In this vegan version of a tuna salad sandwich, the savory chickpea filling gets extra tang from pickles, red onion, and capers. Mayonnaise is replaced by a creamy mixture of tahini and Dijon mustard to deliver crave-worthy flavor while diced celery and pickles give it a tasty crunch. Serve between two slices of your favorite whole wheat bread for a simple yet satisfying meal. The mixture will keep well covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, which makes it great for quick, weekday lunches!
From Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking
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By Dana Shultz,
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This recipe was originally published on May. 14, 2013, and has been updated.
Dana Shultz is the recipe developer and writer for the Minimalist Baker, a website devoted to simple cooking, which she founded with her husband, John. All recipes require 10 ingredients or less or 30 minutes or less to prepare. She is the author of Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking and the 31 Meals Cookbook. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.
Photo: © Dana Shultz
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Comments (350)
Will this recipe make the bread/wrap mushy by lunchtime if made in the morning?
I’m still confused about the “pickle”. There are sweet (cucumber) pickles and there are sour (cucumber) pickles (like dill). Which flavour are we going for here?
I make mine with sweet pickle relish
Love, love, love this recipe, a go to in our home.
QUESTION: will this recipe freeze well?
I have seen other recipes using dill or sweet. Depends on what you prefer.
What do you mean by pickle please – am in the Uk
It’s called pickled cucumbers in the UK
Love this! I added crushed pistachios on top!
I halve the tahini, to cut the fat content. Also halve the onion and leave out the sweetener, just personal preferences. And add a tsp of kelp powder. This is a good sandwich filling which we like with lettuce or spinach in a pita pocket.
Delicious!! Super fast and easy to make, I added some sliced avocado and fresh dill and my palate was. In. Heaven!
This is very tasty. A go to lunch recipe!
I made this today and it’s wonderful! Thank you for the recipe.
My vegetarian life has just begun. I tried your No tuna and all I can say is Wow. So yummy.
This is sooooo tasty! Great balance of flavors and textures. We enjoyed it with whole-wheat rolls and some salad but I can see this going well in pita bread or wraps with some extra leafy greens and grated carrot. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
This was GREAT!!!!!. I tried this recipe and whaaaattt. I am so happy I did.
I’ve been wanting to try a No-tuna salad recipe and today I had the inspiration to do so, and it was really good. I added a little rice vinegar, turmeric, ashwaganda & a squeeze of lemon. Added to my baby spinach salad and topped it with hemp seeds for extra protein kick! Thanks LOVE your recipes ALWAYS Dana! xo
Make it often, never disappointed.
This was a good start for a chickpea / faux chicken salad recipe, but I found it a little bland. I would add some garlic powder, some finely minced basil, and a little dried oregano to perk it up. Thanks for providing a nice base for building a more robust sandwich spread!
This recipe is fantastic- everything I like about tuna salad except the tuna! I added 2-3 tablespoons of water to the tahini and it makes the whole recipe creamier and I stuff an orange pepper half to get more veggies into my diet!
I add seaweed seasoning and a little vinegar. Don’t skip the sunflower seeds gives it a nice crunch. Great recipe!
I think i am going to kick it up a notch n add some seaweed powder to get a more tuna tast.
It’s a really tasty filling , highly recommended.
Wow… I thought this would be revolting as I hate chickpeas, but was motivated to try by the comments. Actually pretty tasty and so healthy, I am shocked! Definitely will make again.
Just made it for breakfast, sooo good
Pretty good but I leave out the celery and capers. I am not a fan.
This is hands-down one of my favorite FOK recipes. Just had it for lunch today!
I absolutely love this recipe!
Hubby and I liked it. I thought it tasted great! Will definitely make again.
Fabulous recipe! We make it often.
Love this! Just made it tonight. I will be making it again and again!
interesting
Delicious, easy and filling!! So good on its own! I made the recipe as-is and served it on toasted whole grain bread with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and avocado.
I love this recipe!
I use 1 tablespoon tahini and two tablespoons plant based yogurt. Makes it very creamy. I also break up the tahini with the pickle water.
Greetings from Germany!
