Load this Chickpea Tuna Salad into sandwiches, wraps, salads, and more! Flaky mashed chickpeas replace the tuna in this picnic-perfect dish. An instant hit with all kinds of eaters!
Looking for more vegan recipes to bring to the picnic? Try my Pesto Pasta Salad, Avocado Spread, White Bean Salad, and Curry Chickpea Salad.
Besides the salty and ‘fishy’ tasting nori sheets (or kelp granules), the secret behind this vegan tuna salad is the mashed chickpeas. They become delightfully flaky when mashed, giving this salad the perfect hearty, creamy base. And when combined with a few briny veggies and vegan mayo, you’re left with the most delicious flavors and textures!
Bring this to the picnic or potluck, make it for meal prep, or scoop up every bite with crackers. No matter how you enjoy it, this creamy chickpea tuna salad will fill you up while curbing your tuna salad cravings.
Why you’ll love this vegan tuna salad recipe
- A picnic classic made vegan – This chickpea tuna salad recipe replaces tuna for plant-based ingredients! Even if you eat fish, this is a delightful sandwich spread on it’s own.
- Very versatile – Leave out the nori or kelp if desired, add more briny veggies like capers and pepperoncinis, use store bought vegan mayo or my homemade cashew mayo, tofu mayo or mix in some mashed avocado in place of the mayo.
- A super speedy lunch – It only takes 10 minutes to assemble this vegan tuna salad in one bowl.
How to make chickpea tuna salad
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas, then transfer them to a large bowl. Mash them with a potato masher or fork until they’re mostly creamy. You want to leave as few whole beans behind as possible. You can use a food processor for this if you want, just don’t over mix them.
Chop the nori and add it to the bowl with the chickpeas. Add the dill pickle relish, lemon juice, celery, red onion, vegan mayo, and salt/pepper. Add any additional optional ingredients, such as chopped capers and pepperoncinis to give it more of a kick.
Tip: Sheets of nori give this salad its ‘fish-like’ flavor but you can also use 1 teaspoon of kelp granules as a substitute. To chop the nori, kitchen scissors work, or a knife and cutting board.
Stir to combine, then give it a taste and add more salt and pepper to round out the flavors, as needed. Enjoy the salad right away or let it chill in the fridge before serving.
Variations
Put your own spin on the salad with any of these variations and mix in ideas:
- Mayo-free – Swap the vegan mayo for mashed avocado or plain vegan yogurt.
- Fresh herbs – Stir in a bunch of fresh dill or parsley for a refreshing, herbal flavor.
- Grapes – Like my Vegan Chicken Salad, you can add chopped green or red grapes for a sweeter chickpea salad. Or chopped apples.
- Nuts – If you like crunch, toss in a handful of walnuts, pecans, or chopped almonds. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are great, too!
- Briny things – Stir in chopped green or black olives, capers, or chopped pepperoncini peppers for a slightly saltier, briny flavor.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cook dry chickpeas from scratch if you’d like! They’ll take longer but will make the salad taste great. To cook, soak 1 ½ cups of dry chickpeas overnight in water, then boil them in fresh water until they’re soft.
Yes, you can use a blender or food processor to mash the chickpeas instead. Just be careful not to over-blend, as you want the chickpeas to have some texture and not turn into a paste.
You really can’t beat stuffing this salad in between slices of bread for epic vegan tuna salad sandwiches! Pair them with my Vegan Broccoli Salad, french fries, or this Fruit Salad for a delicious and healthy lunch, or wrap them up and bring them to a picnic. They’d go great paired with even more vegan picnic recipes, like Vegan Macaroni Salad, Vegan Egg Salad, and Strawberry Pretzel Salad.
Did you end up with leftover chickpea tuna salad? It’s a wonderful snack you can scoop up with crackers or layer on top of a leafy green salad for extra protein and flavor. You can even use it to make vegan tuna melts by layering it on two slices of buttered bread with a slice of vegan cheese, then pan-frying them until warm.
After it’s assembled, transfer the salad to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers because the salad will be watery after thawing.
Chickpea Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- (2) 15-ounce cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 sheet nori, finely chopped optional, or 1 tsp kelp granules
- 4 tablespoons dill pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 rib celery diced small
- 2 tablespoons diced small red onion or chives, green onions
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, to taste or soy sauce
- few shakes black pepper
- optional: 2 tablespoons chopped pepperoncinis + 1 teaspoon chopped capers
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a potato masher (or fork) until they are mostly mashed.
- If using nori for a fishy flavor: Finely chop 1-2 sheets of nori. I found it easiest to simply chop it up with a sharp knife on a cutting board. Kitchen scissors also work. Or, use the kelp granules.
- To the bowl with the chickpeas, add the nori or kelp granules, pickle relish, lemon juice, celery, onion, mayo, salt and black pepper. Add pepperoncinis and capers, if desired. Stir well to combine.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes if you can, to let it get cold and let the flavors come together. You can also enjoy it right away.
- Serve on sandwiches, with crackers, on salads on make a tuna melt with some vegan cheese. Enjoy!
- Leftovers: Keep chickpea tuna in a covered container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Notes
- If you don’t want any fishy flavor, just leave out the nori/kelp. I like it both ways!
