Chickpea -No-Tuna- Salad
If you’re a lover of a tuna fish sandwich, this recipe is for you!
Growing up, I used to love it when my mom made me a tuna fish sandwich for lunch. Now, I’ve found a new, healthier favorite that hits the spot - chickpea salad!
There are a couple of reasons why I choose not to eat canned tuna anymore:
Unsafe levels of mercury in tuna. Despite what you see on the label, there is no such thing as no mercury or “low mercury” tuna. Mercury builds up in the body and can anxiety, mood changes, memory problems, and depression.
Overfishing of tuna, meaning that adult fish are being caught faster than they can breed and replenish the population. Tuna are heavily overfished, populations have declined severely from overfishing and illegal fishing over the past few decades.
If you choose to eat tuna, limit consumption to once a month to avoid overaccumulation of mercury in your body.
Chickpea “Tuna” Salad
This chickpea salad is exactly like your classic tuna salad, but with no tuna. It’s a lunchtime favorite! Eat this salad with crackers, veggie sticks, or serve as a sandwich.
Servings: 8, 1/2 cup servings | Time: 15 minutes
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp maple syrup
¼ cup diced white onion
¼ cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced carrots
¼ cup diced dill pickle
2 teaspoon loosely chopped capers
Sea salt & black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
Directions:
Place the chickpeas in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork, leaving only a few beans whole.
Add tahini, mustard, maple syrup, red onion, celery, pickle, capers, salt and pepper, and sunflower seeds to the mixing bowl. Mix to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve on your favorite hearty bread (my favorite is Dave’s Killer Bread) with lettuce & tomato.