Free Dinner Recipes E-book!   Download Now

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Almond Eater logo

  • Browse Recipes
    • Recipes by Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sides
      • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge
    • Recipes by Diet
      • Vegetarian
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegan
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Paleo
      • Whole30
  • Meet Erin
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Browse Recipes +
    • Recipes by Course +
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sides
      • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge
    • Recipes by Diet +
      • Vegetarian
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegan
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Paleo
      • Whole30
  • About Erin
  • Contact

Home » Recipes » Lunch

Mediterranean Chickpea Tuna Salad

By Erin · April 27, 2020 · Updated July 11, 2022 · 7 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Gluten Free

What's better than a nutritious lunch that's ready in under 10 minutes? Nothing! This Mediterranean Chickpea Tuna Salad is filled with vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber and onion and drizzled with a simple lemon dressing, making it an easy, stress-free lunch recipe. 

chickpeas in a bowl with vegetables and tuna

If you're looking for a quick lunch recipe, this is it! Plus, this salad might just be my new favorite lunch recipe. It's made with pantry staples like chickpeas and tuna, but then also loaded with vegetables like tomato, onion and cucumber.

Truthfully, I think tuna is delicious in all forms. But, this chickpea salad is a lightened up way to enjoy it rather than in pasta or covered in mayonnaise (both of which are still good, of course).

Why this recipe is so good

  • It's one of those recipes where you throw everything into a bowl, mix it together and you're good to go!
  • Though it features summer produce like tomatoes and parsley, it can easily be eaten year-round
  • The tuna and chickpeas add plenty of protein to this dish, making it a great Mediterranean diet-friendly recipe

Ingredient Notes:

Here's what you need in order to make this easy salad:

Chickpeas: I love chickpeas so much, mostly because they're loaded with protein and incredibly versatile. Chickpeas on their own have a fairly neutral flavor, so they pair perfectly with the tuna and the flavors of the other ingredients in this recipe.

Tuna: If you found this recipe online and decided to take a look, I'm going to assume you're as big of a tuna fan as I am. I used wild caught albacore tuna because that's what I had in my pantry, but you can use whatever kind of tuna you'd like (going to try skipjack next time!).

Vegetables: ...specifically tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and parsley.

Feta cheese: Feta is kind of the "cherry on top" of this dish. It's not absolutely necessary, but it does add extra flavor. Plus, who doesn't love a sprinkle of cheese?!

Olive oil+lemon juice: The cool thing about this salad is that it's already pretty flavorful, so you don't need to use a "fancy" salad dressing. In addition, I wanted to keep this salad light, so using olive oil and lemon juice as the dressing works out perfectly rather than using a heavier dressing. Plus, olive oil is kind of a "must" in any Mediterranean recipe.

tuna, chickpeas, tomato, onion, cucumber, lemon, and parsley on a table

Step-by-step instructions

1. Rinse the chickpeas: Pour the chickpeas into a strainer, then run water over them for at least 10 seconds to remove the liquid that was on them from the can.

2. Drain the tuna: Peel open the can of tuna, then pour out any liquid that was inside.

3. Chop the vegetables: This is the part that takes the longest, and even still, it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.

4. Make the "dressing": Whisk lemon juice and olive oil together, which creates a light dressing that you can pour over top of the salad.

salad with lemon juice

FAQs and Tips

Why is this called a "Mediterranean" salad?

Simply put, it features flavors of the Mediterranean, like olive oil, parsley, tomato, and feta cheese.

Can I use different ingredients?