- Nutritional information is for the vegan tuna only, not including bread or whatever you serve it with.
- For vegan tuna melts, spread vegan butter on two slices of bread. Add some tuna and a slice of vegan cheese, then pan fry until warm.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally published in May 2018, and has been republished with new photos and writing.
First time making faux tuna in my 20+ years of being vegetarian. This was amazing! Left out the nori. What would you recommend as a lower-calorie option for the mayonnaise? I know regular mayo has lite options. Also wondering if the protein can be increased any way. Thank you for a great recipe!
I’m happy you enjoyed it! Sometimes I use a high protein vegan yogurt in place of the mayo. More protein + lower calorie.
Nora! Wow! If this tastes i/4 as good as it looks, I will be in heaven. I cannot wait to try it as soon as I can get some chickpeas cooked.
I will report back, Chief. Bahahahahaha…..
This recipe was absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS! Definitely adding it as a staple recipe!
Thanks for your awesome review and feedback, Kim! I’m thrilled you love the recipe!
Awesome recipe even my son liked it
This is one of my go-to salads now!
So good, healthy and easy to make.
Thanks, Nora!
You bet, Suzanne. I love this one as well! Thanks for sharing your awesome review and feedback!
Excellent recipe! I did tweak it. I dried the drained and rinsed chickpeas with paper towel. I lightly toasted Nori sheet, as it crumbles nicely in hands, instead of chopping.
I eat tuna salad a couple times a week, and found this recipe a very good close second to the real thing. Thank you and well done!
Great idea, thanks! I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipe.
On thé vegan journey for about 6 months and still fining recipes for foods I really enjoyed before and OMG this chickpea tuna is amazingly delicious. Looking forward to trying out other recipes
I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Robin! I hope you enjoy exploring my recipes and find lots more you love! I love creating them! Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback!
One great way to chop up Nori sheets is using scissors.
I like putting quartered grapes and olives into the mix. Diced bamboo shoots or hearts of palm are great for adding a little texture. Mock tuna can be made so many ways. Thanks for your recipe Nora!
You bet, Stephen! Thank YOU for your ideas! They sound amazing! I appreciate your wonderful review!
I’ve missed tuna sandwiches for far too long. This recipe, as with all of Nora’s recipes, hit the mark!!! It was so satisfying and yummy. Confession… I ate half of a tuna sandwich and half of a tuna melt in one sitting. I’m stuffed but so happy 🙂
Question – Nora would this work in a tuna noodle casserole?
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe so much! It’s on repeat at my house and has been for years. I’ve never tried making a vegan tuna casserole, but it might work!
So good! I don’t know if it taste like tuna, since I didn’t like tuna even before going vegan, but it reminds me of a fish roe salad my mom used to make. It’s definitely a keeper – Thank you!
You bet, Shirly! I love this stuff! Thank you for your wonderful review and feedback!
I just put a batch of this together about 2 hours ago and put it in the fridge do the flavors will blend. I did take a fork full an OMG I can’t wait to have it on a sandwich for lunch tomorrow! Oh I also put some on a cracker to try, yummy, yum, yum! Thanks Nora. Oh also do you have a way to finely grind or chop those nori sheets. I tryed the food processor and that didn’t work, I have one of those little spice/coffee grinder and that did ok. Seems there should be an easy way to do it?
I’m glad to hear you like the vegan “tuna” salad! It’s been one of my favorite recipes for years and I make it often. Sometimes I just leave out the nori sheets, but to grind them up you can try breaking them into smaller pieces before you put them in the food processor or a blender. Sometimes just a large knife and a cutting board is easier.
I’ve been meaning to make this for a long time. As a tuna fish lover, I’d normally just make tuna salad. But I’ve been trying to work with what I have in the pantry lately since grocery prices have become so horribly expensive.
I only had one can of chickpeas, so I cut the recipe in half. The only change was no nori (I don’t think it needed it but I’ll try it next time I have some), and I used regular Mayo.
This was so scrumptious! On some levels I preferred it to regular tuna salad. I was lucky to have fresh bakery rye bread, so I had an open-faced sandwich of this delicious salad with finely shredded carrot and sliced tomato.
Simply, budget-friendly, adaptable, VERY tasty!
Thank you for taking time to share your fabulous review and feedback! I’m thrilled you loved the vegan tuna salad! Your sandwich sounds delicious!
Nora, you hit it out of the park again. I always turn to you for the best cakes and I have been looking for a vegan chickpea tuna recipe for a while and thought – I’m going to see if Nora has one. This recipe is delicious! Better than any other I have had. I made it exactly as you directed and we are blown away. This will be a regular staple in our house. Served it on Everything Bagels with melted cheese, romaine and sliced tomato. Can’t wait to eat another one tomorrow! Thank you!!!
You bet,, Hilary! Your serving idea sounds amazing! I’m so glad the salad was a hit for you! Thanks for letting me know by sharing your fabulous review and feedback!
This is amazing! I used onion powder because I didn’t have an onion and added some dill. Can’t wait to make it again. Thanks!
Glad you loved it! It’s one of my favorites! Thanks for your great review and feedback!