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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Chickpea Tuna Salad

    Published: Apr 6, 2020, Last updated: May 17, 2021 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links.

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    A super simple Chickpea Tuna Salad made with fresh veggies, salty capers, olives, and zingy lemon. This salad comes together in less than 10 minutes and is perfect for prepping ahead.

    An overhead shot of a salad with chickpeas, tuna and tomatoes in a large bowl

    This salad is the perfect way to use up pantry ingredients, it's fresh, bright and SO delicious!

    Everything is just thrown into a bowl, I mean, there isn't even a dressing to be made it's that easy.

    Plus all of the ingredients are super simple and basic including canned tuna and canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans).

    I make a tonne of recipes with canned tuna from salads like our Tuna White Bean Salad with Basil and Lemon, our Italian Tuna Potato Salad to sandwiches and pasta sauces, I love it!

    It's super convenient, delicious and packed with goodness.

    See the rest of the ingredients you need below!

    What you need to make it - the ingredients

    • Tuna - canned in oil or water will work just make sure to drain it thoroughly.
    • Chickpeas - canned, drained and rinsed. Chickpea water can be quite salty so make sure to rinse them.
    • Capers and olives - these are two of my favourite ingredients because they add so much flavour! Choose your favourite olives and if you're not an olive fan you can substitute them with sun-dried tomatoes!
    • Tomatoes - fresh and ripe plum or Roma tomatoes if possible but any will do.
    • English cucumber - I like to run a spoon down the middle of the cucumber sliced lengthways to remove the watery seeds/middle but that's just personal preference.
    • Lemon - the zest and juice of half a lemon adds so much flavour and freshness.
    • Basil and parsley - the herbs MUST be fresh (no dried basil and parsley). You just need a small handfull and can substitute them for any herb you like. If you only have dried use oregano.
    • Olive oil - a must-have for any salad!

    An overhead shot of ingredients you need to make a salad with chickpeas

    How to make Chickpea Tuna Salad - step by step

    Put the chickpeas, tuna, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, capers and herbs in a large mixing bowl (photo 1).

    Grate the lemon zest over the ingredients then pour over the lemon juice, add a good pinch of salt and pepper (photo 2).

    Step by step photos for making a chickpea tuna salad

    Add the olives oil them mix everything until thoroughly combined (photo 3 & 4).

    Serve in bowls or store in the fridge for later.

    A side shot of a chickpea tuna salad in a large bowl

    Top tips and variations

    • You can easily adapt this salad with whatever veggies and herbs you like, it's a great way to empty your fridge!
    • You can swap the chickpeas for cannellini beans or another white bean.
    • You can also swap the chickpeas with a short pasta shape and turn this into a pasta salad.
    • Fancy a spicy kick? Add in some dried red pepper flakes or sliced fresh chilli.
    • You can prepare this salad in advance and store it in the fridge (covered) it'll last for about 4 days.

    More easy salad recipes you might like

    • Easy Green Bean Salad with Mustard and Garlic Dressing
    • Italian Farro Salad
    • Tuna Panzanella – Italian Bread Salad
    • Tuna White Bean Salad with Basil and Lemon
    • Classic Caprese Salad – Easy, Fresh & Delicious

    If you’ve tried this Chickpea Tuna Salad or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

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    5 from 2 votes

    Chickpea Tuna Salad

    A super simple Chickpea Tuna Salad made with fresh veggies, salty capers, olives, and zingy lemon. This salad comes together in less than 10 minutes and is perfect for prepping ahead.
    Course Salad
    Cuisine Modern Italian
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 10 minutes
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 196kcal
    Author Emily Kemp

    Ingredients

    • 2 can chickpeas (800g/28oz)
    • 1 can tuna
    • ½ English cucumber about 1 cup heaped cup
    • 2 roma or plum tomatoes roughly chopped
    • 1 tablespoon capers
    • ½ cup pitted olives (70g)
    • Zest and juice of half a lemon
    • ½ cup fresh basil finely chopped (small handful)
    • ½ cup fresh parsley finely chopped (small handful)
    • ¼ cup olive oil (60ml)
    • Salt and pepper

    Instructions

    • Put the chickpeas, tuna, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, capers and herbs in a large mixing bowl.
    • Grate the lemon zest over the ingredients then pour over the lemon juice, add a good pinch of salt and pepper.
    • Add the olives oil them mix everything until thoroughly combined.
    • Serve in bowls or store in the fridge for later.

    Notes

    • You can easily adapt this salad with whatever veggies and herbs you like, it's a great way to empty your fridge!
    • You can swap the chickpeas for cannellini beans or another white bean.
    • You can also swap the chickpeas with a short pasta shape and turn this into a pasta salad.
    • Fancy a spicy kick? Add in some dried red pepper flakes or sliced fresh chilli.
    • You can prepare this salad in advance and store it in the fridge (covered) it'll last for about 4 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 255mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1178IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg
    Helpful Info for All Recipes
    • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
    • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
    • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
    • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
    • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
    • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
    • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @insidetherustickitchen or tag #insidetherustickitchen! We'd love you see what you're getting up to in the kitchen!

    More Salads

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      Mozzarella Bocconcini, Pesto and Sun Blushed Tomatoes
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    • An overhead shot of a tuna potato salad in a large serving bowl
      Italian Tuna Potato Salad
    • An overhead shot of a green bean salad
      Easy Green Bean Salad with Mustard and Garlic Dressing

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. carolyn frazier

      December 26, 2020 at 6:03 pm

      Loved it!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Inside the rustic kitchen

        December 28, 2020 at 9:33 am

        So happy you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Tina

      April 20, 2020 at 10:38 pm

      I saw you make this on Instagram and had to try it, delicious!5 stars

      Reply
      • Inside the rustic kitchen

        April 20, 2020 at 10:39 pm

        So happy you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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