Excellent sandwich. I omitted the tahini and maple syrup and added vegenaise which is low in saturated fat.
This is amazing!! Thank you for creating and sharing the recipe.
This is an old standby now. Delicious. Doesn’t need any sweetener. Great with mini baked potatoes.
I have made this several times. I have tweaked it several different ways. My favourite is omit the celery and add chopped apple. and added a whole small red onion and raw sunflower seeds
Excellent in lettuce leaves or a sandwich – top notch…
Just made this for lunch and it was excellent. I skipped the syrup to avoid added sugars. I added extra capers and also added red peppers. Topped my sandwich with shredded carrots and arugula. I am a hearty eater so this will only make 4 sandwiches.
This is good, but I think it would be a bit better with less tahini and omitting the syrup.
Kathy, do you replace the tahini with anything? I want to start making it without tahini
I’ve been skipping the tahini and haven’t ever added the syrup. It’s so good!!!!
Just made this! It was so easy and SO delicious!!!
Too bitter – needs max 1tbs of tahini, too dry – add vegan mayo
Jacint- maybe it is the kind or brand of tahini you are using. I use Light Roast tahini from Sesame King. It’s never bitter and is runny, so not dry.
This recipe is incredible…the only problem is that I don’t want to make anything but this for lunch now!
This recipe is wonderful!
I love that is makes a fantastic sandwich filler, without the mayo.
I’ve made it several times and toys l it’s always . Thank you very much!!!
This is a fabulous recipe. Sometimes I add colored peppers and extra spices. If I want a creamier version, I add greek yogurt. I omit the sweetener.
I had my doubts about what this recipe would taste like. However, I made it for lunch and it was yummy. I will definitely make it again !
Reading your comments I have many ideas for this faboulous combination.
I dindt use the syrup though.
I made this last night and left in the refrigerator for lunch today. I put some veggies (lettuce, tomato and cuke) in a bag, some “No Tuna ” salad in a container, and 2 slices of Ezekial bread and brought it to work. Toasted the bread and assembled the sandwich, it was fabulous!! I’ve been missing sandwiches in my Plant Based diet and this hit the mark. I will note that I added more dijon and tahini and eliminated the maple syrup when I initially made it.
This recipe was amazing. i just made it for the first time. I’m not vegan but have been trying to fuel my body with more nutrient rich foods over the past few months. Just curious, does anyone know how many approx. calories there would be in a 1/2 cup serving of this recipe?
In WFPB eating, calories aren’t usually counted. I go by nutrient density. Not something I calculate, I just look for a lot of color.
The simplicity and taste are top notch.
I have a problem tho, can you advise? My tahini is very stubborn about breaking up and being able to be incorporated into the rest of the mixture.
My fave hack for this is to add a splash of pickle juice to help break it up. Adds a little more flavor to the mix and helps thin it (if you like the pickles enough, that is )
Some tahini brands are much thicker than others. Try this- Measure out your tahini and whisk in a bit of water before adding to your chickpeas. The tahini may clump up as you add the water….just keep mixing and it will smooth out so you can then easily blend it with the other ingredients.
I just love this salad recipe. I make all the time, and my non vegan friends love it also. Thanks for sharing it.
This is SO good and really simple. I’ve made it twice already and only discovered it this week. Non vegan hubby loves it too.
Of all the recipes on here this is the 1 recipe on repeat. I use less than 1 teaspoon of maple syrup instead of the 1 tablespoon. Otherwise I make the recipe as is. Served with either roasted potatoes or arugula dressed with only lemon juice, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado. So many things to pair this with.
I have often seen this recipe over the last year on the FOK app and thought it sounded good. Well I finally tried it and it is delicious. I used the recipe as listed and it was so satisfying as a sandwich. Then with the leftovers the next day I had it over fresh spinach with tomatoes and avocado on top. I am a fan and will make this a regular meal. I’m just sorry I didn’t try it sooner.
With all the rave reviews I had to try this sandwich. It really is delicious! I added more Dijon mustard than what was called for and also some fresh dill. I’ve been plant based for a little over a year now and continue to be pleasantly surprised by the variety and flavor of all these recipes. I’ll never go back to the SAD.