Mediterranean Tuna Chickpea Salad is the perfect dish for when you’re trying to eat lighter but still want a delicious meal.
Looking for more ways to use canned tuna? Be sure to try my Avocado Tuna Salad and Easy Tuna Casserole with Gruyere Cheese. Or, check out these 40+ Canned Tuna Recipes!
Mediterranean Tuna Chickpea Salad.
It’s protein packed, full of fiber, crunchy, tangy, salty and delicious flavors. It leaves me full until dinner time and I really do look forward to this salad every day.
Ingredients needed
- Canned Tuna – You can use water packed or oil packed tuna. I love this brand.
- Canned Chickpeas – Or, have you tried making Instant Pot Chickpeas?! There’s no soak time and they turn out super delicious and creamy.
- Cucumber
- Red Bell Pepper
- Red Onion
- Kalamata Olives – Find these in a jar or in the olive bar section of the grocery store.
- Fresh Parsley
I’m using a couple cans of tuna in this Mediterranean Tuna Salad recipe. I like to flake it with a fork right into a large salad bowl and then toss it with the remaining ingredients.
As for the veggies, I’m using all the veggies you’d typically find in a Greek salad. Cucumber, red pepper, red onion and Kalamata olives. However, you can throw in whatever your favorites might be. I think that some banana peppers tossed in would also give it a nice vinegary bite and a bit of heat…
The dressing for this Mediterranean Chickpea Tuna Salad is light and delicious – lemony and garlicky. It coats the chickpeas and tuna perfectly and just blends everything together.
Dressing
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Garlic
- Dijon Mustard
- Oregano
- Salt + Pepper
How to make it
- Flake the tuna into a salad bowl and add the garbanzo beans, cucumber, red pepper, onion, Kalamata olives and parsley. Toss gently.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients and add them to the salad bowl. Toss everything together to coat. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Enjoy!
How to make ahead and store
- Because this is salad is lettuce-free, it will stay fresh for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Meaning you can make this salad on a Sunday and enjoy it throughout the week.
Variations
- Canned Salmon – You can also use canned tuna for this recipe.
- Veggies – Switch up the veggies. You can also add in some minced celery, pickles, zucchini, banana peppers, etc.
- Make it Creamy – To make this salad creamy, add in a couple dollops of greek yogurt or mayo.
- Cheese – Sprinkle on some feta cheese at the end.
- Tangy – Add some grated lemon zest to the top of your salad.
- Vegan Tuna Salad – If you’d like to make this recipe vegan, simply omit the tuna and add in an extra can of garbanzo beans that have been mashed with a potato masher.
Wine pairings for tuna salad
- Sauvignon Blanc will play nicely with fresh herbs and citrus notes in this salad. Another option would be a Pinot Gris.
More salad recipes
- Tomato Cucumber Salad
- 10-Minute Avocado Tuna Salad
- Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad
- Farro Salad with Basil Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Mustard & Parmesan
- Israeli Couscous Tabbouleh Salad
More healthy seafood recipes
- Spicy Salmon Sushi Bowls
- Sous Vide Salmon
- Sriracha Glazed Salmon
- Sheet Pan Salmon
- Instant Pot Salmon with Lemon-Dill Sauce
More canned tuna recipes
More chickpea recipes
- Sweet Potato & Chickpea Buddha Bowl
- Cauliflower Salad with Roasted Chickpeas & Quinoa
- Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas
- Instant Pot Chickpeas {No Soak}
- Fennel and Chickpea Salad
- Macadamia Nut Hummus
- More → 37+ Chickpea Recipes
Did you try this mediterranean chickpea tuna salad?
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Have more canned tuna on hand? Check out these 40+ Canned Tuna Recipes!
Tuna Chickpea Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 4.6 ounce cans tuna (packed in oil or water, drained )
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
- 1/2 cucumber (seeded and diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1/4 red onion (minced)
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives (pitted and minced)
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic (grated or finely minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Drain the tuna and flake it into a salad bowl.
- Add the chickpeas, cucumber, red pepper, onion, Kalamata olives and parsley. Toss gently.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients and add them to the salad bowl. Toss everything together to coat.
- Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2018. It was updated in 2023 to add new content and photographs. The original Mediterranean tuna salad with chickpeas recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
That’s so great you can scale back at work to “work” on Big Day details! Good for you. Spending some of that time taking care of you and your health by eating well and working out is a wonderful investment, too!
First of all…CONGRATS on your wedding date and good luck with the planning. Glad you have some extra help with that now too and cut back on your work hours! All good things!
I like this dish because it feels warm and summery even in the middle of winter. I don’t eat meat except fish so this recipe looks perfect, packed with both protein and vitamins. I havent tried Blue Harbor tuna packets but I will put them on my shopping list.
Your pictures are always so gorgeous. My plan to be more healthy this year includes more smoothies and yoga…oh and sunshine! Gotta get that Vit D.
-Bre
This recipe looks delicious, easy, and light! I also pack my lunch for work (to save money and calories 😜) so I’m going to have to give this one a try! Thanks for sharing and love your pictures! 😍
Thank you Danielle – I hope you enjoy!
I’ve always loved tuna and chickpeas – this looks like a great salad! I’ve got some tins of tuna hanging out – I’ll have to make it.
This recipe looks awesome, going to the store now!
I have a question about the nutrition facts— the lack of protein it says this fish has? Only 1 gram even with the tuna? Also the fiber seems to be low with the veggies. Any thoughts?
1 gram of protein? Chickpeas and tuna are high in protein. I find it hard to believe that this recipe only has 1 gram of protein.
I said the same thing. The tuna i used said there was 12g of protein alone and chickpeas said there was 7g of protein. It was part of the reason i made this recipe was to get more protein in my diet 😝
I made this tonight, it’s perfectly seasoned and scrumptious! It left me feeling perfectly satisfied!
I modified it slightly By using an entire English cucumber, reduced the olive oil to about 1/4 C, and used a can of cannellini beans instead of garbanzo beans because that’s what I had on hand.
Sounds delicious Penny! Love your idea to swap in those cannellini beans!
This was unbelievably delicious. It is the 4th recipe I’ve made from your website and I’m so grateful I found you!!
I’m so glad you liked it Sheena! Thanks so much for being a consistent recipe tester! 🙂
Made this for lunch. Just the best! I used Costco’s Albacore tuna, doubled the lemon juice, (I have trees) and used left over cilantro and added tomatoes.
Scrumptious.
I’m so glad you liked it Maryann!
I came across your recipe while looking for a healthy tuna salad recipe. This is my new favorite! I added fresh herbs which enhanced even more. It’s so adaptable. I’m a fan! Thank you!
You’re welcome Janet!!!