Chickpea “Tuna” Salad
There's nothing fishy about this recipe for chickpea "tuna" salad. It's made entirely of plants and has no added oils, perfect for summer picnics! You can whip this up in minutes for a hearty lunch, though it tastes best after resting in the fridge 4 or more hours.
I prefer to cook my own chickpeas in big batches in my Instant Pot and freeze them in serving sizes for later use. This way I can control the salt, and I can cook them just a little past al dente for the perfect sandwich texture. You can also use packaged chickpeas here; one 15 oz can or tetra pak works fine, though the texture is a little firmer.
A quick note on seaweeds: Kelp contains an extraordinary amount of iodine, a trace mineral that is often lacking in plant-based diets. Just 1/4 tsp of granulated kelp has over 350 mcg of iodine, over 200% of the recommended dietary allowance for adults. For this reason, it's important to measure and not overdo it - too much iodine is toxic to the thyroid gland. As tasty as this recipe is, don't eat it all at once!
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained with 1/4 cup of the juice reserved.
2 tbsp tahini (omit if you don't have it and use 1-2 tbsp of reserved bean juice or THE Dip)
1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh-squeezed tastes best)
1/4 tsp kelp granules (omit if you don't have it, or substitute dulse flakes or dried parsley)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 large ribs of celery, minced
1/4 large, sweet onion, minced
2 medium dill pickles, minced
Directions:
Pulse the first 5 ingredients in a food processor 4 or 5 times until chopped but still chunky. Alternatively, you can smoosh them together with a fork. Transfer this mix to a bowl and stir in the minced veggies. If the mixture is too dry, add one tablespoon of the reserved bean juice (called aquafaba) or THE Dip at a time until the desired consistency. Taste and add salt if needed. Cover and refrigerate until sandwich time!
To serve, pile high on soft whole grain bread or lettuce boats and top with your favorite "tuna" sandwich fixin's. I love lettuce, tomato, mustard and freshly ground pepper on a rustic, whole grain bread. Rye crackers or rice cakes make a nice crunchy snack too!
Makes approximately 6 half-cup servings.