Chickpea Tuna Pasta Salad
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Chickpea Tuna Pasta Salad combines albacore tuna, orecchiette pasta, chickpeas, capers, and veggies with a creamy lemon dressing. This creamy pasta makes a perfect weeknight meal or quick weekend lunch.
Try our Open Faced Tuna Melts or Spicy Tuna Cakes next!
Chickpea Pasta Salad
This salad has so many of my favorite ingredients. Yes, I love tuna and chickpeas – and together they’re a match made in heaven. Add some pasta and a few veggies for a nice crunch. Are you on board yet?
The dressing starts with my Honey Lemon Dressing. I simply added some mayo to make the salad creamy. Simple perfection my friends.
Why This Recipe Works:
- QUICK – While the pasta is cooking, you can prep most of the remaining ingredients. Simple and quick.
- FULL OF FLAVOR – The lemon dressing and capers add the most interesting flavor to a tuna pasta salad.
- PLENTY OF PROTEIN – The tuna and chickpeas provide a nice punch of protein in this delicious salad. It can be a full meal too.
- COMFORT FOOD – Cold pasta salads are comfort food to me. But this easy recipe is not overly indulgent. It is well-balanced and could be a main dish or a quick lunch!
What You’ll Need to make Chickpea Tuna Pasta Salad:
- Chickpeas – Our favorite canned beans that we never run out of! I’m obsessed.
- Tuna – I buy albacore tuna in water. You’ll need two 12 oz. cans of tuna (9 oz. strained).
- Pasta – Orecchiette pasta is most definitely a favorite shape here. Different pasta shapes are great too.
- Capers – Add some briney flavor to the salad. It can be skipped if you don’t like them.
- Red Onion and Celery – Add a perfect texture to the cold salad.
- For the dressing – You’ll need mayo (I use the one with olive oil included), extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, honey, and kosher salt plus freshly ground black pepper.
Optional Ingredients – You may want to add one or some of the following ingredients to this tuna chickpea pasta salad – grape tomatoes, black olives, red bell pepper, feta cheese, green peas, fresh basil, or some red pepper flakes. All of these are good options.
How to make Chickpea Tuna Pasta Salad:
Step 1
Cook pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions, or to al dente. Strain and place in a large bowl.
Step 2
Combine ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl – the tuna, chickpeas, capers, red onion, and celery.
Step 3
Make dressing. In a small food processor, combine the salad dressing ingredients – mayonnaise, olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Run food processor until smooth and creamy.
Step 4
Add creamy dressing to the salad. Pour the dressing into the salad bowl and give it a good stir to combine well.
Step 5
Serve salad. Serve chickpea tuna pasta salad with extra freshly ground black pepper.
Store salad in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to three days. This creamy pasta salad is even tastier the next day.
What to pair with Chickpea Tuna Salad:
Recipe Tips:
- Don’t rinse your pasta. Doing so will remove the starch that is needed for the dressing to stick.
- While there are several versions of canned tuna, we prefer the white albacore tuna (soaked in water) best.
- Use a food processor (the mini processor we use is linked below) to mix the dressing. This will ensure a smooth and creamy consistency.
- This pasta salad can be served as soon as you make it (at room temperature) or cold out of the refrigerator.
Other Pasta Salad Recipes:
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Chickpea Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 18 oz. strained albacore tuna (in water) – two 12 oz. cans of tuna in water
- 15 oz. chickpeas – rinsed and strained
- 8 oz. orecchiette pasta
- 1/4 cup red onion – sliced thin
- 1/2 cup celery – chopped
- 1-2 Tablespoons capers – optional
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 6 Tablespoons lemon juice – freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup mayo with olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions, or to al dente. Strain and place in a large bowl.
- Combine ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl – the tuna, chickpeas, capers, red onion, and celery.
- Make dressing. In a small food processor, combine the salad dressing ingredients – mayonnaise, olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Run food processor until smooth and creamy.
- Add dressing to the salad. Pour the dressing into the salad bowl and stir to combine well.
- Serve salad. Serve chickpea tuna pasta salad with extra freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- This pasta salad can be served as soon as you make it (at room temperature) or cold out of the refrigerator.
- Store leftover salad in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to three days.
This is a new twist on a salad I love. So good for hot summer days when you want to just grab something out of the fridge. I am all about food prep for quick lunches!!
Us too! Thanks Shari!
Delicious and simple. I love that!
Exactly!
I make one similar to this (my daughter’s recipe) elbow macaroni, sweet onion (chopped) sundried tomatoes (chopped) tuna (drained) and crumbled well, mayo and a couple of good size tbsp of miracle whip. Combine well. S/P to taste.
I will try yours with the chickpeas. Sounds good.
Yours sounds great too!