Chickpeas are a very good source of protein, as is tuna. And the brown rice is full of fiber and is a slowly absorbed carbohydrate so it energizes for a long time. This tuna salad is not just a simple salad, but it is also an energy bomb. It is a perfect choice for workout days or if you want a quick, hearty lunch. And it has another great feature if you let the flavour mingle and make it the day before, it is more delicious.
I like to use pre-boiled rice because the cooking time is halved. Start by cooking rice and boil water in a bowl then follow the instructions on the package. It usually takes 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.
Cut the radish into the quarter, thinly slice the green onion into rings. Rinse off the chickpeas and let them drain. Mix all vegetables in a bowl.
I usually buy ‘tuna in olive oil’ canned, the oil of which I use for my salad. If you make this salad from “tuna in water” canned drain the water. Put the tuna in a bowl and use olive oil according to my recipe. Add 2 tbsps grated parmesan and juice of a half lemon. Then add dried oregano and season with salt and pepper. If you have fresh parsley feel free to mix it into the salad as well not just use it as a garnish. If you mixed the ingredients well, stir in vegetables with the cooled, drained rice. Finally, mix gently, garnish the parsley on top and enjoy!
There is another version of this tuna salad:
- You can skip the rice from the salad.
- Cumin and curry go well with chickpeas so you can use these spices as well.
- If you want an extra taste, you can add 4 to 5 Anchovies (Sardella).
- You can add red onion and a half clove of garlic.
Tuna Salad with Chickpea & Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice (pre-boiled)
- ⅓ cup green onion (or ½ tsp chopped chives)
- 4-5 radish
- 1 canned chickpea (250g)
- 4 tbsps olive oil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 2 tbsps grated parmesan
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 canned tuna (150-200g)
- ½ lemon juice
- dried or fresh parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
- Start to cook the rice according to package instruction.
- Wash all vegetables. Cut the radish into the quarter, thinly slice the green onion into rings.
- Rinse off the chickpea and let it drain then mix in the prepared vegetables.
- In a bowl mix the tuna with olive oil, parmesan, dried oregano, lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. Then stir in the vegetables and cooled drained rice. Garnish with fresh or dried parsley and enjoy!
