• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Know Your Produce
  • Home
  • About
    • Resources
    • Privacy
    • Disclosure
    • Nutrition Disclaimer
    • Work With Us
    • Contact
  • Recipes
  • How To
  • Gardening
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • How To
  • Gardening
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Recipes

    Vegan Tuna Salad – Chickpea Salad Sandwich

    BY: Courtney PUBLISHED: Aug 6, 2019 13 Comments UPDATED ON: Jul 16, 2020

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    JUMP TO RECIPE

    Vegan Tuna Salad filled with chickpeas, celery, onions, fresh herbs, kelp flakes, and even flaxseed for omega 3. It makes the best chickpea salad sandwich and it’s perfect for breakfast lunch or dinner. 

    vegan tuna salad with chickpeas on wheat bread with lettuce and tomato on a light blue plate

    This mock tuna salad makes the perfect sandwich or tuna macaroni salad and you’re going to want to make it again and again. No more worrying about too much mercury with regular tuna!

    WHAT MAKES THIS THE BEST VEGAN TUNA SALAD?

    We make this vegan tuna salad by adding lots of fresh ingredients and the chickpeas even add tons of protein. It’s so easy to whip up and it definitely will remind you of tuna salad made with tuna. If you want more of a flakey fish texture you can even add in some hearts of palm. We use wholesome ingredients and you can even swap the storebought vegan mayo for your favorite oil-free based mayo recipe. We add kelp flakes as well as ground flaxseed for a slight taste of the sea and also some omegas. You could also use dulse, crushed nori, or seaweed snack.

    close up of vegan tuna salad on wheat bread with lettuce and tomatoes on a plate

    VEGAN TUNA SALAD INGREDIENTS

    • Chickpeas – these are the “meat” and the protein in this recipe, you could also add chopped hearts of palm for the flakey fish texture if desired.
    • Celery – it’s a staple in traditional tuna and chicken salad so it’s definitely must in this recipe.
    • Red Onion – we prefer red over white onion as it has a bit more flavor, but if you don’t like any red onion you can use a sweet onion or even scallions for a mild flavor.
    • Mayo – this brings it all together, you can use storebought or homemade.
    • Lemon Juice – juice from lemon brightens up this dish.
    • Parsley – fresh parsley adds color and a bit of flavor, we love this using this fresh herb.
    • Kelp Flakes – by using kelp flakes, dulse flakes, or crushed nori you give it that slightly fishy taste, but can be left out.
    • Ground Flaxseed – these seeds add omega-3 and we highly recommend grinding your own.
    • Pepper – optional, but definitely adds to the salad.

    cut in half vegan tuna salad with chickpeas on wheat bread with lettuce and tomato on a light blue plate

    HOW TO MAKE CHICKPEA TUNA SALAD

    how to make tuna salad with chickpeas step by step photos

    1. Prep the chickpeas: In a medium-size bowl mash the chickpeas using a potato masher or a fork until broken down and there are no whole or halved chickpeas.
    2. Combine: Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until combined.
    3. Serve: Serve right away or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

    vegan tuna salad on a fork close up

    HOW TO MAKE A CHICKPEA SALAD SANDWICH

    Toast your favorite bread, we go with sprouted whole wheat. We first layer with lettuce and use green leaf lettuce, then a good amount of the chickpea tuna salad, pickles, and then tomatoes, you could even add onions, sprouts, or other greens. Hot peppers are delicious on this too!

    vegan tuna salad sandwich on a light blue plate with yellow napkin to the right

    SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

    Vegan tuna salad can be enjoyed just like regular tuna salad to make a chickpea salad sandwich, or even in a wrap, on bagels, with crackers, vegan tuna pasta salad, or even on its own with a spoon. There’s no wrong way to enjoy it!

    RECIPE NOTES:

    • There’s no need to remove the skin from the chickpeas.
    • We suggest freshly grinding flaxseeds to ensure that they contain the most nutrients instead of buying already ground.
    • We use kelp granules, but you could also use dulse or seaweed of choice. The flaxseeds also help give the fishy flavor.
    • Use fresh herbs, the parsley really brightens up the recipe and we do not recommend using dried.
    • Taste before adding salt especially if using canned chickpeas as they contain a lot of salt and the kelp also is a great salt replacer.
    • This can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
    close up of vegan tuna salad on wheat bread with lettuce and tomatoes on a plate

    Vegan Tuna Salad

    Author: Courtney
    If you're looking for a legit vegan tuna salad, this is it! Filled with chickpeas, celery, onions, fresh herbs, kelp flakes, and even flaxseed for omega 3. This recipe is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
    4.89 from 9 votes

    (click stars to vote)

    Print Pin SaveSaved!
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 minute minute
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 234kcal
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: chickpea tuna salad, vegan tuna salad
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
    • 1/2 cup celery chopped
    • 1/2 cup red onion chopped
    • 1/3 cup vegan mayo
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • 1/8 cup parsley chopped
    • 1 teaspoon kelp flakes
    • 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed optional (for omega)

    Instructions

    • Mash the chickpeas using a potato masher until broken down.
    • Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until combined.
    • Place the chickpea tuna in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to chill before serving.

