Viral Tuna Chickpea Cucumber and Parsley Salad

Viral Tuna Chickpea Cucumber and Parsley Salad! If you indulged a little over the weekend, this recipe is for you! Packed with protein and fresh vegetables, this salad is so easy to make and just gets better the next day!

If you’ve come to my website in search of this recipe, you’ve come to the right place! This salad was in fact inspired by the Jennifer Aniston salad, or my version of that salad. To read more about that salad, click here. Otherwise, keep reading or scroll down to get the recipe and the recipe for my Dijon vinaigrette dressing. 

Viral Tuna Chickpea Cucumber and Parsley Salad

My video has gotten lots of views on both Instagram and TikTok, so I’ll try to address all of your questions here. Can you substitute the tuna with something else? Absolutely! Any canned fish, chicken or even just the chickpeas will do. Can you use white beans instead of chickpeas or garbanzo beans? Yes! Someone asked if you need to cook the beans if using canned beans. Hey, we all come from different levels of knowledge and confidence in the kitchen, so to me, no question is silly. If using canned beans, just drain and rinse and they are ready to go into the salad.

Many of you asked about the wood bowl I am using above. You can purchase it here.

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5 from 2 votes

Viral Tuna Chickpea Cucumber and Parsley Salad

Cook time is the time it takes to heat up the brown rice. I love using the organic brown rice from Trader Joe's found in the freezer section.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Main or Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chickpea salad, tuna salad

Servings: 4

Author: hipfoodiemom

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Ingredients

For the Dijon vinaigrette dressing:

• 1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 to 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup good quality olive oil extra virgin
• salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

• 1 can albacore tuna drained
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon olive oil extra virgin
• 1/2 tablespoon capers + more if desired
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup diced seedless cucumbers
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 heaping cup canned chickpeas drained and rinsed + more if desired
• 2 cups cooked brown rice*
• 1 cup fresh parsley chopped or finely diced
• 1/2 cup pickled red onions** or red onions chopped or finely diced
• 1/2 cup pecans chopped
• lemon wedges optional

Instructions

For the Dijon vinaigrette dressing:

• Add the Dijon mustard to your bowl or mason jar, add the apple cider vinegar and slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. *Bonus*: Occasionally, I like to mix in minced shallots and/or grated parmesan cheese for more flavor! Add and mix in if using.

For the salad:

• Place tuna into a large mixing bowl. Mash with a fork. Add the Dijon mustard, olive oil, capers and salt and pepper. Mash and mix again.
• Add in the cucumbers, tomatoes, chickpeas, brown rice, parsley, pickled red onions and the pecans. Mix together. Drizzle the Dijon vinaigrette over the top and mix together one more time. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. You could also add a touch of fresh lemon juice for brightness if needed.
• Serve immediately, or leave out at room temp and allow the flavors to meld together just for a bit. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy within a day or two.
• Make ahead: you can make this a day in advance and refrigerate. If doing this, don't add the dressing before refrigerating overnight. Add the dressing 1 to 2 hours before serving. Serve with lemon wedges if desired for added brightness! Enjoy!

Notes

*Can be cooked quinoa, bulgur or brown rice!

**Pickled red onions recipe: my recipe is here. I hope you try it! I combine some unique ingredients to create really delicious pickled red onions!