The flavor and texture of this Vegan Tuna Salad Sandwich is spot on! With crunchy celery and onion, and a creamy dairy free dressing, chickpeas are sandwiched between whole grain bread for a healthy whole food plant-based take on the classic!
Truth time…I was never a fan of tuna salad. I have always had a strong aversion to mayonnaise. Even when I ate tuna, I avoided tuna salad at all costs.
The last few weeks I’ve been on a sandwich kick! I love a good wrap stuffed with veggies and hummus, but I was looking to add some additional protein to my sandwiches.
I started playing with chickpeas, and thought I’d revisit the old tuna salad, but this time, there’d be no tuna and no mayo!
How is it possible to have a tuna salad sandwich without tuna or mayo? Chickpeas, hummus, and dijon mustard! Don’t run away! I swear it works, and you’ll love it.
Whether you were a fan of the traditional tuna salad, or detested mayo the way I did, this vegan tuna salad sandwich will become one of your new favorite ways to enjoy chickpeas!
Make this easy bound salad as one of your vegan prep meals, and enjoy it for lunch or dinner throughout the week!
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Tuna Salad…
- Authentic flavors
- Whole food plant-based ingredients
- Full of protein
- Whole grains
- Nice crunch!
- Easy enough to make for a weekday lunch!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 15 oz can of drained and rinsed chickpeas
- ¼ cup hummus
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 1 teaspoon green nori sprinkles (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- â…› teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 8 slices of whole grain or gluten free bread
Tools and Equipment You’ll Need
I prefer mashing the chickpeas in the food processor. It’s faster and you get a good consistency, although if you don’t have a food processor you can mash the chickpeas with a potato masher.
How to Make Vegan Tuna Salad – Step by Step
Step 1: Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place in food processor with hummus, dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Pulse until you get your desired consistency.
Step 2: Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add chopped celery, red onion, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and nori. Fold ingredients together until evenly distributed.
Step 3: Spread vegan tuna salad evenly among 4 slices of whole grain bread. Top with spinach, lettuce, or other greens of choice. Then top with whole grain or gluten free bread, slice in half, and serve.
What makes this Vegan Tuna Salad healthy?
- High in Protein-One serving has 12 grams of protein thanks to the power of chickpeas! That’s a quarter of your recommended protein intake in one vegan sandwich!
- Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients-Low in calories and high in nutrients, chickpeas are an excellent food source. Chickpeas are high in folate, manganese, iron, and phosphorous.
- High in Fiber-The whole grain bread and chickpeas combined make for a fiber packed sandwich! With 10 grams of fiber per serving you’ll have 40% of your recommended fiber.
- Reduces Risk of Chronic Disease-Some studies have show that chickpeas reduces risk of heart disease, some cancers, and helps regulate blood sugar.
Tips for Making Vegan Tuna Salad
- Be sure to drain and rinse chickpeas. Otherwise this mixture will be too wet to hold together.
- Add any additional veggies into the salad you like. Carrots and pickles add a great crunch!
- Use the food processor to easily mash the chickpeas and combine the wet ingredients.
- If you don’t have dijon mustard sub for a yellow mustard.
- Adding the green nori (seaweed sprinkles) gives the salad a bit of that seafood flavor. You can find it in the international aisle of your grocery store.
- Stores 3-5 days in the fridge.
How to Serve
- Serve on top of lettuce cups.
- Make a wrap sandwich.
- Serve on top of a garden salad.
Check-Out these other chickpea recipes!
If you’ve tried my recipe for Vegan Tuna Salad, please rate it and let me know how it turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!
Recipe
Vegan Tuna Salad with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 15 oz can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup hummus
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 1 teaspoon nori sprinkles
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- â…› teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 8 slices whole grain bread or gluten-free bread
Instructions
- Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place in food processor with hummus, dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Pulse until you get your desired consistency.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add chopped celery, red onion, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and nori. Fold ingredients together until evenly distributed.
- Spread vegan tuna salad evenly among 4 slices of whole grain bread. Top with spinach, lettuce, or other greens of choice. Then top with whole grain bread, slice in half, and serve.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to drain and rinse chickpeas. Otherwise this mixture will be too wet to hold together.
- Add any additional veggies into the salad you like. Carrots and pickles add a great crunch!
- Use the food processor to easily mash the chickpeas and combine the wet ingredients.
- If you don’t have dijon mustard sub for a yellow mustard.
- Adding the green nori (seaweed sprinkles) gives the salad a bit of that seafood flavor. You can find it in the international aisle of your grocery store.
- Stores for up to 3-5 days in the fridge
Joseph
This looks delicious. I love and miss tuna sandwiches.
I’m a 76 year old man with a heart condition was in the hospital a month ago with a heart beat of 37 beats per minute. I followed the Esselstyn food diet from Prevent and reverse heart disease no oil.Within a month lost 12 lbs and ate more than I ever have and my heartbeat is up to 64 beats per minute.
I was eating whole food plant based off and on for the past 5 years. However, over the past year began to slip back and came close to death. There was always a reason to eat poorly, Thanksgiving, Christmas, someones birthday including the dogs birthday lol
The hospital wanted to put a pacemaker in me and I refused and was able to fix the problem myself with eating plants. I have a lot of energy and feel more like 30 years old.
Your tuna looks amazing. I”m on vacation in Clolnial Williamsburg with my wife so I can’t print this out. I really miss tuna.
Neli Howard
This is the best vegan recipe ever. I don’t do vegan version of regular meals, but this got my attention. Genius. Thank you!
Alison Corey
Thank you so much! That’s an awesome compliment! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Katie
Perfect lunch potluck idea for my friends who are vegan. Thanks for sharing!
stephanie
So much flavor and deliciousness in every bite.
Irina
I especially love the sandwiched option of serving this salad! Drooling over your pictures. Well, I should make it:)
Sapana
So much flavor — and so easy to make! Perfect for a quick luch.