Vegan Tuna Salad! My vegetarian alternative to real tuna, tastes like classic version but fish free! DELICIOUS 10 minute recipe! Perfect in a sandwich, wrap, with crackers, on lettuce or grilled as a tuna melt! Easy Healthy lunch! Gluten free.
WOW wait until you taste this easy vegan tuna recipe!
If you’re a lover of a good tuna fish sandwich like I was, then this recipe is for you! -My vegan tuna salad! That’s right- a Mock version with no tuna and it tastes incredibly similar! Made with chickpeas and hearts of palm, vegan mayo, which creates a flaked texture similar to tuna! Ready in no time! No tofu or jackfruit.
So no need for a can of tuna or a stop at subway! Make my plant based version at home and keep those fishies swimming - and FYI vegan store bought canned tuna is not pleasant in my opinion
My family was shocked at how good this tuna salad sandwich was! It will totally satisfy that fish craving -Make it you'll be glad you did! As far as vegan recipes go this ones up there!! Says everyone who’s tried it😊
Adapted from my vegan chickpea salad sandwiches with sunflower seeds! - Equally tasty!
Jump to:
Ingredients:
- chickpeas
- hearts of palm
- vegan mayonnaise: (I used vegenaise)
- veggies: celery, red onion, dill pickle
- seaweed snack sheets
- capers
- seasonings: garlic powder, tamari, salt and pepper
- pickle juice and caper brine or sub lemon juice
- bread, wraps, lettuce etc,.. for serving
How to make vegan tuna salad:
- To the food processor add chickpeas and hearts of palm. Pulse until mixed but not mushy, leave a little texture. Scrape down sides as needed
- With a spatula add mixture into mixing bowl, crumble in the seaweed sheets and add rest of ingredients. Mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Chill in the fridge or serve right away.
- Enjoy! Lovely in a sandwich, wrap, with crackers or on a bed of lettuce. I love it with a side of potato chips! For full recipe ingredients and instructions see recipe card below
FAQ:
Is vegan tuna good for you?
- Yes it is healthy as it is usually prepared from chickpeas and sometimes hearts of palm which are both good for you. And of course contains no actual tuna fish.
What does it taste like?
- Vegan tuna salad actually has a similar taste to tuna because of the seaweed ingredient, capers, mayo, and pickle juice or lemon. The texture is great too.
What are hearts of palm?
- Hearts of palm is a vegetable taken from the inner core of palm trees. They are cut into cylinders and packed in either water or brine. Have a taste similar to artichokes but milder. You can usually find them in the canned vegetable aisle. They contain many healthy nutrients and are high in protein and fibre. I often buy mine at Walmart and find them affordable.
Tips:
- this tuna mix is even better the next day if you can believe it
- feel free to add in extras like chopped red bell peppers or your favourite sandwich add ins like lettuce, tomato, avocado etc,..
You'll love this mock tuna, it's..
- vegan
- made with healthy ingredients
- easy to make
- super tasty
- kid approved
- great anytime
- perfect lunch idea
- versatile
Enjoy everyone! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
More sandwich recipes..
- Vegan Sloppy Joes (Meatless Manwich)
- Best Vegan 'Chicken' Salad
- Tofu Bacon Recipe (great for for BLT)
- Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich
- Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Vegan Tuna Salad
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan Tuna Salad! My vegetarian alternative to real tuna, tastes like classic version but fish free! DELICIOUS 10 minute recipe! Perfect in a sandwich, wrap, with crackers, on lettuce or grilled as a tuna melt! Easy Healthy lunch! Gluten free.
Ingredients
- 1 (398 ml/14 oz) can hearts of palm, drained
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup dill pickle, diced
- 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
- 1 small celery rib, diced
- 1 tablespoon small capers, measure then finely chop
- 2 seaweed snack sheets
- ⅓ cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise)
- 2 teaspoons tamari
- 2 teaspoons caper brine
- 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice or sub lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic (powder)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To the food processor add chickpeas and hearts of palm. Pulse until mixed but not mushy, leave a little texture. Scrape down sides as needed
- With a spatula add mixture into mixing bowl, crumble in the seaweed sheets and add rest of ingredients. Mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Chill in the fridge or serve right away.
- Enjoy! Lovely in a sandwich, wrap, with crackers or on a bed of lettuce. I love it with a side of potato chips! Step by step photos, FAQ, Tips in above post
Notes
- To store: will keep covered in fridge for 3-4 days
- I quite enjoy this 'tuna mix' in a sandwich with toasted buttered bread and lettuce, sometimes I add avocado and tomato!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Category: Mains, Salads, Gluten free, 30 Minute Vegan Recipes
- Method: food processor / bowl
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Erik B says
Greetings Vera or Verna (both names show up on your site). I’m not sure if you read comments on older recipes, but I’ll post for other readers.
