• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Christmas
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
Where You Get Your Protein
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Summer Eats » The Best Vegan Tuna Salad

    The Best Vegan Tuna Salad

    Published: Jun 25, 2020 · Updated: Jun 7, 2024 by Marlena Luna · This post may contain affiliate links. · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Pin SaveSaved!
    Vegan tuna salad sandwich on wheat bread cut in half and stacked.
    Vegan tuna salad on crackers.
    vegan tuna salad on whole grain wheat bread cut in half and stacked.

    This vegan tuna salad closely resembles classic tuna. Mashed chickpeas, shredded hearts of palm, vegan mayo, diced celery, and red onion combine to create this plant-based version. Enjoy this easy-to-make vegan tuna in a sandwich, on crackers, in a wrap, or on its own.

    Vegan tuna salad sandwich cut in half and stacked.

    When summertime comes around I like to keep a stock of my vegan chicken salad or vegan egg salad in the fridge. It makes summer lunches for the family easy and keeps us cool.

    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!

    Half of a vegan sandwich.

    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 vegan options:

    • Kelp granules
    • dulse flakes
    • crushed nori sheets

    Any one of these ingredients will give your salad that authentic tuna flavor you’re looking for.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for vegan tuna salad.
    • 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

    To start, dice the onion and celery and set them aside.

    Then, drain and rinse the chickpeas and palm hearts. Slice the hearts of palm and add them to a mixing bowl.

    Hearts of palm and chickpeas mashed together in a bowl.

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

    A bowl of vegan tuna salad ingredients.

    Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl.

    A bowl of vegan tuna salad after mixing.

    Mix the salad ingredients together until the mayo is fully mixed in and the ingredients are well combined. Taste and adjust any seasonings if needed.

    Close up of vegan tuna salad.

    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.

    A slice of bread topped with lettuce and vegan tuna salad.

    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!

    Vegan tuna salad sandwich on wheat bread.

    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!
    Half of a hearts of palm and chickpea sandwich.

    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.
    Cracker topped with vegan tuna salad.

    We'd love to hear from you!

    If you enjoyed this vegan recipe, please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card and share your thoughts in the comments below.

    Also, if you snap a photo, share it with us! We love to see your creations!! You can find us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

    Or, get the links to new recipes delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.  

    See ya there!

    Recipe

    Vegan tuna salad sandwich on wheat bread.

    Vegan Tuna Salad

    prep time: 15 minutes minutes
    total time: 15 minutes minutes
    servings: 4 servings
    Vegan tuna salad is a plant-based, protein- and fiber-rich alternative to traditional tuna salad. It's great for sandwiches, wraps, or as a standalone meal. Enjoy it as a healthy choice for lunch or a snack!
    4.89 stars (18 reviews)
    Print Pin SaveSaved!

    Ingredients

    • 1 (14-ounce) can hearts of palm, drained and rinsed
    • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • ½ cup vegan mayo
    • 1 celery stalk, diced
    • 2 Tablespoons red onion, diced
    • 2-3 Tablespoons sweet relish
    • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 1-2 teaspoon agave nectar, or maple syrup
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
    • Pepper to taste

    Optional "tuna" flavor to taste

    • seaweed snack sheets
    • dulse flakes
    • kelp granules
    • nori sheets
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Slice the hearts of palm into ½-inch pieces and add them to a mixing bowl.
    • Break them up using a fork, or by hand if they are tough.
    • Add in the chickpeas and mash them up while mixing them with the hearts of palm. 
    • Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl: mayo, celery, onion, relish, lemon juice, agave, garlic, salt, and pepper.
      If you are using, dulse, nori, or kelp add that in as well.
    • Mix everything until well combined.  
    • Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
    • Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

    Notes

    • Adjust the seasonings by adding extra sweetener, salt, garlic, and/or lemon juice to taste. 
    • The above optional tuna flavor suggestions will add more "tuna fish flavor" to this vegan tuna. If you are unsure of the amount to use, add a little at a time to achieve your desired taste.
    • Add a few squeezes of yellow mustard for extra tang.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 403mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g

    **Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**

    course: Main Dishes
    cuisine: American
    author: Marlena Luna
    Did you make this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!

    More Vegan Lunch Ideas

    • Vegan egg salad sandwich
      Vegan Egg Salad
    • A plate of lentil-walnut filled lettuce wraps with a small white bowl of sesame sauce for dipping.
      'Umami' Vegan Lettuce Wraps
    • 2 slices of hummus avocado toast topped with tomato slices.
      Hummus and Avocado Toast
    • Vegan taco filled with seasoned beans, cilantro lime dressing and fresh cilantro.
      Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce

    Where You Get Your Protein is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Where You Get Your Protein will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    « 27 Vegan Recipes Using Canned Chickpeas
    Cherry Almond Coffee Cake (vegan) »
    675 shares
    • Share
    • Email
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.89 from 18 votes (18 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Rate This Recipe




    1. Debbie

      February 27, 2021 at 6:20 pm

      This is an excellent recipe and it actually tastes like tuna. I made a few changes. I left out the agave (because I didn't want the calories) and I used dill relish instead of sweet relish (because dill relish was all I had on hand). This is definitely a "keeper". It was loved even by the pickiest eater! Thank you so much for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        March 06, 2021 at 4:28 pm

        Yay, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Marlena Luna in a pink sweater holding a coffee mug.

    Hi, I’m Marlena the recipe creator behind Where You Get Your Protein! I love spending time in the kitchen cookin’ up delicious vegan comfort foods! Most of the ingredients I use are easy-to-find or pantry staples. Stick around and enjoy some amazing vegan food!

    More about me →

    Popular Vegan Recipes

    • Vegan french toast topped with a butter square and syrup.
      Vegan French Toast
    • Vegan French Toast Casserole
    • A mini loaf of vegan banana bread alongside ripe bananas and chopped walnuts.
      The Best Vegan Banana Bread
    • Vegan potato corn chowder topped with fresh pepper and green onions.
      Vegan Potato Corn Chowder

    Spring Recipes

    • Vegan Lemon Loaf
    • vegan pasta salad in a white serving bowl.
      Vegan Pasta Salad
    • Vegan blueberry muffin
      Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins
    • Vegan egg salad sandwich
      Vegan Egg Salad

    Footer

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    Sign Up! for new recipes

    Contact

    • Contact Us

    Did you make this recipe?

    Your vote:




    These fields are optional. Click "Rate Recipe" to leave a star rating only.

    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.