These fish free sandwiches are made from mashed chickpeas, which create a flaked consistency somewhat similar to tuna. You can use store bought vegan mayo or make your own! Perfect for sandwiches, wraps, salad or on crackers.
I was a really picky kid when it came to food, but one thing I always loved was tuna fish sandwiches. I grew up eating it, whether it was at home from a can, or at Subway.
Since I’m vegan, of course I don’t eat tuna anymore. But even if your not vegan or vegetarian, there are many reasons to ditch it. Mostly because they tend to be full of pollution, primarily mercury, which just isn’t a good thing at all.
But back to the recipe. Chickpea Tuna Salad is so easy to make AND delicious! All you need is 10 minutes. I use my potato masher to mash the drained and rinsed chickpeas. I HIGHLY recommend getting a potato masher if you don’t have one already, it makes mashing the chickpeas so incredibly easy and quick. I sometimes even double this recipe for my family of 5, and if I had to mash all those chickpeas with a fork….Forget it.
Add your chopped dill pickles, celery (optional, for picky eaters), vegan mayo (store bought or use my homemade version), and a little soy sauce/tamari. Stir it up. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
My whole family loves this recipe! It’s great for packing in a lunch box, bringing to a picnic, or just as a quick and easy 10 minute meal on busy weeknights. I make this once a week, especially in the summertime.
Do Chickpea Tuna Salad Sandwiches taste like fish?
NO! Not at all. It would be weird if it did. But it does have a wonderful, flaky, creamy texture and a pickly, savory flavor that I think you will fall in love with. And if you are new to giving up fish, it just might help you along.
If you make this recipe, let me know how it goes! Rate it, leave a comment and tag a photo @noracooksvegan on Instagram. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen.
The Best and Easiest Chickpea Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
- (2) 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1-2 medium dill pickles, chopped small
- 1/4 cup celery, chopped small (optional)
- 3-4 tablespoons Vegan Mayo | homemade or store bought
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or tamari for gluten-free
- For serving: bread, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, avocado, mustard
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a potato masher (or fork) until they are mostly mashed. You can leave a few beans whole if you'd like.
- Add the pickles, celery, 3-4 tablespoons of vegan mayo and soy sauce or tamari. Stir well to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes if you can, to let it get cold and let the flavors come together.
- Serve with bread, mustard, lettuce, tomato slices, red onion and avocados if desired. Or serve on a large green salad, or in a wrap, or on crackers.
Amanda
Holy Moly!!!! I am recently on a vegan kick and this was FANTASTIC!!!!! Added a little more celery and pickles because I love them, delicious!!
Nora
So glad you liked them!
Luci
Kelp granules add the fish flavor and soooo delicious.
Aprilrayne
OMG! Recently went vegan with my husband and I honestly didn’t have high expectations and WOW IM BLOWN AWAY! This is DELICIOUS! My husband & I said we could literally eat this everyday! Thank you for this recipe!
Nora
Thanks for the wonderful comment! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!
Angela
I don’t even like chick peas but love this receipe! Was keeping an open mind and trying new recipes. I was craving a tuna fish sandwich today and thought I’d give it a try! I’m WFPBNO. Loved the vegan “mayo,” too! (You could prob list it as WFPB mayo…?)
My second serving I added sliced olives on my toasted bread which was also yummy.
Question: how big is a serving roughly? Thank you!
Angela
*green olives
Nora
I’m so glad you enjoyed the chickpea tuna! It’s one of my favorite things to make. I’m not sure exactly what a serving size is, but 1/6th of the entire recipe. Probably about 3/4 cup or so?
Tina Gerrish
How long can this be stored for in the refrigerator please?
Thanks
T
Nora
It will keep for 4-5 days.
Bev harrold
I came into 25 cans of chickpeas. Waste not want not. But this is the first recipe that I have liked and been able to prepare as I am easily a contender for America’s worst cook.
Nora
That’s a lot of chickpeas, but this recipe will help you out! So glad you found a recipe you like.
Heidi
This is the first recipe I’ve tried from your site, and it’s a winner! This is filling and absolutely delicious and takes just a few minutes to make (even when making the mayo from scratch). I highly recommend it and can’t wait to jump into more of your recipes!
Jose
I’ve made this twice already and everyone (vegans and non vegans) has loved it. I use an entire stalk of celery and my wife really likes pickles so I’ve increased those too. It really is the perfect tuna substitute. Thanks! Great blog too!
Maida Aviad
Love this recipe. I’ve been eating it for two straight weeks. Since becoming vegetarian many years ago, I’ve missed tuna salad a lot and this is the first good substitute I’ve found. I’m not vegan so I generally top it with sliced tomato and melted cheese to make a “tuna” melt. It so satisfies my cravings!! Thank you so much for all this goodness!
Leslie
I love this sandwich! I have made it several times and it always tastes so fresh and delicious. I love to add just a bit of chopped onion..Mmmmm. Thanks for this great idea and recipe Nora!
Mariella Kruger
For people who are changing their diet to vegan, but really liked the “fish” taste of tuna, you can crumble up part of a sheet of Nori seaweed to get the ocean flavor in what I like to call “Chickpea of the Sea.” Use as much as you like to get the flavor you want.
Carrie
I don’t know what took me song to finally make these, but I am SO glad I did! Transitioning to WFPB has been a challenge for me- mostly because of the time. This was super quick and easy to make, including the mayo, and I’m excited to be able to have it during the week for a quick sandwich for lunch.
Nora
I’m so glad Carrie! It’s one of our family favorites for sure, and I love how easy it is! Thank you.
Valeria
This tastes incredible… Had it 2 days in a row. Added some more chopped onion and made me some work lunches. Works great in a wrap too. Thank you very much for your recipe.
Nora
Thank you! I’m so happy you are enjoying it.
Alan
One of my favorite sandwiches.