Quick and easy vegan mock tuna salad (aka the chickpea of the sea!) is a healthy and yummy main for a sandwich or salad! Egg free, dairy free, gluten free, and more.
This vegan chickpea of the sea is a healthy, protein-packed salad recipe ready in less than 20 minutes! With the healthy chickpeas, creamy dressing, and how quick and easy it is to make, this is one recipe that will become a weekly go-to lunch recipe! Great for meal prep, picnics, BBQs, and so much more.
Free from: Wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, corn, lupin, sulfites, and more
Optional free from: Sesame, Mustard, Celery, Nightshades/Tomatoes
My favorite way to enjoy this sandwich is in between two slices of hearty bread, but this is also delicious as a filling in lettuce wraps, on top of a salad, or as a dip for crackers.
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Why You’ll Love this Sandwich
- Quick and easy to make
- No weird ingredients
- High in protein and rich in fiber
- Vegan classic recipe made allergy friendly
- Egg free, Dairy free, Gluten free, Nut free, and more!
Ingredients
Here is a quick rundown of what ingredients you’ll need for this vegan mock tuna salad. See the recipe card for the exact measurements and see the allergy substitutions for how to adapt this recipe for your unique needs.
- Chickpeas: I use canned chickpeas as they are convenient. Of course, you can cook your own chickpeas for this recipe. If you use canned beans, make sure to drain and rinse them.
- Salad ingredients: Celery, red onion, with optional tomatoes or cucumber
- Dressing ingredients: Hummus, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic powder, salt and pepper
- Serving ingredients: Serve with hearty breads, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and pickles!
Allergy Substitutions
If you have a mustard allergy, you can omit the Dijon mustard with no loss of taste. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to get a little tang, if you like. See this article for more mustard substitutions!
If allergic to sesame, swap the hummus for vegan mayo. You can also check out my egg free egg salad sandwich for a similar vibe!
If you're avoiding celery, you can replace the celery with fresh diced fennel, if you are able to safely enjoy that. See this article for more celery substitutions!
Variations
- Optionally, you can add a sprinkle of dulce seaweed for a little more sea flavor.
- To add more omegas into this meal, add up to 1 tablespoon of hemp hearts.
- Add more vegetables: Add a handful of veggies like cooked corn, green peas, or make it more Mediterranean inspired with drained and rinsed artichoke hearts.
- Fresh herbs: Finish the sandwich with a sprinkle of fresh dill, fresh parsley, fresh basil, or all three.
Instructions
For the full instructions, complete with recipe measurements, please see the recipe card below.
First, mash the chickpeas. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas (about 1 ½ cups total). Mash the chickpeas with a fork or a potato masher. You want the chickpeas to be more “smushed” rather than totally mashed.
Tip! If you struggle to digest beans, you can boil the canned chickpeas for 20 minutes to make them even more tender and easier to digest. Drain, rinse, and let them cool before making the rest of the recipe.
Next, mix the dressing together. In a medium sized bowl, combine the hummus, with the lemon juice and garlic powder. Add in the maple syrup and dijon mustard and whisk well.
Then, chop all the celery and red onions.
Finally, mix everything together. Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings to how you best enjoy them.
Now it’s ready to enjoy! You can eat this right away, but I love to let it chill in the fridge for a few hours to blend the flavors together.
What to Serve It With?
Just as many different ways you eat tuna salad, you can enjoy this chickpea salad.
- Bread: Serve it with a hearty and crusty bread, or turn it into a crostini platter with toasted French baguette. This also is yummy in a pita pocket!
- Serve it with Grains: Scoop onto a pile of cooked quinoa or rice.
- Make it a side dish: Serve along side a bowl of roasted tomato basil soup in the cold months.
- Enjoy it right out of the bowl
How to Store + Make Ahead
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Make Ahead: Prepare the chickpea salad as directed. If this is part of your weekly meal prep for lunch, divide it amongst small single-serve airtight containers and keep them in the fridge until ready to eat. That said, I don’t like to keep this past the 3-day mark to avoid spoiling.
I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Other Lunch Ideas You Might Enjoy
Need some more inspiration for lunch ideas? Here are a few to get you started:
- Egg Free Egg Salad Sandwiches
- Mediterranean Veggie Sandwiches (Panera Copycat Recipe)
- Gluten free Tabbouleh
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Fuji Apple Salad with Balsamic Dressing
- Make sure to check out my 30+ Back to School Recipe Ideas for a good roundup of on the go breakfasts, lunches, and after school snacks
More Sandwich Recipes
If you try these out, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. And if you want more delicious, dietary friendly recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!
Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- mixing spoons
- Measuring cups / spoons
- Chef’s knife
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 15 oz chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup hummus
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix the dressing. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the hummus, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.
- Mash the chickpeas. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to a large bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, smash the chickpeas. Add the chopped red onion and celery.
- Mix and serve. Pour the dressing over top of the salad. Mix well and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- How to Store + Make Ahead
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the chickpea salad as directed. If this is part of your weekly meal prep for lunch, divide it amongst small single-serve airtight containers and keep them in the fridge until ready to eat. That said, I don’t like to keep this past the 3-day mark to avoid spoiling.
- I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
- Allergy Substitutions
- If you have a mustard allergy, you can omit the Dijon mustard with no loss of taste. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to get a little tang, if you like.
- If allergic to sesame, swap the hummus for vegan mayo. You can also check out my egg free egg salad sandwich for a similar vibe!
- If you’re allergic to celery, you can replace it with an equal amount of chopped fennel if that is a safe option for you.
- Variations
- Optionally, you can add a sprinkle of dulce seaweed for a little more sea flavor.
- To add more omegas into this meal, add up to 1 tablespoon of hemp hearts.
- Add more vegetables: Add a handful of veggies like cooked corn, green peas, or make it more Mediterranean inspired with drained and rinsed artichoke hearts.
- Fresh herbs: Finish the sandwich with a sprinkle of fresh dill, fresh parsley, fresh basil, or all three.
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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