Chickpea Tuna Salad
This Chickpea Tuna Salad also has crisp red bell pepper and parsley to make this a bean salad that’s loaded with flavor! For a lower-carb version use more tuna and peppers and fewer beans.
PIN Chickpea Tuna Salad to try it later!
All summer I’ve been re-shooting the photos for old favorites like this Chickpea Tuna Salad, and now I need to share them while fresh garden herbs and veggies are still available! This salad was inspired by the wonderful tuna packed in olive oil that I love so much! (You can use any good quality tuna that’s available where you live, preferably tuna packed in olive oil.)
The salad is also kind of a riff on my favorite Tuna White Bean Salad. I love the combination of beans, tuna, and parsley, and parsley has been declared one of the world’s healthiest foods because it contains lots of anti-oxidants. And the chopped red peppers are another healthy ingredient that adds some crunch.
For sure if I was still going off to teach school every day, this is a salad I’d love for a delicious No-Heat Lunch; if you like these flavors, please give this salad a try!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- canned tuna, preferably Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- red bell pepper
- chopped red onion
- chopped parsley
- extra virgin Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
What other beans can you use if you’re not a Chickpea fan?
If you don’t want to use chickpeas in the salad, Cannellini Beans would be my pick for another type of beans, but any kind of white beans will work with these ingredients.
What other herbs could you use in the Chickpea Tuna Salad?
If you’re not a fan of the grassy flavor of parsley, I think fresh basil or fresh mint would both be delicious in this salad.
How can you make Chickpea Tuna Salad lower in carbs?
You could make a version of this salad that was much lower in carbs by doubling the amounts of tuna and red pepper so there were more low-carb ingredients in proportion to the beans. And it will definitely keep for days in the fridge, so don’t worry about that.
How to Make Chickpea Tuna Salad:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Drain the can of garbanzo beans into a colander and rinse well with cold water. Let drain or pat dry with paper towels so the beans aren’t wet.
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
- Put the beans into a bowl, mix with about half the dressing mixture, and let beans marinate while you prep the other ingredients. (I have no idea why I marinated the beans in a different bowl than I made the salad in, duh.)
- I used my favorite Genova Tuna in Olive Oil (affiliate link) for this salad and I highly recommend using olive oil tuna. (But you do know I can’t see through the computer, so use your favorite tuna, whatever that is!)
- Drain the tuna and break apart with a fork. (Keep it slightly chunky.)
- Chop up the red bell pepper and chop about 1/4 cup chopped red onion. (You can also use sliced green onion if you’re not a raw onion fan.)
- Finely chop about a cup of parsley. I like curly parsley in this salad, but curly or flat parsley will work.
- When all the ingredients are ready, gently mix the marinated beans, red pepper, onion, and parsley into the tuna, adding the rest of the dressing (as much as you prefer.)
- Eat and enjoy!
More Salad Recipes with Dried Beans:
Check out Amazing Salads with Dried Beans to see lots more ideas for tasty salads with beans.
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Chickpea Tuna Salad
For all the tuna and parsley fans, this Chickpea Tuna Salad is a perfect easy salad to make for lunch!
Ingredients
- one 5 oz. can tuna packed in olive oil (see notes)
- one 15 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 1 chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion (see notes)
- 1 cup chopped parsley (see notes)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 3 T extra virgin olive oil
- 2 T fresh lemon juice (see notes)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put beans into a colander and rinse well with cold water, until no more foam appears. Let drain, then pat dry with paper towels if needed so the beans are relatively dry.
- In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
- Put the drained beans into a bowl and mix in half the dressing. Let beans marinate while you prep the other ingredients.
- Chop the red pepper and red onion (or green onion.)
- Wash the parsley, spin dry, and finely chop. (You can use flat parsley, but I like the texture of the curly parsley in this salad.)
- Drain oil from tuna and discard, then put tuna in mixing bowl. Break apart with a fork a little, keeping it slightly chunky.
- Add the marinated beans and dressing, chopped red pepper, chopped red onion, and chopped parsley and gently combine. (Don’t over-mix the salad.)
- Gently mix additional dressing into salad. If you prefer your salads on the dry side, you may not want all the dressing.
- Season to taste with more fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste and serve.
- This will stay good in the refrigerator for at least a day or two and it’s great for a No-Heat Lunch, but at my house it doesn't last too long.
Notes
I love Genova tuna in olive oil for this recipe. I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice. The salad would be good with sliced green onion if you're not a raw onion fan.
Recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from White Bean Salad with Tuna and Parsley.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 332Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2.2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12.6gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 442mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 8gSugar: 6.4gProtein: 19g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Beans are allowed for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, but they’re limited to small portions for phase one, so I would eat this Garbanzo Salad with Tuna as a lunch for phase two or three. This is probably too high in carbs for a low-carb diet plan, but you can use less beans and more tuna and peppers for a lower-carb version.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes for more salads like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2007! The photos were updated in 2012 and the recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.
26 Comments on “Chickpea Tuna Salad”
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Thanks Bec; I'm a huge tuna fan as well!
I love all forms of tuna salad, Kalyn. This sounds so awesome!
Thanks so much Katie; I love this combination!
My mouth is literally watering as I read this. So glad you pulled this one out of the archives! It is a keeper:)
Oh this looks wonderful!
Ouizer, so glad you got to try it. How funny. And thanks for the note about finding garbanzos in Germany.
Kalyn this is exactly what we did! We locked the cats out and ourselves in – Clara opens EVERY door in the house!
I used a water tuna and added olive oil, followed your advise on the red peppers, added lots of parsley and garlic – it was a summer delight!!!! Of course we couldn’t help felling mean and sorry…. for our cats, yelling their heads off behind the door and trying to break down the door….
Message for BUTTI: Every single Turkish supermarket and Turkish grocery in Germany sells garbanzo cans or if you prefer KICHERERBSEN; go to the Konserven aisle, you won’t miss them! 🙂
Ouizer, thanks. Just put your cats in the bedroom and shut the door. (Oh, can you believe I said something so mean?)
Paz, of course it’s the talented Rand who makes the banners. Hope you liked the salad.
Mimi, ok! I wil get to work on that version.
Food freak, thanks. I agree this is perfect to eat in the summer!
Butti, hope you can find them. Maybe the dried beans?
This looks great! I don’t know where to get the garbanzo beans in Germany but I will try …
Your salad looks lovely, and so much like summer!
Abother salad with sun-dried tomatoes?
I say, “Bring it on!”
P.S. I love your new banner. Forgot to mention it earlier.
Paz (off to make the salad right now!)
Absolutely delicious sounding recipes!! Thanks for sharing!!
The only ones who have been eating tuna (in water) around here are our cats; they will go nuts when they hear me touching the can opener, so as soon as I figure out how we can enjoy the garbanzo and tuna salad or the white beans tuna salad without having to share any of it with them, I am definitely going to give it a try!
Sher, sounds like a great Christmas present to me!
Jaden, I like Katie’s idea. Plant a couple of plants, then plant some seeds too. If the seeds don’t work out, you still have the plant!
Paz, thanks. I hope your list isn’t as long as mine; so many recipes, so little time!
I love the looks and sounds of this salad. It’s another one to put on my list. Thanks!
Paz
I’ve tried growing parsley from seed and gave up 5 times now!! Well, I’m going to just have to get a little plant.
You’re right–it’s horrible trying to grow parsley from seed! The salad looks delicious and so pretty too. I love canned Italian tuna so much, I ask for it as a Christmas gift!
Ulrike, you know I’ve been having a little side thing with parsley for a while now. Of course, cilantro will always be my first love.
Lydia, good luck with the plants. I think parsley is pretty hardy once it gets going.
Katie, thanks. Good idea to mix seeds with plants. I think I might still plant some seeds.
Valentine, thanks. It was tasty.
Sandy, you are too kind.
Mary Frances, I think this would be great without the tuna. I might put more red pepper if I wasn’t using tuna. Maybe I’ll try your version too.
Christine you are always so sweet. Of course the amazing Rand did the blueberry header. I did love the salad, and thanks for noticing the recipe index. I’ve been working hard on it, and I think I might be 1/2 done. I have the biggest categories done, that’s for sure.
There are so many things here that are wowing me! First, your blueberry header is a knockout!
This salad with both garbanzos and tuna is on my list for this weekend, and your recipe index is a marvel to behold! Good going!
That is one beautiful salad! I’ve often thought that chickpeas tasted a bit like tuna, so I think I’ll make a vegetarian version of this and just increase the chickpeas.
Great!!
As usual. I can always count on something worth trying here. Thanks!
what a fabulous salada!! the colours are so inviting.not to mention the ingredients.
Great salad – all of my favorite ingredients. They curly parsly looks so pretty.
I plant 3 parsley plants and, at the same time, 3 or 4 patches of seeds. The seeds do take awhile but they come into their own in late summer when the others are getting kind of tired….
I am urging on the little parsley plants in my garden — after two days of deluge, we’ve finally got some sun to help the plantlets along! Perhaps I will tell them that there is a great recipe waiting for them… this really looks delicious.
I feel honoured that you turn away from your favourite herb, just for me!. The salad sounds great, hard that you can’t try all those great WHB recipes.