking for something with the texture of tuna salad but that is fish-free, check out this ultra tasty reader favorite: Chickpea Salad Sandwich). Maybe I spent too much time at the nerd table in middle school with the other kids who shared my misfortune of needing braces and glass at the same time, but I have a deep appreciation for ingredients like canned tuna that are often passed over. Not only is canned tuna an inexpensive, healthy source of protein, healthy fats, and Omega-3s, but also its flavor is actually quite pleasant when you pair it with the right ingredients to balance it out (like in this Tuna Pasta Salad or Italian Tuna Salad). Think fresh, bright, creamy, and crunchy. This Chickpea Tuna Salad is all of the above! (And try Salmon Salad for another healthy protein and source of Omega-3s.)
About this Chickpea Tuna Salad Recipe
To give the Chickpea Tuna Salad freshness and crunch, I added lots of crisp veggies like bell peppers and cucumbers. Bold arugula forms the base of the salad and livens things up, while red onion gives the salad just enough edge to keep it interesting. For the dressing, I used a simple blend of lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. It’s easy and exactly what the Chickpea Tuna Salad needs. To finish the salad, you’ll want to add a handful of feta (it’s nice and creamy), along with a shower of parsley for a final burst of freshness. Toss it together and you have a tuna and chickpea salad that can hold its own (and dare I say outtaste) any premade salad you’d find in a grocery store case. Thanks to protein + fiber-rich chickpeas and protein-rich tuna, this salad is plenty filling enough to be a whole meal on its own. Like this Moroccan Chickpea Salad and this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad (two of my other favorite easy, healthy chickpea recipes), it’s easy to pack and take to work for lunch too.
How to Store Chickpea Salad
To Store. The chickpea salad will last several days in the refrigerator. The arugula does get quite wet/soft as it sits, so if that bothers you, you can prep the salad and include everything but the arugula, then add the arugula only to the part you will be enjoying that day.If your leftovers lose some of their punch (the flavor of the lemon in the dressing tends to fade over time), just wake them back p with a quick squeeze of lemon juice, or make a little extra dressing to serve with the salad leftovers later on.
Other Easy Salad Recipes
Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable and Chickpea SaladGreek Yogurt Chicken SaladMoroccan Chickpea Salad
