Who knew; chickpea "tuna" salad, the perfect quick and easy sammie. I don't know about you but tuna and peanut butter & jelly sandwich (now almond butter and honey) have always been a quick week night go to when I've been to tired to whip up a full meal.
PIN this Vegan Chickpea Salad recipe to try later!

There are a lot of options with this very versatile salad.
A few chickpea tuna serving suggestions include:
- Vegan "Tuna" Melt
- Chickpea "Tuna" on a bed of lettuce
- Serve with carrots and celery
- With gluten-free crackers
This is a favorite quick meal recipe, perfect to double batch and have on standby for preparing a salad, sandwich or eating with veggies.
We definitely realize that for some, tuna is a required taste. If you aren't trying to recreate that then you could create a great chickpea spread by not including the kelp flakes and old bay.
But if you are looking for a substitute for that - fishy & salty taste; you want to make sure to included the kelp flakes, old bay seasoning and fresh lemon juice.
We've also tried another tuna substitute product called VeganToona, it has the texture, taste and even comes in a can. But, to be honest it's pretty salty.
Vegan Chickpea Tuna
Ingredients
- 1 -15oz can Chickpea - drained and rinsed
- ½ Lemon - juiced
- ⅓ cup Vegan mayo
- ¼ cup Sweet pickle relish
- 2 teaspoons Kelp Granules - we like Maine Coast Sea Vegetables Kelp Granules
- 1 teaspoons Celery seed - or chopped celery
- ¼ cup Red onion - diced
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasonings
- ⅛ Cayenne powder
- 2 tablespoon Hemp Hearts
- Salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Drain and rinse chickpeas, place in medium size bowl and roughly mash the chickpeas, about ¾, with the back of a fork or potato masher, until desired consistency.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, adding any extra ingredients you like. Alternatively, you can use a food processor starting with the beans, pulse a few times, add remaining ingredients pulsing again a few times until desired consistency.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a covered container
Nutrition
These nutritional figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe.
Looking for more great vegan sandwich ideas be sure to check out our Beet Rueben Sandwich recipe.
If you give this chickpea tuna recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, or take a picture and tag and us on Instagram #thevgnway.
Live Love and Eat Good Food!
THE VGN WAY
Karen Moore
Can’t believe how much this taste like what I remember tuna tasting like! Yay!