Vegan Tuna Salad filled with chickpeas, celery, onions, fresh herbs, kelp flakes, and even flaxseed for omega 3. It makes the best chickpea salad sandwich and it’s perfect for breakfast lunch or dinner.
This mock tuna salad makes the perfect sandwich or tuna macaroni salad and you’re going to want to make it again and again. No more worrying about too much mercury with regular tuna!
WHAT MAKES THIS THE BEST VEGAN TUNA SALAD?
We make this vegan tuna salad by adding lots of fresh ingredients and the chickpeas even add tons of protein. It’s so easy to whip up and it definitely will remind you of tuna salad made with tuna. If you want more of a flakey fish texture you can even add in some hearts of palm. We use wholesome ingredients and you can even swap the storebought vegan mayo for your favorite oil-free based mayo recipe. We add kelp flakes as well as ground flaxseed for a slight taste of the sea and also some omegas. You could also use dulse, crushed nori, or seaweed snack.
VEGAN TUNA SALAD INGREDIENTS
- Chickpeas – these are the “meat” and the protein in this recipe, you could also add chopped hearts of palm for the flakey fish texture if desired.
- Celery – it’s a staple in traditional tuna and chicken salad so it’s definitely must in this recipe.
- Red Onion – we prefer red over white onion as it has a bit more flavor, but if you don’t like any red onion you can use a sweet onion or even scallions for a mild flavor.
- Mayo – this brings it all together, you can use storebought or homemade.
- Lemon Juice – juice from lemon brightens up this dish.
- Parsley – fresh parsley adds color and a bit of flavor, we love this using this fresh herb.
- Kelp Flakes – by using kelp flakes, dulse flakes, or crushed nori you give it that slightly fishy taste, but can be left out.
- Ground Flaxseed – these seeds add omega-3 and we highly recommend grinding your own.
- Pepper – optional, but definitely adds to the salad.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKPEA TUNA SALAD
- Prep the chickpeas: In a medium-size bowl mash the chickpeas using a potato masher or a fork until broken down and there are no whole or halved chickpeas.
- Combine: Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until combined.
- Serve: Serve right away or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
HOW TO MAKE A CHICKPEA SALAD SANDWICH
Toast your favorite bread, we go with sprouted whole wheat. We first layer with lettuce and use green leaf lettuce, then a good amount of the chickpea tuna salad, pickles, and then tomatoes, you could even add onions, sprouts, or other greens. Hot peppers are delicious on this too!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Vegan tuna salad can be enjoyed just like regular tuna salad to make a chickpea salad sandwich, or even in a wrap, on bagels, with crackers, vegan tuna pasta salad, or even on its own with a spoon. There’s no wrong way to enjoy it!
RECIPE NOTES:
- There’s no need to remove the skin from the chickpeas.
- We suggest freshly grinding flaxseeds to ensure that they contain the most nutrients instead of buying already ground.
- We use kelp granules, but you could also use dulse or seaweed of choice. The flaxseeds also help give the fishy flavor.
- Use fresh herbs, the parsley really brightens up the recipe and we do not recommend using dried.
- Taste before adding salt especially if using canned chickpeas as they contain a lot of salt and the kelp also is a great salt replacer.
- This can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Vegan Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion chopped
- 1/3 cup vegan mayo
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/8 cup parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon kelp flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed optional (for omega)
Instructions
- Mash the chickpeas using a potato masher until broken down.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until combined.
- Place the chickpea tuna in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to chill before serving.
Great, easy recipe! Super awesome for a summer lunch.