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Mediterranean-Chickpea-Tuna-Salad Recipe | High protein + Ready in 10 minutes

Mediterranean Chickpea Tuna Salad Recipe

Name: Mediterranean-Chickpea-Tuna-Salad Recipe | High protein, Ready in 10 minutes
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 15 oz. 400g can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 1 5 oz. 140g Canned tuna in water, drained; 1 cup cucumber (chopped); Handful of cherry tomatoes (halved); 1/2 red onion (thinly sliced); 1/3 cup olives (halved); 2 tablespoons Capers (small); 3 tablespoons of Giant Capers (called ‘alcaparrones’ in Spanish); 1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped); 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 lemon (juiced); 1 clove garlic (minced); 1 tsp Dijon Mustard; 1 tsp Dried Oregano (organic); Salt and pepper to taste

High in Protein | Ready in 10 minutes

Written By: Byron | September 3, 2024

A bowl of Mediterranean chickpea tuna salad

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Mediterranean Chickpea and tuna salad is an easy-to-make salad that comes together in around 10 minutes with no cooking required. The result is a tasty and filling tuna salad that is loaded with nutrients and provides a slow release of energy, keeping you energized for longer during a busy day!

This recipe is high in protein and low in saturated fat, making it an ideal post-workout dinner option! This recipe makes 4 servings and can easily be scaled up to suit meal prep for the week.

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Serving:

Tapas for 2-3

Ready in:

10 Minutes

Skill level:

Easy

Serve with:

Fresh bread

Watch step-by-step recipe video

If you’re looking for this recipe’s video and many other great recipe ideas, why not check out our Spanish Radish YouTube Channel? We’ve got everything from quick and easy tapas recipes to delicious main meals, to incredible Spanish dessert options too.

How to Make Mediterranean Chickpea Tuna Salad

Ingredients

For the salad

15oz. (400g) can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 5oz. (140g) Canned tuna in water, drained
1 cup cucumber, chopped
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup olives, halved
2 tablespoons Capers (small)
3 tablespoons of Giant Capers ( called ‘alcaparrones’ in Spanish)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

For the dressing

3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Dried Oregano (organic)
Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

A bowl of chickpeas is surrounded by cucumber, cherry tomatoes, capers, tuna, and black olives.

Instructions

Rinse and drain a can of chickpeas. Add to a large bowl
Drain off excess water from tuna.
Add tuna, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, onion, olives, and capers into a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, add olive oil and lemon juice and give it a mix. Add the oregano, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, and season to taste. Mix well.
Pour dressing and pour over salad. Lightly toss salad and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

Cooking Tips:

We use tuna in water as it drains easily and allows for the dressing flavors to soak into the tuna. Tuna preserved in water is also healthier than tuna preserved in oil (sunflower or olive oil).
Use dried chickpeas instead of canned if you prefer. Allow more time and be sure to prepare the chickpeas before using them. See notes below on how to prepare dried chickpeas.

a bowl of chickpeas sits beside some canned tuna

Best Tuna to Use

Canned tuna is a great way to bulk up any salad. It is high in protein, contains beneficial omega-3 fats, is budget-friendly, and is available from any grocery store. Canned tuna is packaged with a multitude of different labels, so it’s important to know what you’re buying.

Sustainably sourced tuna is packaged using terms such as:“Wind-caught” , “pole-and-line-caught”, “FAD-free”, and “school-caught” on can labels.

Tuna that has been preserved in water will be the healthiest option. Canned tuna in water is often a more budget-friendly option compared to tuna in olive oil or sunflower oil. Tuna in water is also better for this salad recipe as we’ll be making our own oil-baed marinade that we want to flavor the tuna and chickpeas.

A low mercury tuna is also a consideration when making a healthy choice. Choosing pole-and-line-caught light skipjack tuna is your best choice for a low mercury and sustainable option. White albacore tuna is best if you’re looking for more protein and omega-3 fats with every bite.

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are awesome, and the more we cook with them, the more we realize that chickpeas are little mineral and protein superheroes! Chickpeas provide plenty of the nutrients we need and are a great base for any meal or salad.

One cup of chickpeas provides:

269 calories.
14 grams of protein.
4 grams of fat.
12 grams of dietary fiber.
80 milligrams (mg) of calcium.
4.74 mg of iron.
78.7 mg of magnesium.

Chickpeas are also packed with carbohydrates that slowly release energy after eating them. This makes them very filling and healthy for your gut too. Win-win!

Canned or dried chickpeas

For convenience, we use canned chickpeas for this recipe. Canned chickpeas are cheap and available from almost any grocery store, best of all, canned chickpeas do not require any additional prep work, simply rinse, drain, and add to your dish! When purchasing canned varieties, look for those labeled “no salt added” or “low in sodium.”

Dried chickpeas are also a great option, they’re super-budget friendly and even cheaper than canned chickpeas and as an added bonus, they are actually healthier than store-bought canned chickpeas. Dried chickpeas retain almost twice as much nutrients compared to their canned counterparts.

However, the one drawback is they take more time to prepare before they can be used in cooking. See notes below:

How to cook chickpeas for salad

If you’re using dried chickpeas, then allow some extra time to prepare the dried chickpeas.

First, soak the dried chickpeas in some clean fresh water overnight. The chickpeas will expand around twice their size so add around double the amount of water to chickpeas in a large bowl.
Next, drain them from the water and add them to a pan with some fresh water.
Cook them for around 2 hours for them to soften up. Alternatively, use a slow cooker or pressure cooker to prepare your chickpeas.

Nutrition Facts

When it comes to the health and nutritional benefits of this tuna and chickpea salad recipe, it’s a winner. With just 254 calories per serving, it also offers 30% of your recommended daily fiber and just 0.9g (4%9 of saturated fat!

Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	254
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6.4g	8%
Saturated Fat 0.9g	4%
Cholesterol 12mg	4%
Sodium 195mg	8%
Total Carbohydrate 31.2g	11%
Dietary Fiber 8.5g	30%
Total Sugars 7.1g
Protein 19.6g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 76mg	6%
Iron 4mg	23%
Potassium 438mg	9%
The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day* is used for general nutrition advice.

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