Mediterranean Tuna Salads with Crunchy Chickpeas

I am a bit obsesses with mediterranean cooking lately. It is just so fresh and tasty and healthy! Mediterranean Tuna Salads with Crunchy Chickpeas are a mediterranean food lovers dream. Lemony fresh tuna patties are placed atop salads loaded with fresh mediterranean vegetables. The crunchy chickpeas add texture, protein and fiber. I opted for chickpeas instead of hummus to get the nutrients but with crunchy.

Your gut will love all the canned and fermented veggies- olives, capers and purple onions bring wonderful acidity and prebiotics to the salads. Oh yea… I almost forgot about the creamy lemon aioli to drizzle on top that brings it all together! The other best part? These salads truly come together in about 30 minutes.

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Why Make Mediterranean Tuna Salads with Crunchy Chickpeas?

• Tuna- Omega 3, omega 3, omega 3. Do I need to say it again? Just make sure to buy wild caught low mercury tuna! otherwise, tuna is a no.
• Chickpeas- most Americans do not get enough fiber and veggies bring a lot of fiber to the plate but chickpeas bring even more! 1 can is going to have around 25 grams of fiber along with manganese, folate, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium…. all at 20% of daily value needed or way more! These peas are a must have.
• Pickled Veggies- your gut loves pickled veggies because of the prebiotics they bring to your diet! These salads are loaded with them between the onions, olives and capers.
• Fresh veggies- water, fiber, vitamins A, C and K
• Lemon zest and juice- lemons are so good for you but my favorite thing about them is the bioactive flavonoids that provide antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. We all need that!

What You Need To Make Mediterranean Tuna Salads with Crunchy Chickpeas

Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list! I separated it only so you can see the few different steps, but these salads are super simple to make and utilize a lot of pantry ingredients!

Tuna Patties-

• canned wild caught low mercury tuna
• lemon zest
• Spices: salt, pepper, parsley, Italian seasoning
• Dijon Mustard
• Eggs
• avocado oil for cooking
• CRUNCHY CHICKPEAS
• can chickpeas
• Spices: salt, pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder
• SALADS
• organic salad greens
• red bell pepper
• cucumber
• sliced canned black olives
• capers
• pickled red onions
• feta cheese (omit for dairy free)
• LEMON AIOLI
• dijon mustard
• avocado oil mayonnaise
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper

How To Make Mediterranean Tuna Salads with Crunchy Chickpeas

1. Read through the entire recipe so you understand how it flows and how to cook efficiently. Gather all your ingredients in one spot.
2. Add tuna to a medium mixing bowl. Flake into very small pieces with a fork. Add lemon zest, parsley, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, dijon mustard and eggs to the tuna. Stir together using your fork. 
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Form tuna into 12 small patties. Add 2 tsp avocado oil to pan. Add tuna patties and cook 5 minutes. Flip and cook 5 more minutes. Remove tuna patties to a plate. *** While the tuna patties cook, cut up all your vegetables and make your lemon aioli to maximize your time! To make the aioli, stir together all the aioli ingredients in a small bowl. 
4. Add 2 more tsp avocado oil to hot skillet. Add drained and rinsed Chickpeas to the skillet. Let chickpeas cook for 1-2 minutes for them to get browned. Sprinkle with paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir to coat chickpeas. Cook 2-3 more minutes until chickpeas are a little browned and crispy. Remove to a plate and remove skillet from heat. 
5. Assemble Salads:
   Place 2 cups greens in 6 bowls or on large plates. Top with 2 tuna patties. Top with equal amounts of all the other ingredients. Do this with all 6 servings. Drizzle with lemon aioli and serve!
6. Rate this recipe and leave a comment below! And share it with your friends!
   

Want more delicious, nutrient dense Salad Meals? Try Chicken Cobb Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing, Summer Salmon Salad with Peaches or a family favorite, Cheeseburger Salads With Spicy Sweet Potatoes And Bang Bang Sauce.

Need a Lunch Salad that packs easily and can be made ahead of time? Check out my Perfect Lunch Salad!