‘Chickpea Of The Sea’ Tuna Salad Sandwich
Chickpea Tuna Salad β This classic vegan βtunaβ salad is the BEST and so easy to make! Itβs a fan favorite and loved by all types of eaters!
This βChickpea of the Seaβ Vegan Tuna Salad Sandwich is easy, healthy, delicious and sustainable!
Of course, itβs not going to taste exactly like tuna, but it will give you the mouth feel and fullness that its predecessor, the βtuna saladβ sandwich, gave you. Add some nori sheets or flakes to add more of a sea flavor.
This is a wonderfully simple mock vegan βtunaβ salad that can be served in a variety of ways! Enjoy it alone, on crackers, with leafy greens, or fresh veggie slices for scoopers.
My favorite part of sharing recipes, is trying all these different foods and sharing them here in hopes to inspire others looking to make changes seeking new inspiration. Itβs not difficult eating a plant-based diet β in fact, itβs a joy!
I never tire of these simple recipes and I hope you like this easy chickpea tuna salad as much as I do!
Ingredient Notes
Here is everything youβll need to make the best chickpea tuna salad. Includes optional add-ins as well.
- Chickpeas β Ues canned or freshly cooked.
- Onion β Use red or green (scallions) both work great.
- Celery β Adds a nice texture, but can be optional.
- Vegan Mayo β This will be the binder, you can sub with thinned hummus as well.
- Salt + Garlic Powder β Salt brings out the flavors and garlic powder is a flavor booster.
- Nori Sheets β An optional way to add βsea flavorβ.
- Chia Seeds β Will add a dose of heart-healthy omegaβs thatβs also found in tuna.
How Do You Make Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad?
- Roughly mash the chickpeas; about 3/4 of them are good, with the back of a fork or potato masher. Mashing the chickpeas helps hold the salad together; once the binder is added and the ingredients are all mixed, it will be a nice thick mixture.
- Next, add the celery, onion, garlic powder, vegan mayo (or hummus mix), lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mix well, adding any extra ingredients you like to taste. Alternatively, you could use a food processor, starting with the beans, pulse a few times, add the remaining ingredients, and pulse again a few times until the desired consistency.
Thatβs all it takes to make this delicious recipe. Itβs healthy, versatile, quick, easy, and delicious!
This vegan chickpea tuna salad sandwich is my kind of wonderful!
Top Tips
- Change up the binder. I love using thinned plain hummus in place of vegan mayo. If using store-bought hummus that is thick, add a few heaping tablespoons to a small bowl and whisk in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until desired thinness. It works perfectly!
- Add a sea flavor. Try adding a little seaweed, such as a sprinkle of dulse flakes or crushed nori sheet, to the mix for a taste of the sea.
- Add heart-healthy omegas. Tuna is full of omega; add 1 tablespoon or so of hemp hearts or chia seeds to the no-tuna mix for added nutrients.
- The recipe can easily be doubled. The one shown is a double batch. Feel free to double up; youβll be glad to have leftovers.
How To Store + Meal Prep
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, in a covered container. Stir well before using.
- Meal prep: For meal prep, make the salad as directed and store it in the refrigerator. Meal prep with leafy greens, or make sandwiches or wraps.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan tuna salad is versatile and can be served as is or used as a filler. Here are a few of my favorite options:
- Salad: Serve with leafy greens as a salad.
- Wraps: Itβs great for making tortilla wraps, tucking into pita bread, or making lettuce wraps.
- Sandwiches: Itβs perfect as a sandwich filler or served as an open-faced sandwich. Try it with this homemade Artisan Bread!
- Crackers:Β Scoop up with a variety of crackers, pita chips, or rye crisps. Try these gluten-free Almond Flour Crackers.
- Veggie sticks: Itβs delicious with fresh vegetable sticks for scooping. Use red bell pepper, celery or carrots, cucumber, zucchini, etc.
More Easy Chickpea Salads!
Because you can never have too many variations of creamy mashed chickpea salads, try these other wonderful recipes. You may just find a new favorite for the meal rotation!
