Happy Wednesday LSN Peeps! I hope you’re hungry for this delicious Chickpea Apple “Tuna” Salad, it is perfect for your weekly meal prep or for feeding a crew of 10+ hungry volunteers. Let me explain… You know that saying “after the storm comes the rainbow”, well our rainbow was a flood of volunteers all throughout Houston offering to help all those affected by Hurricane Harvey this past week and those volunteers needed to be fed.

Chickpea Apple “Tuna” Salad

Even though there’s no way of replacing all that was lost, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing so many people coming together in and out of Houston to help those affected in hurricane Harvey. Thankfully we made it out ok but that was not the case for many in our area and after days of being stuck inside we were happy to get out of the house and volunteer any way possible. This recipe was a BIG help with that and I knew I needed to share it with you all.

This chickpea apple “tuna” salad recipe is a remake of an old tuna recipe I made while working at a tea shop in Houston. It was a combination of apples, walnuts, and tuna, which at the time I thought was a bit odd but then again at that age, I didn’t know much about flavor combining. In this recipe, I use the same ingredients minus the tuna and mayo and added a ton of feel-good ingredients like chopped celery, dried cranberry, and chickpeas, and used a cashew cream sauce as the mayo substitute.

I love this recipe because it’s packed with plant-based proteins from the chickpeas and the fresh dill gives it a boost of flavor that tastes so refreshing. It was a hit this past week and I would totally recommend it for any gathering you might have + it’s easy to make in bulk, so any leftovers just store in the fridge and use later in the week.

Chickpea Apple “Tuna” Salad

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A simple 20-minute Chickpea “No Tuna” Salad with smashed chickpeas, celery, and other feel good ingredients.

• Author: Vanessa Cassani
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Side Dish, Salad
• Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free

Ingredients

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• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 celery stalks (chopped)
• 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (chopped)
• 1 apple (chopped)
• 1/4 cup fresh dill
• healthy pinch of salt and pepper (to taste)
• optional: Sliced avocado, onion, tomato, and or lettuce for serving

CASHEW DRESSING

• 1 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 Medjool date

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Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl add chickpeas and lightly mash with a fork for texture. Then add chopped onion, walnuts, celery, dried cherries, apple and salt & pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
2. In your high speed blender combine cashews, water, dates, dijon mustard, salt and blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Combine dressing to chickpea mixture and mix well add in last your freshly chopped dill. Enjoy!
4. Chickpea mixture will keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days, making it great for quick weekday lunches!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 360
• Fat: 7.8g
• Carbohydrates: 52.5g
• Fiber: 15.3g
• Protein: 20.9g

I hope you give this recipe a try and if you do, leave a comment and rate it. I love seeing what you all are cooking up in the kitchen. Also if you are interested in donating to #hoUSton and all those affected by #hurricaneharvey, check out the link here. Stay tuned for more plant-powered recipes!

Hugs,