Vegan Tuna

Vegan tuna is a simple plant-based recipe made from chickpeas, homemade mayo, and fresh vegetables. Once mixed, this salad is creamy, tangy, and satisfying! Serve it on a sandwich or wrap, use it as a dip for crackers, or eat it over a bed of greens.

Why you’ll love this recipe 

• Versatile: With so many different ways to use vegan tuna, you'll have no shortage of options to choose from.
• Healthy: Both plant-based and gluten-free, it’s a healthy alternative to traditional tuna. As a bonus, you don’t have to worry about mercury exposure!
• Quick & easy: This recipe can be whipped together in less than 15 minutes, making it great for a weeknight dinner, simple lunch, or easy meal prep idea.
• Minimal ingredients: Less than 10 ingredients are required for this recipe, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen!

What is vegan tuna?

For those of you who enjoy the flavors and textures of tuna salad but want to cut down on fish consumption, vegan tuna is such an easy plant-based substitute! The most popular (and flavor-rich) recipes are made with chickpeas, which emulate the flaky texture of tuna.

In this recipe, I’ve done exactly that! Canned chickpeas, vegan Kewpie mayo, celery, onions, garlic, pickled beets, and nori furikake are combined, creating a tuna rendition that may make you switch to vegan tuna salad for good!

I will note that this recipe is not for vegan tuna steaks like you’d expect for sushi or poke bowls. But, it’s extremely delicious nonetheless! Serve it on its own, over garden salads, tucked inside a sandwich, and more.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas for convenience and a closer replication of canned tuna. Alternatively, cook your own chickpeas from dry for a creamier texture and flavor.
• Vegan Kewpie mayo: To bring the salad ingredients together! For a rich, creamy, and subtly sweet flavor, use vegan Kewpie mayo. If you don’t feel like making your own, use store-bought vegan mayo.
• Celery: Provides a savory crunch that balances the creaminess of the chickpeas and mayo. You can also add or replace the celery with carrots or corn kernels for bursts of sweetness.
• Onions: I love to add a mixture of green and red onions. Feel free to use one or the other, or use white, yellow, or spring onions instead.
• Pickled beets: I highly recommend adding quick pickled beets to your vegan tuna salad for sweet and tangy flavors. But, regular pickles, pickled carrots, pickled radishes, or capers and relish are all delicious as well! 
• Nori furikake: Imparts a fishy flavor that emulates canned tuna. It’s not 100% necessary, so you can omit the nori furikake if you don’t have any on hand. or substitute it for seaweed sheets.
• Garlic powder: For extra savory, hearty, and toasty flavors that perfectly round out the salad. You can also use fresh garlic cloves if you don’t mind a more pungent taste. 
• Salt & pepper: Salt enhances the flavors of the salad, and black pepper adds a mild kick! If you want, try lemon pepper in place of regular pepper for a brighter element.

Instructions

• Step 1: Wash and drain the chickpeas thoroughly, then place them in a mixing bowl. Roughly mash the chickpeas with a potato masher or fork. You can also pulse them in a food processor if you have one.
• Add the diced celery, onions, pickled beets, chopped green onions, seasonings, and vegan Kewpie mayo to the mashed chickpeas.

• Step 2: Mix everything until well combined, taste the salad, and adjust the seasonings to suit your preferences.

How to serve vegan tuna

With how quick-to-make and versatile vegan tuna is, you’ll likely never run out of ways to serve it! These are my favorites:

• Salad: Serve it over top of a bed of spinach, a garden salad, or a kale salad.
• Sandwich: Make a classic vegan tuna salad sandwich or open-faced toast. Alternatively, try a tuna melt paired with tomato soup for an indulgent and comforting meal.
• Wraps: Fill your favorite type of flour tortilla with vegan tuna, stuff it inside a pita, make lettuce boats, or wrap it in collard for a lower-carb option.
• Crackers & chips: Serve your vegan tuna as a dip with tortilla chips, crackers, pita chips, rice cakes, or rye crisps.
• Vegetables: For a light option, pair it with veggie sticks like celery, carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, or radishes.

Storage

Vegan tuna makes great leftovers that will get you through a busy week with little-to-no effort. Keep these storage times in mind:

• Fridge: Transfer the salad to an airtight container and store it for up to 2-3 days. 
• Freezer: Vegan tuna salad freezes well for up to 3 months. Transfer it to freezer-safe bags or containers before adding it to the freezer.
• Thaw: When you’re ready for your next meal, thaw the salad in the fridge overnight and it will be ready by morning.

Variations

• Herbs & spices: In place of, or in addition to, the garlic powder, add onion powder, chives, parsley, dill, cilantro, cayenne pepper, nutritional yeast, or lemon zest.  
• Curried: Completely change the flavor profile of this vegan tuna salad by adding curry powder, raisins, cayenne pepper, parsley, lime juice, and Dijon mustard.
• Other legumes: Instead of chickpeas, try using other legumes like Lima beans, Fava beans, Cannellini beans, or Navy beans.
• Seeds: To replicate heart-healthy omegas normally found in tuna, add a tablespoon or two of hemp or chia seeds.
• TVP: Try using texture vegetable protein in place of chickpeas for a higher protein, legume-free version.
• Mayo-free: Instead of mayo, use tahini, olive oil, or hummus for a change in texture, flavor, and nutritional value. If your hummus is thick, squeeze in some lemon juice or a touch of vinegar, and mix it until you reach your desired sauce consistency.

Top tips

• Vegetable size: Cut all of the vegetables to a similar size for an even distribution of flavors and the perfect texture in each bite.
• Mash the chickpeas beforehand: Don’t add vegetables to the chickpeas before mashing them! This makes the mashing process much easier.
• Drain and rinse chickpeas: Remember to drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly, especially if they are canned. This removes the sudsy brine they come in, making them easier to digest.

FAQ

Similar Recipes

If you enjoyed this vegan tuna salad recipe, be sure to check out some more of my favorite salads like these:

• Kani salad: A vegan twist on the popular Japanese dish that features hearts of palm in place of crab meat.
• Harvest salad: A simple salad filled with butternut squash, apples, arugula, and pecans.
• Watermelon feta salad: Refreshing watermelon cubes topped with vegan feta.
• Pickled beet salad: Clementine oranges, spinach, and vegan cheese mixed together.