I’ve tried numerous plant based tuna recipes and this one is our favorite! I’ve made it over and over with a few modifications:
-Heart of palm isn’t easy to find here, but a 12 oz jar of Artichokes is a great substitute.
-Instead of Nori Seaweed, I use 2 teaspoons of Braggs Sea Kelp Delight Seasoning.
-We aren’t a fan of capers so I use 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard and 1 teaspoon of horseradish.
Yours, Erik
Susan K says
Hi, this has a great flavor. Mine came out a bit mushy (too much time in blender probably). I put it in the fridge to firm it up a bit as I am going to do roll ups for a potluck. Any words of wisdom in thickening it up a bit? I thought maybe to add more chickpeas? But maybe after a night in fridge will be okay. Thank you for this great recipe.
Jamie says
Delicious! Has the right “ocean flavor” that other vegan versions lack.
Better than Mother’s Market bakery chickpea salad sandwich in Orange County, CA which I used to crave! Ran out of vegan mayo, but the 2tbs I had was enough
Thank you!
Molly says
Thank you for this recipe!! This is the first vegan tuna recipe I've tried that I actually like. I wasn't sure if I would like it because I don't like chickpeas (no offense, I love your name) but I don't even taste them in this recipe. It just tastes like delicious tuna salad. I've used it to make a vegan tuna melt (so good) and just ate with crackers and it will definitely be a recipe I continue to uses for years to come. Thank you!
Judy says
This is the best vegan tuna salad I have ever made. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I used vegan homemade ranch dressing instead of mayo because that is what I had on hand. ❤️
Joan says
Just made some more to use, keep in the fridge.
Can you freeze this please ?
Verna says
Hi Joan, You can freeze the mix but I don't recommend it as hearts of palm has high water content and the texture will change once frozen and defrosted. Hope that helps 🙂
Laura G. says
I had nearly given up on finding a vegan tuna salad recipe that I actually liked -- until I found this one. It's brilliant! The flavors blend so well together to create a tuna-like flavor. Makes a great sandwich or just a delicious snack. Thanks for sharing!
Verna says
Thanks so much! What a wonderful compliment you made my day 🙂 I am thrilled you enjoyed it and I so appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
Grace says
My go-to tuna salad recipe! My kids enjoy taking it to school for their lunches as do I. I usually skip the mayo and it still tastes amazing.
Verna says
I'm so glad you're all enjoying the vegan tuna recipe. Thanks for the wonderful review Grace!
Toni Wolf says
Wow, this delicious fakeout is better than tuna salad It is a revelation!
Verna says
So glad you enjoyed it. thank you for your feedback -really appreciate it!
Ann says
Excellent recipe! I used liquid braggs and added some fresh dill I had on hand. I think I’ll make tuna melts tonight! Thank you for the great recipe!
Verna says
Glad you enjoyed it Ann. Thanks so much for your feedback! Feel free to leave a star rating 🙂
Ewelina says
WOW! The best vegan tuna salad I have ever had. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Verna says
Thank you so much Ewelina! You made my day, really appreciate your feedback 🙂
Joan says
Hi Verna, made this yesterday, it was very nice. I didn’t have Tamari so used Braggs liquid amino. The seaweed snack sheets I have are very small, not sure if I should have used more than the 2 sheets to make it more fishy. How big are the seaweed sheets you use please. Many thanks
Verna says
Hi Joan! I think most some single serve Korean roasted seaweed packages are around 5 grams, but yes definitely add more sheets to suit your taste 🙂 You can also use dulse for the vegan tuna which is ground seaweed powder. You can find it in at health food stores and amazon sells it too. (I find seaweed snacks much more affordable and easier to find) Hope that helps 🙂
Joan says
Hi Verna , thanks for the reply. I’ve checked and the snack sheets I’ve got are 4 gm per pack, with several thin sheets per pack. I think that’s my answer, I didn’t use enough seaweed. It was still lovely, we’ve been having it on toast for lunch.
Verna says
Thanks Joan good to know! yes I think maybe different brands may vary a bit in size.
Gahlia says
Hearts of Palm! Who knew?! This is so good. Adding the hearts of palm to the chickpeas is brilliant 😁……I decided to adapt it for a “chicken salad “ version and it was amazing too! I just skipped the fishy ingredients (capers, seaweed, pickles, tamari) and added some ‘spike seasoning’, dried cranberries, toasted almonds and a dash of cayenne pepper. Love it! Thank you so much for sharing…..
EC says
Love this vegan tuna salad, it was easy to make and tasty!!
Verna says
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the feedback
Jennifer Lee says
This recipe caught my attention and I decided to make it. I used just a tad more mayo brown mustard and pickle juice to get it to the consistency I wanted. I also used a healthy dash of smoked paprika. It was good right after making it but after it sat in the fridge overnight, it was even better. Much easier to make than traditional egg salad too.
Verna says
Glad you enjoyed the tuna salad Jennifer and thank you for the wonderful feedback!!