Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad

Name: Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 29 oz canned organic chickpeas, no salt added (rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked garbanzos (chickpeas)); ¾ cup red onion (diced ); 3 slim celery stalks (diced, approximately ¾ cup); ½ cup vegan mayo; 1 nori sheet (crumbled (approximately ½ cup loosely packed)); ¼ cup relish; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approximately ½ a lemon); 1 tablespoon capers; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon sea salt; Sourdough slices (optional); Green leaf lettuce (optional )

Published: Aug 12, 2021 · Modified: Jun 2, 2022 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links

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This Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad recipe is an excellent plant-based alternative to a chicken salad sandwich or tuna salad. It's an easy to make recipe that the whole family will enjoy!

This flavorful and filling Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad is a healthy and simple lunch recipe that's ideal for busy days and when you're on the go. Since you can make it ahead of time, it's also great for meal prep.

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Ingredients
How to make Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad
Substitutions
Variations
How to serve
Equipment
Storage
Top tips
Related Vegan Recipes
Recipe

If you're looking for a tasty plant-based alternative to a tuna sandwich, look no further! This absolutely delicious Vegan Chickpea Salad sandwich is a nourishing lunch that is sure to become a favorite.

This vegan tuna sandwich is great for a quick lunch or easy meal. It's perfect for taking along to picnics during the summer or make it ahead of time for a healthy vegan lunch on the go, or take it to work or pack it for school lunches during the rest of the year. Make a batch of Watermelon Water to go along with it!

My love for chickpeas inspired this sandwich; I really love garbanzo beans and wanted to create a chickpea sandwich filling as an alternative to my tasty Vegan Pink Beetroot Hummus. I adapted this recipe from Rouxbe as well as other "no tuna" recipes I came across such as this one from Forks Over Knives.

For a vegan version of egg salad sandwich, try my tofu salad sandwich.

Ingredients

You can make the best chickpea tuna salad with simple ingredients you likely have on hand. Read on for notes on the ingredients.

Canned chickpeas - I like to boil dried chickpeas, which are also known as garbanzos, but it's handy to have a few cans for convenience. I prefer unsalted canned chickpeas. Chickpeas are an excellent source of plant-based protein and fiber. They also contain manganese, minerals, zinc, vitamins, including B vitamins and amino acids.

Toasted Sushi Nori - This edible seaweed adds the "tuna" or seafood taste. Crumple up a nori sheet with your hands - this amounts to a half-cup, approximately. You can also buy the Toasted Nori "Krinkles".

Capers - There is no need to rinse them. I love the tang and brininess that capers add to this recipe.

Mustard - I love classic Dijon, although the whole grain version is delicious as well!

Red onion - For added flavor and bite, I use half of a medium red onion. Dice into small pieces.

Celery- Finely chopped, for a satisfying crunch.

Relish - I love Bubbie's Kosher Dill Relish, although whatever you prefer will work well in this recipe.

Lemon - It has to be fresh; please don't use lemon concentrate or anything that comes from a plastic lemon. It's just not the same! Thank me later.

Vegan mayonnaise - I like Follow Your Heart Vegenaise Grapeseed Oil or feel free to make your own.

See the recipe card for the quantities.

How to make Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad

This Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad filling is so easy to make; it comes together in about 10 minutes.

Follow along for step by step instructions:

In a medium mixing bowl, place the chickpeas and mash with a potato masher until only a few whole chickpeas remain, about a quarter-cup.

Ingredients for Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad Sandwih in bowl.

Add the red onion, celery, vegan mayo, nori, relish, lemon juice, capers, Dijon mustard, pepper, and sea salt.

Combined ingredients in bowl for vegan chickpea salad.

Mix all of the ingredients in the bowl until well combined. If you want to wash more dishes, you can mix everything in a food processor; pulse for a few seconds. Avoid overprocessing to retain texture.

Side view of vegan chickpea tuna salad sandwich.

