This mashed chickpea vegan tuna salad is a vegetarian take on the classic tuna salad. It’s the perfect plant based lunch for school, work, or a trip to the beach. It’s dairy and gluten free and ready in just 10 minutes!
We’re approaching beach weather and I’m all about the easy to make but flavor packed salads. Like this avocado chickpea salad, this vegan tuna salad is easy to make and requires a few ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!
I’ve never been a huge fan of mayonnaise, so I opted for some tahini and dijon mustard to give this recipe flavor and to keep it nice and moist like regular tuna salad.
You end up with an incredibly flavorful recipe that is perfect to meal prep for lunch. It’s high in protein, travels well and is so easy to make.
Key ingredients
Chickpeas: Chickpeas make up the base of this vegan tuna salad. We’ll be mashing them up slightly to give a tuna-y feel. You can mash the by hand (not literally, but using a fork) or add them to a food processor and pulse a few times until broken up.
Red onion: Any type of onion (white, yellow etc.) can be use in place of the red onion, but I think red onion adds the best flavor to the recipe.
Carrots: I suggest grating the carrots or shredding them in a food processor, but you can also chop them very finely if that’s easier for you.
Celery: I’m not a huge fan of celery, but it adds such a nice crunch and a hint of saltiness to the recipe.
Lemon: For a little tang!
Tahini: Most vegan tuna salad recipes use mayo to give a creamy feel. I, however, like to keep it simple and use a few tablespoons of tahini. You can also use hummus or mayo instead if you prefer. Some brands of tahini can be really dry, I suggest a runny one to actually keep this moist.
Garlic: I rarely make a savory recipe without garlic! It adds so much flavor in just a small amount.
Dijon Mustard: Along with the lemon, the dijon mustard adds a little bit of tang to the recipe. It also helps moisten it and keep it creamy with the tahini.
Salt and pepper: What is any dish without a little salt and pepper?
How to make this recipe
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to a large bowl. Be sure to rinse them until the water runs clear and no bubbles remain.
Use a fork or potato masher to mash or pulse a few times in a food processor, being sure to leave a few chickpea chunks. I find the food processor method to be the easiest, but whatever works for you!
Grate or shred the carrots and add to the bowl. You can use pre-shredded carrots, but these tend to be a bit drier than freshly grated carrots so keep this in mind.
Finely chop the onion, cilantro, celery, mince the garlic and add to the bowl. Add in all remaining ingredients and mix well. I like using this garlic press to make sure the garlic is very finely minced.
Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired. Feel free to add more mustard, vinegar for acidity, or more salt. I always add freshly cracked black pepper and a smidge more cilantro. If you’re one of those people who hated cilantro, feel free to leave it out.
Enjoy as is, on top of some toast, in lettuce wraps or in regular wrap!
FAQ’s
Does it keep? This vegan chickpea salad will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. Store it in an air tight container to keep it nice and fresh.
How can I serve it? This recipe is delicious in a wrap, as a sandwich, or just on its own! Either way, I love it with some fresh black pepper and some sprouts on top.
Can I use a fork to mash the chickpeas? It’s easiest to use a food processor to process the chickpeas, though you can also just use a fork or a potato masher. If using a food processor, you’ll want to just pulse the chickpeas a few times until they are broken up but still have a few whole pieces.
Can I use fresh chickpeas? If using chickpeas cooked from fresh, make sure they are cooked really well so they mash easily. You’ll want to use 1.5 cups for every 1 can of chickpeas.
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Chickpea Vegan Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas
- 2 medium carrots
- ½ large red onion (about ⅓ cup chopped)
- 2 stalk celery
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro
- 2-3 clove garlic (finely minced)
- Juice from 1 lemon (or more to taste)
- 4-5 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp runny tahini (see notes)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to a bowl.
- Use a fork or potato masher to mash or pulse a few times in a food processor, being sure to leave a few chickpea chunks.
- Grate or shred the carrots and add to the bowl.
- Finely chop the onion, cilantro, celery, mince the garlic and add to the bowl.
- Add in all remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Enjoy as is, on top of some toast, or in a wrap!
Jessica
Five stars. This is fantastic!! Will definitely make this again and again. I added some halved cherry tomatoes I had to get rid of, as well. Thank you for this recipe. My husband smelled it and started serving himself before I’d even had a chance to finish stirring and is obsessed. He said it was one of the best things I’ve made. What a simple, healthy, and delicious recipe! Looks beautiful, too.
Claire Cary
Yum, great idea with the tomatoes! So happy you’re both enjoying it!
Abby
LOVE! Tried this today with plain Greek yogurt, mustard, honey and some spices as my base. The recipe was perfect inspiration! Thank you!
Brittany
This recipe is so easy and it makes so much! Perfect for meal prepping! I usually have these ingredients on hand so it makes it a quick, easy, and stress-free meal to whip up. I really enjoy all the flavors from this dish. I love the crunch from the celery. I do omit the red onion only because I’m not a fan of onions. I eat mine on a big lettuce leaf and it’s so refreshing and filling. It saves well which is another plus. Thanks for sharing!
Claire Cary
Thank you for your feedback Brittany! I’m so happy you enjoy this recipe!
Manny
Oh My God!!! This was so amazing! I used stone ground mustard because that’s all I had on hand and followed everything else exactly. I am new to the vegan world and am slowly convincing my wife. She had this for the first time today and she told me should would eat the chickpea salad over a tuna or chicken salad sandwich. Thank you for helping my wife become a healthier person.
Love your website as well.
Claire Cary
Thanks Manny! So happy you and wife liked it and thank you for your support 🙂
Michael Williams
I’ve made this recipe a few times over the last year. It’s absolutely delicious. Well done. Thanks for sharing. This is something that I pack for the weeks lunch and works great in my weekly rotation. I tend to pair this with a kimchi stew that has high protein also. Love the recipe.
Claire Cary
Thanks Michael! So happy it’s been such a hit.
Katy
The whole family loved it, including my mother who hates chickpeas and cilantro. This is the most tasty and healthy version of this recipe I have ever had.
Claire Cary
Thanks Katy! So happy to hear you all loved it and thank you for the feedback!
Gloria
How much tuna? Does not say in the recipe?
Claire Cary
Hi Gloria, this is a vegetarian chickpea salad recipe that is designed to replace tuna or chicken salad, so there is not actually any tuna in this recipe.
Courtney
Delicious! I added the zest from half of the lemon, half a jalapeño, and grated most of the garlic. Quick, easy, and filling. Thanks for sharing!
Claire Cary
Thanks Courtney! I appreciate the feedback 🙂
Kaylin
I tried this at a friends and it was so good I decided to try to make it myself. Mine didn’t turn out as good as my friends.. Mine came out very crunchy so I’m not sure where I went wrong…..
Will try again and hopefully have a better outcome.
Claire Cary
Hmm that’s strange! I’d suggest using a food processor to make sure the chickpeas are well mashed and grate the carrot instead of chopping! It’s best when everything is really finely chopped!
home remedies
There is certainly a great deal to find out about this
subject. I like all the points you have made.
Cindy
I tried this recipe for the first time today and absolutely LOVED it! I felt lazy so I used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, but still it tasted sooooo good; would def recommend it!!
Claire Cary
So glad to hear that Cindy! Never opposed to garlic powder! Also, would really help this blog out if you left a star rating for the next recipe you try 🙂