Recipe

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This protein salad is the kind of hearty, refreshing salad made up of pantry staples and the crisp veggies you've got in your fridge.

Need a no-cook salad that’s light, fresh, and leaves you full? This protein salad delivers on all fronts!

top view of a protein sald with tuna, eggs, chickpeas and veggies

High Protein Salad

When most people think of protein salads, they picture something like chicken salad over greens or a filling blackened chicken salad, but this one flips the script.

It’s inspired by the kind of hearty, refreshing salads I grew up eating in Spain, where we’d toss together pantry staples like tuna and chickpeas and whatever crisp veggies were in the fridge. Drizzle your favorite dressing or my 2-minute white wine vinaigrette for the ultimate mouthwatering experience.

Ingredients

The protein in this salad comes from canned tuna, chickpeas, and hard-boiled eggs. The veggies that add more nutrition and crunchiness are lettuce, purple cabbage, red onion, and pickles. For ultimate deliciousness, I add sesame seeds (100% optional) and a creamy white wine vinaigrette.

How to Make a Protein Salad

Once you have the hard-boiled eggs ready, make a base with the greens, and top it with chickpeas, pickles, and onion. Top the salad with tuna and egg halves, and drizzle the dressing. This epic salad is done!

More Ways to Add Protein to Salad

Here are easy protein-rich additions to make this salad even more filling:

5 ounces of cooked salmon: 32 g protein
½ cup cubed chicken: 18 g protein
½ cup cottage cheese: 12 g protein
½ cup cooked lentils: 12 g protein
½ cup crumbled feta cheese: 10 g protein
1 ounce of cooked bacon bits: 9 g protein

Best Dressing to Use

Aside from the white wine vinaigrette, I have two other favorites to drizzle over this salad. When I crave a stronger flavor, I use my red wine vinaigrette. For a milder option, this balsamic vinaigrette is always a keeper!

Protein Salad (No Cook Recipe)

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10

Total Time: 10

This protein salad is the kind of hearty, refreshing salad made up of pantry staples and the crisp veggies you've got in your fridge.

5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 ½ cups shredded purple cabbage
15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced pickles, big or baby pickles
½ cup finely chopped red onion, or 1 shallot
7 ounce can tuna, drained and flaked
4 soft or hard boiled eggs, halved
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional, for garnish
¼ cup white wine vinaigrette

Instructions

Prep:

Cook the eggs, if you don’t have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge, to your liking.

Assemble:

In a large bowl or serving dish, layer the chopped romaine and shredded purple cabbage as the base. Top with chickpeas, pickles, and red onion.
Flake the tuna and distribute it evenly over the top. Drizzle with the white wine vinaigrette or your favorite dressing.

Serve:

Divide the salad into 4 bowls. Place two egg halves in each bowl.

Prep ahead tips:

You can assemble the salad ingredients up to a day in advance, except for the eggs and the dressing. Keep the salad covered and refrigerated. Drizzle with the dressing and then place the eggs on top for the best texture and flavor.