This vegan chickpea 'tuna' salad requires just a handful of ingredients and pantry staple seasonings for a flavorful, 5-minute, oil-free chickpea salad. At less than $1 per serving, this vegan chickpea salad is a budget-friendly, non-processed, and highly nutritious addition to your meal rotation!
Here at Plant-based on a budget, we love legumes like chickpeas. They're super budget-friendly, packed with nutrients (and protein!), and amazingly versatile. We've already shared recipes for classic creamy hummus, mixed bean salad, baked falafels, chickpea stuffed sweet potato boats, and even Chocolate chickpea bark. Now it's the turn of this simple oil-free vegan chickpea salad!
Mashed chickpea salad not only takes just minutes to prepare, but it's also a great vegan alternative, often used as a vegan chickpea 'tuna' salad or even egg salad. While there are tons of different versions of this simple mashed chickpea salad out there, this one has to be one of our favorites. It packs in all the flavor and nutrients but is 100% oil-free for a lighter overall meal!
While it doesn't taste exactly like tuna, the texture and mouthfeel and overall 'vibes' are enough to keep those cravings at bay. Best of all, let's not forget that a single portion of this oil-free vegan chickpea tuna salad recipe costs below $.75 to make! Thus, making it excellent for anyone plant-based on a budget!
More so, since It's so quick– it's an excellent 'last-minute' option for busy people to whip up at a moments' notice for a fast, nutrient-dense meal. Once prepared, serve this oil-free vegan chickpea tuna salad alone, with crudites, as a wrap, or even sandwich.
Did we mention that this chickpea mash is also super meal-prep friendly? So you can prepare the dishes days in advance and store in the fridge. Possibly alongside other favorites like this pesto tofu sandwich, coconut bacon wrap, or easy vegan mushroom sandwich.
Looking for more simple summery salad inspiration? You might enjoy this summer pasta salad, pearl couscous salad, pita Panzanella salad, easy larb salad, or vegan Caprese salad!
There are only a handful of ingredients and several pantry staples needed for this vegan chickpea salad, including:
Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions!
You can enjoy this vegan chickpea salad as an appetizer, side, or part of a larger meal, including:
If you decide to make a vegan chickpea tuna salad sandwich, it's also light enough to pair with a soup-like zucchini basil soup or tomato basil soup.
This oil-free vegan chickpea tuna salad is easy to prepare in advance and make into sandwiches/wraps to store in the refrigerator for several days.
Once prepared, any leftover smashed chickpea salad can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for between 4-5 days.
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Maria says
This was so good! I didn't think I would like the bell peppers, but they added a nice flavor and crunch. I will make this again!
Andrea White says
It's certainly a nice combination of flavors and textures!