Assemble the sandwich by spreading the mixture onto toasted sourdough bread and top with greens or a tomato slice. Here I added sprouts and baby spring mix, plus whole-grain Dijon mustard.

Hint: This vegan "no tuna" sandwich filling is perfect for meal prep, so you can enjoy it several times throughout the week. If you're going to enjoy a sandwich later, keep the bread and the filling separate so you don't have to deal with a soggy sandwich.

If you're making sandwiches a few hours ahead, I suggest placing the sandwich filling on top of lettuce, then putting more lettuce on top before you add the bread. Wrap the sandwiches tightly.

Vegan Chickpea "Tuna" Salad Sandwich Recipe

Substitutions

You can customize this Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad in many ways, with or without a sandwich!

Lettuce - Instead of green leaf lettuce, you can use baby spring mix or spinach, or any greens of your choice.

Sourdough - Use gluten-free bread instead to make this gluten-free, or use 100% whole wheat sandwich bread for more fiber. Or try a wrap!

Dill Relish - Try chopped pickles instead.

Red onion - Try a large shallot instead.

Nori - You can skip it if you don't have it, or try dulse flakes (taste as you go, I would start with a tablespoon), but the nori is my favorite for the sea flavor.

Vegan mayo - Try tahini (thin it out if it's too thick) or cashew sour cream.

Lemon juice - try pickle juice or apple cider vinegar.

Chickpeas - Use Northern beans or cannellini beans instead.

Gluten-free: Use gluten-free bread, or replace the bread with a gluten-free wrap or lettuce leaves.

In the photo below, I omitted the nori as a variation, added sprouts, and baby spring mix, plus whole-grain Dijon mustard.

Side view of stacked chickpea salad sandwich with sprouts and spring mix on parchment paper

Variations

Be creative - taste as you go and adjust the seasonings. Try this Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad filling on an open-faced sandwich with toasted sourdough. Or try this pink beetroot hummus on one of the bread slices or as a dip with carrot or celery sticks!

Here are some more ideas:

Fresh - Add sprouts or micro greens, shredded carrot, sliced radishes, chopped red bell pepper, chopped parsley, fresh dill, fresh basil, or sliced tomato to your sandwich.

Spicy - Add hot sauce or sriracha to the mayo, or pickled jalapeño. You can try spicy mustard, too.

Deluxe - Add sliced avocado, pickled onion, coconut bacon, or sunflower seeds.

Kid-friendly - Skip toasting the sourdough or use 100% whole wheat sandwich or multigrain bread.

Add curry powder or garlic powder to change up the flavor, or nutritional yeast.

How to serve

Try adding this vegan tuna salad on top of crackers, make lettuce wraps, or try it as a dip with vegetables.

Make a chickpea tuna melt by making an open-faced sandwich and putting vegan cheese on top (without the greens) and broiling for a couple of minutes. Serve with a dill pickle if you like.

Equipment

Cutting board for vegetable prep
Chef's knife for dicing the celery and red onion
Mixing bowl to put it all together
Can opener for the can of chickpeas, unless you made your own
Colander for draining the canned chickpeas
Measuring spoons for measuring the condiments and flavorings

Storage

Store the Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad filling in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

If you're making it ahead, I recommend keeping the wet ingredients (the sandwich filling) separate from the dry ingredients (bread slices) in the fridge, and mixing again when ready.

I don't recommend freezing the Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad filling, although chickpeas by themselves and bread will freeze well. The fresh vegetables will not hold up well in the freezer.

Top tips

Place the chickpeas in a bowl of water, agitate a bit with your hands, and skim the skins off the top of the water, then drain.

If you have the time, let the Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad sit for approximately 15 minutes to let the flavors meld and develop.

If you make this recipe, please review it - leave a ★★★★★ star rating and post a comment below. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and share your creation with me! Just tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes. I can't wait to see your creation!