Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad

This quick chickpea tuna salad reminds me of the brown bag lunches I brought to school as a kid. Of course, this vegan tuna salad is nothing like the one I enjoyed all those years ago. It’s made with chickpeas! And, like my curried chickpea salad and tofu egg salad, it’s also packed with flavour.

While I serve my vegan tuna fish salad up sandwich-style, you can use the filling any way you’d use a tuna salad. You can even make a vegan tuna melt by adding a slice of your favourite plant-based cheese and toasting the sandwich on a griddle!

Why This Vegan Tuna Salad Works

• Easy. Mix up the ingredients in minutes, and enjoy! This is the type of lunch that I love to whip up on a busy weekday. It stores well, too, so you can make it ahead for the week.
• Loaded with flavour. Instead of adding mayo and celery, I’ve added a variety of flavours and textures to my chickpea tuna salad. Briny capers, Old Bay seasoning, red onion, fresh herbs, and chopped pickles add plenty of tang and crunch.
• Versatile. Serve this vegan tuna salad on crackers, served on a bed of greens, piled atop a pitted avocado, or spread onto cucumber slices for a quick snack.

Notes on Ingredients

Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions, and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.

• Chickpeas – You can use canned chickpeas or cooked crispy chickpeas. If you’re using canned, drain and rinse the chickpeas well beforehand.
• Vegan mayo – Use homemade vegan mayo or store-bought.
• Red onion – Finely minced white onion or a shallot also works.
• Fresh parsley or dill – You can use dried herbs in a pinch, but fresh is so much better! You’ll need about ⅓ of the amount if you’re using dried herbs, since they’re more concentrated.
• Pickles or relish – Pickles will add texture and flavour, while relish mostly contributes flavour.
• Lime juice – Lemon can be used instead.
• Old Bay seasoning – Because Old Bay seasoning is so often paired with seafood, it tricks your brain into thinking you’re eating actual fish! 
• Dijon mustard – Yellow mustard won’t have quite the same flavour, but you can use it in a pinch.
• Capers – You can omit the capers, but if you have them on hand, you’ll love the briny flavour they add to the tuna salad filling. I also use them in pasta dishes, potato salads, Caesar salad, and dressings.

An Easy Vegan Substitute for Tuna

It turns out that canned tuna is easy to replicate with mashed chickpeas and a little Old Bay seasoning to add seafood-like flavour. I’ve also used hearts of palm to make vegan fish sticks and fish tacos.

How to Make Vegan Tuna Salad

Once you prep the ingredients, there’s not much left to do other than combine everything and layer the chickpea salad onto bread!

• Combine the ingredients. Add all of the salad ingredients to your food processor and pulse a few times until combined. If needed, scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse again
• Season and serve. Season your chickpea tuna salad to taste, and enjoy. Spread the vegan tuna salad onto bread; I like adding lettuce, onions, and tomatoes.

Tips for Success

• Getting the right consistency. You don’t want your faux tuna salad to be mushy, but you want to break down the chickpeas and incorporate all the ingredients. About 5 pulses is perfect.
• No food processor? No problem! Use a fork to mash the chickpeas, then stir in the other ingredients.
• Making it your own. You can add sliced celery or water chestnuts for crunch, or make it chicken salad style and add halved red grapes or diced apple.

How to Store

• Refrigerate. Vegan chickpea tuna salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days, which makes it perfect for meal prep lunches. Make it on a Sunday night and enjoy it all week long!
• Freeze it. While experts advise against freezing traditional mayo-based salads, using vegan mayo means that you CAN freeze this chickpea tuna salad. Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months and let it thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

More Vegan Lunch Recipes

• Vegan Grinder Sandwich
• English Muffin Pizza
• Jennifer Aniston Salad
• Vegan Lettuce Wraps
• Loaded Potato Salad
• Chickpea Panzanella Salad

Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan chickpea tuna salad recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!