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    Home » Mains

    10 Minute Vegan Tuna Salad

    Updated: Jan 20, 2023 by Verna Rindler · This post may contain affiliate links · 50 Comments

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    vegan tuna salad on open faced sandwich

    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.

    vegan tuna salad on open faced sandwich

    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:
    • How to make vegan tuna salad:
    • FAQ:
    • Tips:
    • You'll love this mock tuna, it's..
    • More sandwich recipes..
    • Vegan Tuna Salad
    vegan tuna sandwich being picked up

    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
    vegan tuna ingredients in a bowl

    How to make vegan tuna salad:

    1. 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
    2. 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.
    3. 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
    step by step photos how to make vegan tuna salad
    open faced vegan tuna sandwich

    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
    Print
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    vegan tuna salad on open faced sandwich

    Vegan Tuna Salad


    ★★★★★

    5 from 17 reviews

    • Author: Verna
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    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

    Scale
    • 1  (398 ml/14 oz) can hearts of palm, drained 
    • 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained 
    • 1/4 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 
    • 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise)
    • 2 teaspoons tamari
    • 2 teaspoons caper brine
    • 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice or sub lemon juice
    • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic (powder)
    • salt and pepper to taste 

    Instructions

    1. 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
    2. 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.
    3. 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

    Keywords: vegan tuna salad, vegan tuna, vegan sandwich spreads, vegan salads, vegan tuna sandwich

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @cheeky_chickpea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #cheeky_chickpea_

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    1840 shares
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joan

      September 03, 2022 at 6:07 am

      Just made some more to use, keep in the fridge.
      Can you freeze this please ?

      Reply
      • Verna

        September 03, 2022 at 7:10 am

        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 🙂

        Reply
    2. Laura G.

      August 13, 2022 at 7:28 am

      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!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        August 13, 2022 at 7:59 am

        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.

        Reply
    3. Grace

      June 15, 2022 at 10:23 am

      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.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        June 16, 2022 at 6:10 am

        I'm so glad you're all enjoying the vegan tuna recipe. Thanks for the wonderful review Grace!

        Reply
    4. Toni Wolf

      May 18, 2022 at 1:26 pm

      Wow, this delicious fakeout is better than tuna salad It is a revelation!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        May 18, 2022 at 1:29 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it. thank you for your feedback -really appreciate it!

        Reply
    5. Ann

      April 07, 2022 at 12:59 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Verna

        April 07, 2022 at 7:35 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it Ann. Thanks so much for your feedback! Feel free to leave a star rating 🙂

        Reply
    6. Ewelina

      April 03, 2022 at 3:36 pm

      WOW! The best vegan tuna salad I have ever had. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
      • Verna

        April 03, 2022 at 4:54 pm

        Thank you so much Ewelina! You made my day, really appreciate your feedback 🙂

        Reply
    7. Joan

      March 26, 2022 at 6:24 am

      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

      Reply
      • Verna

        March 26, 2022 at 7:25 am

        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 🙂

        Reply
        • Joan

          March 28, 2022 at 8:56 am

          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.

          Reply
          • Verna

            March 29, 2022 at 6:12 am

            Thanks Joan good to know! yes I think maybe different brands may vary a bit in size.

            Reply
    8. EC

      March 16, 2022 at 9:00 pm

      Love this vegan tuna salad, it was easy to make and tasty!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        March 17, 2022 at 6:02 am

        Thank you so much! I really appreciate the feedback

        Reply
    9. Jennifer Lee

      March 11, 2022 at 10:06 am

      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.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        March 11, 2022 at 11:44 am

        Glad you enjoyed the tuna salad Jennifer and thank you for the wonderful feedback!!

        Reply
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    Hi, I’m Verna! Major foodie of all things vegan! Welcome to The Cheeky Chickpea; here, you’ll find hundreds of restaurant-worthy easy vegan recipes. Some oil-free and gluten-free, from veggie-powered plant-based comfort foods to decadent desserts. Lots of tricks and tips up my chef sleeve…Grab your apron let’s get cooking!

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