All of my favorite things in one bowl! Healthy Chickpea Tuna Salad is a combination of canned tuna and chickpeas with all the colorful veggies of the rainbow. Top it with feta cheese and a zesty lemon dressing!
If ya’ll know me well, you know that chickpeas are life. I add them to almost all of my salads, all of my hummus recipes so far, and I even have a chickpea salad sandwich recipe on the blog.
Chickpeas are a great source of protein and fiber, so if you are trying to reduce your meat consumption, they are a great alternative. Above all, I just love the way they pop in your mouth and of course, the taste. They give me life, ya’ll! 😀
This salad is also great, because it incorporates lots of veggies, tuna, and a healthy, lemon-y salad dressing that I use on my Lemon Orzo Salad too. The perfect amount of zesty.
Ingredients needed for Healthy Chickpea Tuna Salad:
For the salad:
- Chickpeas – Feel free to use any brand you like. I haven’t noticed a difference between them so far, and we eat A LOT of chickpeas. They are so good and have great protein and fiber.
- Tuna – I normally use Albacore Tuna for this salad The measurements in the recipe card are based on drained tuna, fyi.
- Cucumber – My preference is English cucumbers, but any kind works just fine.
- Onion – Red onion has a stronger flavor, perfect for this recipe.
- Bell Pepper – A combo of any color bell peppers works. I used a little bit of yellow and a little bit of red. Red has the sweetest flavor!
- Tomatoes – I used a colorful combo of cherry tomatoes.
- Cheese – Just a little bit of feta cheese goes a long way with flavor.
- Arugula – Serve the salad over a bed of arugula, if desired. Or use another type of lettuce.
For the dressing:
- Olive Oil – Good fats, ya’ll!
- Lemon – Provides some zesty, light flavor to a healthy salad.
- Honey – Just a touch for some sweetness.
- Salt and Pepper – Always.
How to make Chickpea Tuna Salad:
- Make dressing. In a mason jar, mix together the salad dressing – the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Shake well and set aside.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, tuna, cucumbers, red onion, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese.
- Add dressing. Pour the prepared dressing over the salad, and stir to combine.
- Serve. Serve the tuna salad over a bed of arugula, or regular lettuce of your choice.
How many days does this salad stay fresh?
This is a small recipe, so we’ve never had leftovers past one day. But if you add dressing to individual salads, this would last in the refrigerator for several days.
Other tuna recipes on the blog:
- Healthy Tuna Patties – These use Greek yogurt in the base, and are lightly seared.
- Jalapeño Tuna Cakes – Nice and spicy, just how we like it.
- Classic Tuna Melts – Cue the memories! These bring me back to my childhood sans the Velveeta cheese!
Kitchen Tools used for this recipe:
- Global 7-inch Knife – My fav kitchen knife.
- Citrus Press – Used to prep the lemon juice.
Try this salad recipe next! Best Creamy Cucumber Salad
Please let know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.
xoxo ~Sue
Healthy Chickpea Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 15 oz. chickpeas – rinsed and strained
- 12 oz. albacore tuna – drained of liquid
- 1 cup english cucumber – chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion – sliced
- 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper – chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes – chopped
- 1/2 cup feta cheese – crumbled
- arugula – to serve
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 large lemon – freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon honey
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Shake to mix well.
- Mix all the salad ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Pour dressing over the top and combine.
- Serve over a bed of arugula, if desired.
This salad is amazing and saves me calories for a 2nd Blackberry Peach Frozen Margarita! Score. 😎
Great idea!