    Tried this recipe?

    We’d love to know what you think! Please leave a rating and comment to share your thoughts on this recipe. Your feedback helps us continue sharing free, high-quality recipes with you. Thank you so much!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Tuna Salad
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    234
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    14
    g
    22
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    13
    %
    Sodium
     
    441
    mg
    19
    %
    Potassium
     
    254
    mg
    7
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    19
    g
    6
    %
    Fiber
     
    6
    g
    25
    %
    Sugar
     
    1
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    6
    g
    12
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    232
    IU
    5
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    5
    mg
    6
    %
    Calcium
     
    52
    mg
    5
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    full nutrition disclaimer

    The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.

    Did you make this recipe?Tag us on social media using @knowyourproduce and or use #knowyourproduce!

    POSTED IN: Main Dish Recipes Recipes Vegan Recipes celery chickpeas flaxseed kelp lemon mayo onions parsley red onion

    About Courtney

    Fruit and Veggie lover. I love making produce fun and delicious, not to mention taking tons of pictures in the process! :-)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kylie

      June 01, 2020 at 9:35 am

      Great, easy recipe! Super awesome for a summer lunch.

      Reply
    2. Gretchen Burton

      August 01, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      Love th3 chickpea tuna salad tecupe!!!
      Cannot wait ti try it????

      Reply
      • Courtney

        August 08, 2021 at 4:16 pm

        We hope you love it!

        Reply
    3. Debbie

      March 07, 2022 at 9:43 pm

      This was so delicious, I used tarragon from the garden as I didn’t have parsley but that was great, I also didn’t have the kelp flakes but used some nori paper and crushed that up. This sandwich was sooooo good I will definitely be making this again – this is coming from a very fussy eater. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Courtney

        March 12, 2022 at 1:47 pm

        Great swaps!! So glad you enjoyed it!! 😀

        Reply
      • Hadley

        May 15, 2022 at 6:09 pm

        New to your site—excited to try this recipe this week! What brand of kelp flakes do you use/where do you purchase yours? Thanks!

        Reply
        • Courtney

          May 15, 2022 at 6:48 pm

          Welcome, happy to have you here! 😀 We use Maine Coast kelp flakes. We buy them either online through iHerb, Thrive market, or Vitacost. You can also find them in stores like Whole Foods.

    4. Karen

      April 10, 2022 at 1:37 pm

      My daughter likes this recipe. She said it didn’t really taste like tuna, but it was good on a sandwich. I added egg, as well, for my add a nutrition for my octo/ ovo. Thank you

      Reply
      • Courtney

        April 15, 2022 at 10:22 am

        Glad you guys liked it! I think the addition of eggs would cause it to not taste so much like tuna due to the eggy flavor almost like an egg salad, but a great combo!

        Reply
    5. emily

      April 16, 2022 at 11:27 am

      Definitely better after sitting in the fridge over night. I used soaked (not cooked) chickpeas like I do for falafel. I also added a pinch of old bay. Will be making this often.

      Reply
      • Courtney

        April 24, 2022 at 12:08 pm

        So glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    6. Elena

      November 01, 2022 at 8:06 am

      Hi i just made it super delicious and easy quick thank you i was looking something like that as im a vegan is perfectly awesome !

      Reply
      • Courtney

        November 13, 2022 at 10:08 am

        You’re so welcome! We’re glad you enjoyed 😀

        Reply
    4.89 from 9 votes (3 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    fall family photo, mother, son, daughter, father.

    Welcome to know your produce.

    Hey there! We're sharing our love for fruits and veggies and making sure that they are in each and every meal.

    More about us →

    sign up for recipes and tips




    Popular Recipes

    • Apple Carrot Bread
    • homemade zucchini bread recipe
      Zucchini Bread Recipe
    • peach bread recipe
      Peach Bread Recipe
    • Easy Fruit Salad

    More From The Blog >

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Cookie Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work With Us

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Know Your Produce

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.