I love this chickpea “tuna” salad for its simplicity and fresh flavors. This quick, no-cook recipe is ready in just 10 minutes. With creamy vegan mayo, tangy capers, and zesty lemon juice, this vegan alternative to traditional tuna salad is perfect for sandwiches or as a topping for salads.
This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
This vegan salad is make-ahead friendly and a great option for meal prepping. Just whip it up, store it in the fridge for up to 5 days, and enjoy it in as a salad or spread on sandwiches.
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make this vegan chickpea tuna salad recipe, you’ll need chickpeas, radishes, capers, vegan mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, horseradish sauce, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
Variations & Substitutions
- Chickpeas. Use canned chickpeas or cooked chickpeas. If using cooked chickpeas instead, measure out 1 and ½ cups.
- Radishes. Adds a crunchy texture and peppery flavor. Substitute with bell peppers or cucumber.
- Capers. Dill pickles or green olives will work well too.
- Vegan mayonnaise. You can use regular mayonnaise if you don’t need to make it vegan.
- Dijon mustard. Substitute with yellow mustard or spicy brown mustard.
- Horseradish sauce. You can replace this sauce with dill pickle relish.
- Lemon juice. Adds a nice acidity and tangy flavor to the salad.
- Seasonings. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Optional ingredients. You can include cucumbers for extra crunchiness and freshness. Add ½ a cup of diced cucumbers.
📖 How to make chickpea tuna salad
Step 1:
Mash the chickpeas in a mixing bowl and with a fork.
Step 2:
Add vegan mayonnaise, chopped radishes, lemon juice, chopped capers, Dijon mustard, horseradish sauce, salt and pepper to the mixing bowl. Toss gently to combine.
Step 3:
Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Shruthi’s Top Tip
Mix the Dijon mustard and vegan mayonnaise separately before adding to the chickpeas to ensure an even blend and consistent flavor throughout the salad.
- For a more robust flavor, toast the chickpeas lightly in a dry skillet before mashing. This enhances the nutty taste and adds a slight crispness to the salad.
- Mash chickpeas to the right consistency by using a potato masher or a pastry cutter for a quicker and more thorough mash compared to a fork.
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
Yes, use 1½ cups of cooked chickpeas if substituting for canned.
Mash the chickpeas thoroughly with a fork, but leave some chunks for texture.
Add a bit more vegan mayo or a pinch of sugar to mellow the tanginess.
🍴 How to serve tuna chickpea salad
What I love about this vegan chickpea salad is that it can be used in so many ways. You can wrap it in a lettuce wrap for a low-carb option or use it as a dip for crackers, pita chips, or veggies. You can also use it as a spread for sandwiches or toast. I also like topping it over a simple kale salad or caesar salad to make it more filling.
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to three days. Reheat it in a microwave for 1-2 minutes or until completely warmed through.
I don’t recommend freezing this salad as the chickpeas and radishes become mushy and the vegan mayo will separate.
🍴 More chickpea recipes:
If you like this recipe, check out my other delicious chickpea recipes:
Authentic Chana Masala
Greek Chickpea Soup
Shiro Wat (Ethiopian Chickpea Stew)
Roasted Chana (Crispy Indian Chickpeas!)
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chickpea Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 15 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 radishes, minced
- ½ lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Mash the chickpeas in a mixing bowl and with a fork.
- Add to the mixing bowl the vegan mayonnaise, chopped radishes, lemon juice, chopped capers, Dijon mustard, horseradish sauce, salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
- Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Use as needed in sandwiches or salads.
Notes
- Using cooked chickpeas: If using cooked chickpeas instead, measure out 1 and ½ cups.
- Horseradish sauce: You can replace this sauce with dill pickle relish.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Serving Suggestions: This mixture can be used as fillings to sandwiches up to 4 sandwiches.
- Optional ingredients: You can include cucumbers for extra crunchiness and freshness, add ½ a cup of diced cucumbers
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is such a good recipe! I had all the ingredients on hand and made this and it was just wonderful. I like how you put the radishes in for the crunch (instead of celery like most recipes) and added horseradish and capers. Delicious! A keeper that will be made over and over again. Thank you!
Thanks so much! I love radishes – so really glad you liked it too.
Thank you! I have been wanting a good “Tuna” salad recipe, and had no idea how to make it Vegetarian! This is a keeper 🙂