High-Protein Chickpea Tuna Salad with Lemon-Dill Dressing

A super simple Chickpea Tuna Salad made with fresh vegetables, salty capers, olives and bright lemon. Ready in under 10 minutes, this salad is ideal for meal prep and using pantry staples.

This easy salad is a great way to use pantry ingredients. Everything is tossed together—there’s no separate dressing to make—so it’s fast, fresh and flavorful. The recipe relies on simple canned goods like tuna and chickpeas (garbanzo beans), combined with a few fresh vegetables and herbs.

I regularly use canned tuna in salads such as Tuna White Bean Salad with Basil and Lemon or Italian Tuna Potato Salad, and in sandwiches and pasta sauces. It’s convenient, nutritious and versatile.

What you need to make it – the ingredients

• Tuna – canned tuna in oil or water; drain well.
• Chickpeas – canned, drained and rinsed to remove excess salt.
• Capers and olives – both add savory, briny notes. Use your favorite pitted olives; if you dislike olives, substitute sun-dried tomatoes.
• Tomatoes – ripe plum or Roma tomatoes are ideal, but any ripe tomato works.
• English cucumber – I often scrape out the watery seeds with a spoon before slicing, but that’s optional.
• Lemon – zest and juice from half a lemon brighten the salad.
• Basil and parsley – use fresh herbs (not dried). A small handful of each is enough; oregano is an acceptable dried substitute if needed.
• Olive oil – a good quality extra virgin olive oil to finish the salad.

How to make Chickpea Tuna Salad – step by step

Place the chickpeas, drained tuna, chopped tomatoes, diced cucumber, olives, capers and chopped herbs in a large bowl.

Grate the lemon zest over the ingredients, then squeeze the lemon juice on top. Add a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Drizzle with olive oil and mix everything gently until well combined.

Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for later.

Top tips and variations

• Adapt the salad to use whatever vegetables and herbs you have—it’s a great fridge-clearout dish.
• Swap chickpeas for cannellini beans or another white bean for a milder flavor.
• Replace chickpeas with a short pasta to make a pasta salad.
• For heat, add red pepper flakes or sliced fresh chili.
• Make ahead: store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.

More easy salad recipes you might like

• Easy Green Bean Salad with Mustard and Garlic Dressing
• Italian Farro Salad
• Tuna Panzanella – Italian Bread Salad
• Tuna White Bean Salad with Basil and Lemon
• Classic Caprese Salad – Easy, Fresh & Delicious

If you’ve tried this Chickpea Tuna Salad or any other recipe from the site, please share how it went in the comments — I love hearing from readers!