Tuna and Chickpea Salad

When was the last time you packed a picnic? You know, spread out a red and white checkered blanket? Opened a wicker basket to reveal artisanal cheeses, fresh fruits, a hunk of sourdough, and a bottle of crisp white wine? If you haven’t done it recently, you should. It’s a lovely, romantic way to spend an afternoon, really. And when you do, you should make this salad. With beets, red peppers, chickpeas, and tuna dressed in red wine vinegar and olive oil, it’s the perfect light dish for dining al fresco. And hey, it’s good for you, too.  

Ingredients

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup canned chickpeas
2 ounces canned chunk light tuna in water or olive oil, drained (about 1⁄4 cup)
1/4 cup canned sliced beets, quartered
2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons chopped celery leaves
to taste sea salt
to taste freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Combine the vinegar, oil, and garlic in a small bowl.
2. Toss the vinegar-oil mixture with chickpeas, tuna, beets, pepper, onion, and celery in a medium bowl.
3. Pour vinegar-oil mixture onto tuna mixture and toss.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE It’s protein-rich thanks to both chickpeas and tuna, which also provides hard-to-get nutrients like niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, and selenium. You get plenty of veggies (and how often do you eat beets?), too. Plus, olive oil delivers healthy fats and vinegar is an amazing calorie-free flavor enhancer.