Chickpea Tuna Salad Recipe
High-Protein Chickpea Tuna Salad with a creamy mayo-free dressing. A fiber-rich, heart-healthy vegan lunch for sandwiches, wraps, and meal prep.
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 389kcal
Equipment
- Potato masher or large fork
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas drained and rinsed (about two 15-ounce cans)
- 2 stalks celery finely diced
- ⅓ cup finely diced red onion
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh dill
For the high-protein creamy dressing:
- 7 to 8 ounces firm tofu drained, or ¾ cup plain unsweetened Greek-style yogurt
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard or wholegrain mustard
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- 3 to 4 snack-size nori sheets or approximately 1 full-size sushi nori sheet
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Hot sauce to taste (optional)
- 5 to 6 tablespoons water as needed (see notes)
Instructions
- Mash the chickpeas: Transfer the chickpeas to a large bowl. Use a fork or potato masher to mash until most are broken down, leaving small pieces for texture.
- Blend the dressing: Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, capers, three snack-size nori sheets, garlic powder, black pepper, hot sauce if using, and water to a small blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Alternatively, use an immersion blender in a narrow container. Add the remaining water if needed to reach a thick, creamy consistency.
- Taste: Add the remaining snack-size nori sheet for a stronger sea flavor, if desired, and blend again. Adjust the pepper and hot sauce to taste.
- Combine: Add the celery, red onion, and dill to the mashed chickpeas. Pour in the dressing and mix until evenly coated.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes to let the flavors develop. Serve in sandwiches, wraps, lettuce cups, or over roasted sweet potato halves.
Notes
- Tofu tip: This recipe uses firm tofu for more protein. Silken tofu also works, but provides less protein. If using silken, omit the water initially and add only as needed. Avoid extra-firm tofu, which makes the dressing too thick.
- Greek-style yogurt instead of tofu: Substitute ¾ cup plain, unsweetened Greek-style yogurt. Omit the water initially, adding only as needed.
- Optional olive oil: For a richer dressing, replace 1 tablespoon water with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Nori size: Use 3 to 4 small rectangular sheets from a seaweed snack pack, or about ¾ to 1 full-size sushi nori sheet. Start with ¾ sheet and add more to taste.
- Lower-sodium tip: Drain and rinse the capers before blending to remove some of the salty brine.
Nutrition
Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 860mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 10g | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 7mg
