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.
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.
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.
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.
More tasty Mediterranean-style recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to leave a review and star rating below!
Mediterranean Chickpea Tuna Salad
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
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a bowl and toss to combine. Adjust lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed.
- Enjoy!
raju says
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
Kate says
This looks amazing!! How long would this stay good in fridge for if I am meal prepping? Thank you! 😁
Erin says
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).
Jan Savko says
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!
Erin says
Thanks for the comment, Jan--glad you like the salad!
Shirley Fowler says
Love this salad. So healthy!! Very easy to make.
Michele says
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!