Vegan Tuna Salad

This vegan tuna salad has a surprisingly close taste to classic tuna. Mashed chickpeas, shredded hearts of palm, vegan mayo, diced celery, and red onion bring this plant-based version together. Enjoy this easy-to-make vegan tuna in a sandwich, on crackers, in a wrap, or on its own.

During last year’s warm season, I kept my vegan chicken salad stocked in the fridge. It made summer lunches for the family easy and cooling.

This year’s lunch has changed a bit and we’ve been devouring this new vegan tuna salad recipe. It’s flavor-packed and can be customized to the ingredients you have on hand.  

I used celery seed when I was out of celery without any noticeable lack in flavor.

And, when I was out of sweet relish I improvised by finely-chopping baby gherkin dill pickles. I also added extra agave nectar for sweetness.

The results were scrumptious each time!

Does it taste like tuna?

YES! I love this recipe as is and make it all the time. I find the flavors are right on and I don’t miss the tuna-fish taste at all.

However, for those of you that still want the extra flavor in your tuna salad, I have included a few options in the recipe below.

Kelp granules, dulse flakes, and crushed nori sheets will give your salad the authentic flavor you’re looking for.

Ingredients

Hearts of palm are a flavorful and visually appealing replacement for tuna.
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) add texture and protein to the meal.
Onion and celery are a must-have classic crunch in any tuna salad.
Homemade vegan mayo is made with cashews for a light and oil-free recipe.
Sweet relish gives it a pleasant sweetness.
Lemon juice adds a bit of tartness and brings out the flavors.
Agave nectar (or maple syrup) balances everything out.
Garlic powder is added for a little pizzaz.

How to make vegan tuna salad

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and palm hearts. Dice the onion and celery, set them aside.

Then, slice the hearts of palm and add them to a mixing bowl.

Use a fork and roughly mash up the palm hearts. Add in the chickpeas and mash them as well.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl.

Mix the salad ingredients together until they are fully combined. Taste and adjust any seasonings if needed.

Cover the bowl and chill the vegan tuna salad in the fridge for at least an hour. I find it tastes even better the next day which means it’s perfect for meal prep and make-ahead lunches.

Turn it into a sandwich

Spread the vegan tuna salad onto your favorite sandwich bread, baguette, seeded bread, ciabatta, etc. Add some lettuce, tomato slice, sprouts, pickles, or a few slices of vegan bacon.

I’m a simple girl and love it on toasted whole wheat bread with lettuce and a light spread of mayo on the top slice of bread.

It’s an easy and super tasty meal!

Make it a vegan tuna melt

If you’re ready to take your vegan sandwich to the next level, you’ve gotta try this vegan tuna as a melt. It’s as simple as adding vegan tuna to grilled cheese.

1. Grab 2 slices of your favorite bread. Add coconut oil —or vegan butter— to the tops of each slice of bread.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot, place one slice of bread, butter-side down, onto the pan.
3. Place a slice or two of vegan cheese on top of the bread, top with a few scoops of the tuna salad. Finish it off with the other slice of bread (buttered side up).
4. When the bottom slice of bread is golden brown, carefully flip the sandwich with a spatula and brown the other side.
5. Remove the sandwich from the pan and allow it to cool a bit before enjoying!

Variations

• Use store-bought mayo instead of homemade mayo.
• Substitute the sweet relish with dill relish or finely diced dill pickles.
• Can't find hearts of palm? Use another can of chickpeas instead.
• Replace the fresh celery with celery seed, or add it along with the celery for extra flavor.
• Add a squirt of yellow mustard or dijon mustard, if you’d like more tang.