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Vegan Tuna

Published: Feb 5, 2023 by Nisha Melvani · 6 Comments

This Vegan Tuna tastes just like a real tuna salad but without the fish! It's quick and easy to make, healthy, and rich in iodine and vitamin B₁₂. Use it in sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or serve with pita chips or crackers.

Vegan tuna in a speckled grey bowl with an ice cream scoop. Plus, one sliced lemon on the right, and celery and red onion above.

This chickpea tuna salad mimics regular tuna so perfectly, you likely won't taste the difference! You won't believe that this tuna is vegan! I used four key ingredients to make this recipe taste like the ocean–capers, marinated artichoke hearts, nutritional yeast, and seaweed flakes (or nori). These ingredients are optional but I highly recommend adding them for the best vegan tuna.

This was inspired by my Curried Chickpea Salad on this site, as well as this High-Iron Avocado White Bean Sandwich Spread.

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👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🐠 Substitutions
📖 Instructions
💡 Expert Tips
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🍽 Related Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Vegan mayonnaise in a gold measuring cup, nutritional yeast, seaweed seasoning, garlic powder, Dijon mustard, tamari, red onion, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, apple cider vinegar, and capers in white bowls. Plus, celery and one lemon. — Ingredients for Vegan Tuna

Vegan mayonnaise adds creaminess to this vegan tuna salad. The brands I use most are Chosen Foods, Follow Your Heart, and Sir Kensington's. Or you can make your own Vegan Mayonnaise.
Mashed chickpeas are the perfect ingredient for making vegan tuna because of their texture. They also readily absorb the briny flavor of the capers and artichoke hearts that mimic the ocean. Plus, chickpeas are a good source of plant-based protein, fiber, and iron.
Chopped celery and red onion add a crunch and bite to this vegan tuna recipe.
Chopped artichoke hearts, capers, and seaweed seasoning add a sea-like quality, making this taste just like a real tuna salad!
Fortified nutritional yeast adds vitamin B₁₂, additional protein, and an umami quality.

See recipe card for quantities.

🐠 Substitutions

Chickpeas - instead of garbanzos, you can use white beans as needed
Red onion - substitute with shallots if you find red onion too sharp.
Nutritional yeast - omit as needed
Capers - omit as needed
Marinated artichoke hearts - use canned or jarred marinated hearts
Apple cider vinegar - substitute with white vinegar as needed
Seaweed seasoning - use kelp granules, dulse flakes, or chop one nori sheet finely with kitchen shears

Visit my Vegan Sandwich Recipes page for more vegan sandwich ideas.

📖 Instructions

Step 1. (Optional: Rub the chickpeas between the layers of a kitchen or paper towel to remove the skins.) Mash them with a fork until mostly mashed with some whole chickpeas remaining.

Mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, seaweed seasoning, garlic powder, Dijon mustard, red onion, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, and capers in a white bowl.

Step 2. Add the red onion, celery, artichoke hearts, capers, mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, seaweed seasoning, garlic powder, lemon juice, tamari, Dijon, and apple cider vinegar.

Vegan tuna in a white bowl with a silver spoon.

Step 3. Mix well to combine. Adjust mayonnaise, and lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper.

Vegan tuna sandwich with grilled whole wheat bread in a sandwich press.

Step 4. Make vegan tuna sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or serve vegan tuna with crackers or toasted pita.

💡 Expert Tips

For a creamier vegan tuna salad, rub the chickpeas between layers of a kitchen or paper towel to remove their skins. This lowers the fiber content, but makes the salad smoother in texture.
Chop the red onion and celery small enough so you got some of each in every bite.
Soak the red onion for about 15 minutes in cold water to soften the their sharp flavor if you find red onions too pungent.
To reduce the amount of sodium, use low sodium tamari or soy sauce, unsalted chickpeas, and low-sodium bread if making a sandwich.
Storage: Refrigerate leftover vegan tuna in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

How do you serve vegan tuna?

Make tuna salad sandwiches with lettuce, sliced tomato and a generous amount of vegan tuna. It’s also delicious served on crackers, in lettuce wraps, or stuffed into warm pita pockets. You can also make an open-faced vegan tuna melt in a toaster oven with vegan cheese on top!

What is vegan tuna made from?

It is a quick and easy recipe made from mashed chickpeas as well as ingredients to impart a sea-like flavor. These include capers, marinated artichoke hearts, seaweed seasoning, and nutritional yeast. Vegan mayonnaise is typically used for creaminess, and fresh lemon juice for an added tang.

Why is canned tuna not healthy?

Several species of tuna—like other large ocean fish—contain higher-than-average levels of mercury, a highly toxic metal that can cause detrimental health effects.

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