- Cranberry Walnut Vegan Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Chickpea Avocado Salad Sandwich
- Vegan Sonoma Chickpea βChickenβ Salad
- Mashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich (The Original)
- Curried Chickpea βChickenβ Salad Sandwich
- Mediterranean Smashed Chickpea Salad
- Chickpea βEggβ Salad Sandwich
If you try this vegan tuna salad recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintβCHICKPEA OF THE SEAβ TUNA SALAD SANDWICH
This is a great mock βtunaβ salad sandwich using chickpeas. Alternately, serve this as lettuce wraps or use sliced vegetables like bell pepper and cucumber as scoopers.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 10 min
- Yield: Serves 3
- Category: Salad, Entree
- Method: mix
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- juice of 1/2 lemon + some zest if you like
- 1/4 β 1/3 cup of vegan mayo (or 3 β 4 tablespoons hummus or white bean hummus + 2 β 3 tablespoons water)
- 1/4 cup celery (about 2 small stalks, leaves ok too), chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion (about 1/2 small), chopped
- 1/4 β 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- himalayan salt & cracked pepper, to taste
- dash of cayenne, optional
Other optional ingredients:
- crushed nori sheets or dulse (seaweed)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds or hemp hearts for some omega 3 & 6
- sweet or dill pickle relish
To Serve
- 6 slices whole grain, sprouted whole grain flourless or artisan bread, to serve
- leafy greens, to serve
- nori sheets, to serve (optional)
- pickles, optional
Instructions
Mash chickpeas: Drain and rinse chickpeas, place in a medium-size bowl, and roughly mash about 3/4 of the chickpeas with the back of a fork or potato masher until desired consistency.
Assemble salad: Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, adding any extra ingredients you like. Alternatively, you can use a food processor to start with the beans, pulse a few times, and add the remaining ingredients, pulsing again a few times until the desired consistency.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Ways to serve:
- Serve on bread of choice, along with some leafy greens and the optional 1/4 sheet of nori.
- For a gluten-free meal, you can also serve it on bibb or romaine lettuce like a wrap instead of bread.
- Try serving with sliced fresh scoopable veggies like cucumber, red bell peppers, zucchini, etc.
- Lastly, pair it with your favorite crackers.
Salad serves 3 generously.
Store: Leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 β 6 days. Stir before serving.
Notes
If using thick store-bought hummus, thin it with water, adding 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring, and repeating until desired consistency. This will make for a really nice, creamy binder. If using the hummus recipe link in the ingredient list, omit the cumin.
The chickpea of the sea salad is great on leafy greens as a wrap. Itβs cool and crunchy!
Nutrition facts are for the salad only (bread not included). Using the right bread may add another 10 grams of protein. Not too bad for a vegan sandwich!
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Holy balls dudes!!!!!!
I just made this and it is AMAAAAAAAAZING!!!!!
I ate blue corn tortilla chips with it :)
THANK YOU!!!
THIS IS AMAZING!!!
Need more stars. This was incredible. I added 1/8 tsp of nori flakes. FINALLY I can have a βtunaβ salad sandwich again. Thanks so much for posting β you have changed my life!
Yay, so happy to you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing, Kathryn!
I just made it for my non-vegan family and they loved it! Great receipt, perfect for snacking, sandwiches, wraps or similar dishes. Thanks a lot!
I made this recipe using a ‘vegan ranch dressing’ (homemade) in place of vegan mayo. Did not use the Nori because I wanted to see how it would be with just the dill from the vegan dressing I made. We both liked it a lot and my husband says we don’t need tuna anymore. YAY
Delicious! I made it using garlic hummus and just a touch of mayo to mix it with. Added all the other ingredients, including the hemp hearts. Next time I want to try adding nori. This is a great, easy recipe to make with items I usually have on hand.
I just tried this recipe and it’s delicious! Simple and tasty budget friendly too. Thanks for sharing!
Brilliant! A staple in our household. I recently started adding the cut up nori sheets and it’s even better. Must try.
Loved this recipe. Great texture and flavor from the nori.
simple and delicious recipe thanks!! Amazing on toasted sourdough with lettuce & tomatoes or on toasted sourdough with avocado and alfalfa sprouts!!! Also amazing for tuna melts accompanied by butternut squash soup π