Chickpea Tuna Salad

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This easy chickpea tuna salad is perfect for lunch or a light dinner. Enjoy on its own, pile onto crackers, or stuff into a pita.

Was it just my family, or did we all eat a lot of canned tuna in the ’80s? It took me a while to come back to it, but now my pantry is never without a few cans of the flaky fish.

I definitely enjoy a good tuna wrap or tuna melt, but when I want something with a bit more freshness, I whip up this chickpea tuna salad.

Now, this is not a chickpea replacement for tuna, but instead, the two are mingled together along with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and an incredibly easy dressing for a salad that is vibrant, fresh, and filling.

Packed with both protein and fiber but still light, I love that this salad satisfies all my cravings for a crunchy summer salad, but doesn’t rely on piles of lettuce.

Chickpea tuna salad is great make-ahead meal for lunchtime and ideal for summer since there’s no cooking involved. Scoop it up with crackers or tortilla chips, enjoy as a wrap, or just eat it as-is. It’s a great solution to the summer sandwich slump!

Ingredients for chickpea tuna salad

Full list of ingredients with quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

• Cooked chickpeas
• Canned tuna
• Grape or cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Red onion
• Parsley
• Olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper

I recommend using tuna that is packed in water, not packed in oil, so your final salad does not end up too oil. Look for a kind that has the tuna in larger chunks — it will flake apart in the salad, but we don’t want it to turn mushy.

How to make this recipe

If you are using canned chickpeas, drain them in a colander and rinse well. You can remove the skins by gently rubbing the chickpeas and slipping the skins off, but I don’t bother for this salad. If you are using chickpeas cooked from dried, you’ll need 1 ½ cups cooked.

Set the chickpeas aside and make the dressing.

In a large bowl (large enough for the whole salad), whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and dijon mustard. Mix until the dressing is emulsified and visibly thickened. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the chickpeas and tuna will also add some salt.

Add the chickpeas and tuna to the dressing and mix to coat, gently breaking up any larger chunks of tuna into smaller pieces.

Stir in the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and mix. 

Serve immediately, or cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Storage tips

Store this salad in a bowl covered with clingwrap or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator. Leftover salad will keep for about 3 days, but keep in mind the tomatoes and cucumbers can lose a bit of their crispness the longer they sit.

Make sure to give the salad a good stir before serving to redistribute any dressing that may have settled at the bottom.

Recipe suggestions

This chickpea tuna salad recipe is incredibly customizable, so feel free to toss in other crisp veggies you love!

I like to use celery and red bell pepper in this salad. If you don’t like the sharp taste of red onion, you can swap that in favor of green onions (scallions) instead.

In place of the parsley, fresh dill is great for a big punch of flavor!

Tossing in some capers or chopped olives will add a burst of briney flavor. You could even add pickled red onions or chopped pickled jalapeños for a tangy taste.

This is a great recipe for meal prep or just tossing together at lunchtime. Crunchy and vibrant, it’s so satisfying!