Tangy, creamy and full of plant-based protein, this Chickpea "Tuna" Salad will quickly become your favorite sandwich filling!

I've always loved any kind of egg, chicken or tuna salad. So after I switched to a plant-based diet I knew I needed to find a vegan version to satisfy my cravings whenever they hit. I've shared this Spicy Buffalo Chickpea Salad, but today I wanted to share a non-spicy, more classic version of vegan tuna salad. Enter in: Vegan Chickpea "Tuna" Salad! This chickpea salad is tangy, creamy and hearty thanks to lots of vinegar, lemon juice, tahini and chickpeas. I love to pile this chickpea salad high on toasted whole wheat sandwich bread with lettuce and tomato for a hearty, flavorful lunch. This chickpea "tuna" salad also makes for a great dip for veggies or Homemade Whole Grain Sesame Crackers.
Jump To
Ingredients
Other than a few veggies, this salad calls for mostly pantry staple ingredients.
I'll list out everything you'll need below:
How to replace mayo in tuna salad
Obviously, tuna isn't vegan.
Neither is traditional mayo.
So to make a vegan version of tuna salad we're going to use chickpeas for the main protein source and tahini instead of mayo.
Tahini is a great substitute for mayo in vegan tuna salad as it adds the creamy factor that traditional mayo usually provides.
Then, in addition to the tahini, we'll be using vinegar and lemon juice to provide some tang!
How to make vegan chickpea tuna salad
To make Vegan Chickpea "Tuna" Salad, simply follow the step-by-step instructions below:
Step 1: Place the chickpeas, tahini, vinegar, and lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined, making sure to leave some texture in the chickpeas. Alternatively, if you don't have a food processor, you can use a fork to mash the chickpeas.
Step 2: Pour the mashed chickpea mixture into a bowl and add in the celery, red onion, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined.
Step 3: Taste the salad and add more salt if needed.
Step 4: Pile the salad high on toasted bread with crispy lettuce and tomato or use it as a dip for veggies and/or crackers
Storage
Thanks to the fresh lemon juice, vinegar and salt, this Vegan Chickpea "Tuna" Salad stores beautifully.
Simply place any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. The leftovers should last for about a week.
Pairing
I've already shared a few ways I like to enjoy this chickpea salad, but I'll list out a few suggestions below!
- As a filling for sandwiches
- As a filling for wraps
- As a dip for crackers and/or veggies
- As the filling for lettuce wraps
- As the protein source for vegan mac & cheese
- On top of a bed of lettuce for a hearty salad
Also, if you like this, you'll probably also enjoy this easy Tahini granola with crunchy clusters 🙂
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chickpea "Tuna" Salad
Equipment
- Plant Biased Cookbook
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 stalk celery finely chopped
- ⅛ red onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the drained and rinsed chickpeas into a food processor along with the tahini, vinegar and lemon juice. Pulse until everything is well combined, but the chickpeas still have some texture.
- Pour the chickpea mixture into a large mixing bowl and add in the remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine.
- Taste and add more salt if needed.
Please Leave A Star Review In The Recipe Card!