Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 2 cups
Keep your kitchen cool and enjoy a quick lunch with this vegan chickpea "tuna" salad. It's an easy and satisfying no-cook recipe that's ideal for summer. You'll enjoy the same basic taste of a traditional tuna salad but with a few simple changes that transform it into a light vegan meal.
In this cold salad, canned chickpeas take the place of tuna and are mashed to a similar consistency. Vegenaise replaces the typical mayonnaise, ensuring that the dish is egg-free as well. Mix in the flavor combination of celery, dill, onion, parsley, and relish, and you have a tasty salad in just a few minutes. There are also lots of ways you can vary the flavor, especially since there's no tuna taste to inhibit the possibilities.
Enjoy the salad for lunch over bread or lettuce, or combine the two, add a tomato slice, and use spicy mustard or Vegenaise as a sandwich spread. Serve it with crackers for an appetizer or snack or take it along for a picnic.
Tips for Making Vegan Chicken Recipe
- Make it smooth – Though the salad is intended to be a little chunky, you can use a food processor to create the chickpea mash.
- To use dried chickpeas – Soak them overnight, then drain and add them to a pot of boiling water. After 5 minutes, reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Once cooked, 3/4 cup of dried chickpeas is equivalent to a can of chickpeas (about 1 1/2 cups).
- Any onion variety works well – Red onion is common in tuna salad because it has a mild flavor and adds a pop of color. Yellow or white onions would add a nice bite to the salad.
Ingredients
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1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
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1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
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1/4 cup (about 1 to 2 stalks) celery, diced
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1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
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1 tablespoon fresh parsley
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1 tablespoon pickle relish
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1/2 teaspoon dried dill
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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
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1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
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Bread slices, or lettuce, or crackers, for serving, optional
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Mash 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (drained) in a medium mixing bowl with a potato masher or fork.
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Add 1/2 cup yellow onion (diced), 1/4 cup celery (diced), 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon pickle relish, 1/2 teaspoon dried dill, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
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Serve on bread, lettuce, or crackers.
How to Store Vegan Chickpea Recipe
Store the salad in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Feeling Adventurous? Try This:
- For a creamier salad – Add more Vegenaise or incorporate some dairy-free sour cream.
- Add more pickles – Substitute spicy brown or Dijon mustard for the dill relish, or use diced dill pickles.
- Give it a little tang – Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.
- Add more flavor – Add chopped capers, garlic, olives, scallion, or shallot. Use other herbs and spices from your pantry. Go with an Italian herb combo like basil and oregano, or add coriander, fennel, tarragon, or thyme.
- Add veggies – Chopped broccoli or sweet peppers add a nice crunch. Mash avocado along with the chickpeas.
- Spice things up – Add curry powder, cayenne, or red pepper flakes. A splash of your favorite hot sauce or chopped chile pepper works, too.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 176 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 9g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat 1g | 6% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 325mg | 14% |
| Total Carbohydrate 21g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber 5g | 17% |
| Total Sugars 6g | |
| Protein 5g | |
| Vitamin C 4mg | 18% |
| Calcium 43mg | 3% |
| Iron 1mg | 5% |
| Potassium 169mg | 4% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
