10-Minute Tuna and Chickpea Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

My favorite quick n’ easy lunch is this 10-minute Tuna and Chickpea Salad with bright lemon tahini dressing, veggies, and herbs. She’s loaded with protein, fiber, and healthy fats! I love that there’s minimal chopping, it’s totally customizable, and no cooking required! Make a batch for meal prep–it gets even more flavorful as it sits.

Give a warm welcome to the most divine weekday lunch! This dream recipe came to be when I was hangry but not ambitious enough to say, use the oven or take time to cook anything.

I had a bunch of tuna leftover from a big pack I snagged at Costco. I remembered my famous Healthy Tuna Salad and Chickpea Tuna Salad with Italian flavors and thought, why not make another version with what I have on hand? Duh.

This baby is going into the regular rotation for sure. Step aside, eggs and avocado toast! You’re so 2021.

The low down on ingredients

Chickpeas: The hearty base of this salad packed with fiber. I always use canned but you could also use equal amounts of cooked from dried chickpeas.
Tuna: My favorite is pole and line caught albacore tuna in water. I buy big packs at Costco! I tested this with both water and oil packed and I prefer water-packed.
Bell pepper: For color and crunch. Yellow or orange would be great. You could substitute chopped celery or carrot instead. A must in my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, too!
Onion: A little onion helps add crisp texture and that much needed zing.
Lemon juice: This salad is so bright thanks to fresh lemon juice. The more the merrier, in my opinion.
Tahini: Creamy dreamy tahini for epic flavor and satiety factor!
Extra virgin olive oil: Extra richness pulls the dressing together.
Dill: A pinch of dill adds amazing fresh flavor. You can omit it if you don’t have it on hand. Fresh dill or parsley would be stellar, too.
Garlic Powder: Garlic always, am I right? A clove of fresh grated garlic would be great here.
Salt and Pepper: Seasoning is a must!

Let’s make it!

For real, this lettuce-less salad could not be easier.

Open a can of chickpeas and tuna. Drain them both, and rinse the chickpeas.
Add them to a bowl with the pepper and onion.
Whisk together the dressing then toss with salad to coat. Devour!

Serve it like this

I like to go ham with a fork here, but it you can have fun with this one!

as a sandwich between toasted sourdough bread, a whole grain english muffin, or pita with lettuce and extra tahini
as a salad over chopped romaine or arugula
with crackers and sliced cucumbers for dipping. Deeeelish!

Got leftovers?

Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can add a squeeze of lemon to brighten the flavors on the last day if need be!

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