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Home » Recipes » Lunch » Salad

July 6, 2023

Chickpea Tuna Salad

Published July 6, 2023 | Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

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This chickpea tuna salad is a summer lunch hero. It’s a low-cal, high fibre, protein powerhouse that takes minutes to prepare and is made from typical store cupboard staples. It’s light and fresh-tasting, but fortifyingly filling. It’s in my Summer Salad Top 3!

Cooling salads are my go-to to beat the midday heat, spring pea and arugula salad with creamy dill dressing is a lighter, vegetarian alternative to this chickpea tuna heavyweight.

Top down view of Chickpea Tuna Salad on an oval platter

Chickpea salad

There are so many wins to this wondrous salad. Where to begin?!

1) Chickpeas are tiny fibre grenades, making this salad a good kickstart for your digestive system.

2) It’s so versatile- serve as a hearty bowlful for lunch, or as a smaller side dish with a kebab like chicken musakhan or on a mezze table at dinner time.

3) And so simple to put together- it takes mere minutes and there’s no cooking!

4) It’s a thrifty little salad. Not only are the tinned ingredients inexpensive, but you can make use of all the odds and ends wilting away in the salad drawer.

Close up of chickpea tuna salad with avocado and feta on a platter

Canned tuna in recipes

Canned tuna is the ultimate convenience. It has a long life, it’s relatively inexpensive, it’s easy to use and it is exploding with nutritional value.

I always have a couple of tins in my cupboards for using either straight from the tin in healthy tuna salad recipes or for cooking with in hot dishes like my quick tuna pasta with capers.

Tinned tuna has a bit of a bad rep, it’s often associated with a soggy, grey sandwich! But this can be down to the type or brand of tuna. If you can invest in a good one, I strongly advise it! Especially if you’re planning on eating it in a salad or sandwich.

As a general rule, go for tuna chunks, rather than flakes, and fish that has been ethically sourced. You will taste the difference.

Process shot of salad ingredients being mixed together

Recipe tips and notes

  • Through extensive trial and error, I’ve found that cheaper brands of tinned chick peas can be tough on the tooth and a little flavourless. My chickpea of choice are the slightly pricier ones labelled ‘garbanzo’, which is the Spanish word for chickpea. They come in a can or jar. Plumper, more tender and with a more distinctive hummus-like taste, they are ideal for eating raw in a salad.
  • It’s worth choosing a decent tuna too. I go for albacore in water for using straight from the can. If you decide on an oil-packed one, you can use the salty tasting oil in the dressing. Don’t waste it!
  • Aside from the chickpeas and tuna, the other salad ingredients can be adapted to your own taste. When it comes to herbs, cilantro (coriander in the UK) is my favourite. Its floral notes offset the fishiness of the tuna. But if cilantro’s not your thing, flat leaf parsley works beautifully too to give more of a Middle Eastern vibe.
  • I tend to use kalamata olives in this recipe, I like the softness of them and the pop of colour. You could use green olives, if that’s what you have or even capers if you want a mouth-twisting briny assault!
  • Finally, feta. If you you’re dairy-free, then you can skip it. If not, no excuses! The rich, creamy cheese offers a lacing of luxury.

top down view of a salad on white serving platter

Storage and leftovers

I can easily eat this hearty chickpea tuna salad twice a week. So I make up the 4-serving recipe on a Sunday to use up by Thursday. (That’s up to four days in the fridge.)

It’s also a hefty enough meal to keep my husband going, so he gets two servings in his lunch box to take to work too!

Other salad recipes to try:

  • Tuna Macaroni Salad
  • Israeli Salad with Lemon Garlic Tahini Dressing
  • Salmon Cobb Salad with Lemon Dill Dressing
  • Summer Tomato Salad with Herbs
Top down view of Chickpea Tuna Salad on an oval platter

Chickpea Tuna Salad

Julia Frey of Vikalinka
This chickpea tuna salad is a summer lunch hero that's a low-cal, high fibre, protein powerhouse, whilst light and fresh-tasting.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine Modern European
Servings 4 people
Calories 519 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 400g/14 oz canned chickpeas drained
  • 120g/4 oz canned albacore tuna, packed in water
  • 5 small / 1 large cucumber
  • 30g/1.5 cup arugula (rocket in the UK)
  • 1 avocado diced
  • 4 tbsp kalamata olives
  • 20g/3/4 cup cilantro
  • 1 shallot chopped
  • 100g/3.5 oz feta crumbled

For the dressing

  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil, I used unrefined olive oil
  • 0.5 tbsp Dijon mustard or multigrain mustard
  • ½ clove garlic grated
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • At the bottom of a large salad bowl make the vinaigrette by whisking together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard and grated garlic. Season with salt to taste.
  • To the same salad bowl add the drained canned chickpeas, drained canned tuna, sliced cucumbers, arugula, diced avocado, pitted olives, chopped cilantro, diced shallot and crumbled feta. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 519kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 24gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 1157mgPotassium: 1319mgFiber: 15gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1086IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 270mgIron: 5mg
Keyword chickpea tuna salad
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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About Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.
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Julia from Vikalinka

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.

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