Of course! The good thing about salads like this is that they're easy to customize to your liking. I wouldn't sub the chickpeas or tuna, but you could try including olives, artichokes, avocado and/or red bell pepper (or even roasted red peppers!) instead.

bowl of chickpeas with tuna and vegetables

More tasty Mediterranean-style recipes

  • Mediterranean Hummus Bowl
  • Stuffed Zucchini Boats
  • Mediterranean Pasta Salad

If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to leave a review and star rating below! 

chickpeas in a bowl with vegetables and tuna

Mediterranean Chickpea Tuna Salad

What's better than a nutritious lunch that's ready in under 10 minutes? Nothing! This Mediterranean Chickpea Tuna Salad is filled with vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber and onion and drizzled with a simple lemon dressing, making it an easy, stress-free lunch recipe. 
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 2
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 15 oz. chickpeas drained and rinsed (1 can)
  • 5 oz. albacore or skipjack tuna liquid drained (1 can)
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes sliced
  • ⅓ cup cucumber sliced
  • 2 tablespoon red onion sliced or diced
  • 2 tablespoon feta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
  • 3 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into a bowl and toss to combine. Adjust lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

*1 can chickpeas = 15 oz. 
*1 can tuna = 5 oz. I used tuna in water, but tuna in EVOO works too. If you DO use tuna in EVOO, you don't have to drain the can (just pour the whole thing into the bowl with the chickpeas). 
-Make sure to drain and rinse the chickpeas before adding them to the bowl. Pour the chickpeas into a strainer then run water over them for 10 seconds to remove the liquid from them that was in the can 
-If you want to add or sub other ingredients, try: olives, bell peppers, roasted red peppers, artichokes and/or avocado

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 692IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!
« Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese
Skinny Margarita Recipe (Sugar-Free!) »
  • Share
  • Tweet

About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. raju says

    September 14, 2021 at 2:36 am

    5 stars
    Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.

    Reply
  2. Kate says

    June 13, 2021 at 4:44 pm

    This looks amazing!! How long would this stay good in fridge for if I am meal prepping? Thank you! 😁

    Reply
    • Erin says

      June 14, 2021 at 6:52 am

      Hi, great question! I'd say 5 days in the refrigerator. If you're meal prepping, you may want to prep everything except the tuna, and then add the tuna in once you're ready to eat (just a suggestion, not absolutely necessary).

      Reply
  3. Jan Savko says

    February 18, 2021 at 7:23 am

    5 stars
    I love the Mediterranean style of cooking!!!!
    I have made a variation of this salad before minus the chick peas and salad dressing (I used my own). I want to add these to what I make which sounds delicious! Nothing like Tuna in the mix...my very fave!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      February 18, 2021 at 7:33 am

      Thanks for the comment, Jan--glad you like the salad!

      Reply
  4. Shirley Fowler says

    February 08, 2021 at 2:10 pm

    5 stars
    Love this salad. So healthy!! Very easy to make.

    Reply
  5. Michele says

    September 15, 2020 at 1:02 pm

    Wow, what a delicious, light salad. I added a few ingredients to suit my taste but it is so light and healthy. My family loved it!! I also placed it on a bed of lettuce. Thank you!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

girl in kitchen

Hi, I'm Erin!

I share recipes for ALL diet types because I believe that healthy food should be incredibly delicious without being complicated. Learn more

Seasonal Picks

pasta salad made with mediterranean ingredients

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

bowl with lemon orzo salad beside a small dish of chopped fresh basil

Lemon Orzo Salad

cake on a cake stand with a slice cut out

Vegan Carrot Cake

berries and ice cream in a bowl

Gluten Free Rhubarb Crisp

Popular Recipes

pasta, peas and sausage in a skillet

Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta

bowl with ground pork and vegetables

Banh Mi Bowl (Paleo, Whole30)

a bowl of pasta with lentils and red sauce

Lentil Bolognese Recipe (Vegan + Gluten Free)

sweet potato brownies

Flourless Sweet Potato Brownies

dog eating cake

Mini Dog Birthday Cake

Caramelized Onion Spaghetti Squash | squash filled with onions, mushrooms and kale for a healthy, vegetarian meal | thealmondeater.com

Caramelized Onion Spaghetti Squash

As Featured On

Footer

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • 👉 The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge

Copyright© 2023 | The Almond Eater. Site Credit

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter