Vegan Tuna Salad
This vegan tuna salad recipe uses mashed chickpeas combined with vegan mayo, mustard, and seasonings to make the perfect vegan sandwich spread. It’s like tuna salad without the tuna! It’s so good you’ll make it time and time again.
This vegan tuna salad sandwich makes a vegan twist on a popular, yet fishy kind of sandwich. Just another example of how you can be vegan and enjoy a variety of tasty dishes!
I had to make a tuna vegan sandwich to solve this dilemma.
Now I’ve got a way to have “Tuna” salad… and eat it too. No more gross, fishy taste and no heavy ecological toll on the ocean too! What’s the secret? Garbanzo Bean Tuna Salad!
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Mashed chickpeas create the perfect texture for this sandwich spread
- Using miso paste creates an umami flavor, very similar to the version you may have eaten made with fish
- Chopped bell peppers add pops of color and texture throughout.
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Chickpeas — Also known as garbanzo beans, you’ll need a 15-ounce can
- Mustard — I prefer yellow mustard, but brown mustard works here too.
- White miso paste — I prefer using miso paste to add that umami flavor. You can buy miso paste in health food stores, Asian markets, and sometimes even the health food section of grocery stores will have it. If you can’t find it, it’s ok to leave it out.
- Vegan mayo — I frequently use Hellman’s Vegan Mayo, but you can substitute some cashew cream or even mashed avocado.
- Green onion — I prefer green onions because of their mild flavor and texture. You can substitute chopped yellow onion.
- Red bell pepper — You’ll need just a bit of red bell pepper, which you can use from a large red bell pepper or a mini one.
- Garlic powder — I like garlic powder for its mild flavor and minimal hassle. You can substitute a chopped clove or two from garlic confit. You can even use a fresh garlic clove minced finely.
- Dill pickle — You can substitute a sweet pickle or even relish works too.
- Celery seeds — I like adding a few celery seeds, or you can substitute a half cup of chopped celery.
- Sea salt — If you’re not using miso paste, you may need to add a bit more salt.
How to Make Vegan Tuna Salad
It’s easy to make this vegan tuna salad. Let’s begin!
- Mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher, until most are broken down.
- Make the sauce by stirring together the mustard, mayo, and miso paste until well combined. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Pour the sauce over the mashed chickpeas and stir until combined.
- Chill the salad by transferring it to a lidded container and refrigerating for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
There are plenty of ways to serve this tasty vegan tuna salad:
- Sandwiches — Add this spread over a slice of bread and add your favorite toppings like lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and even more condiments. Serve it open-faced or add another slice of bread on top.
- Salads — Add dollops of this spread to your favorite salads, like vegan wedge salad or vegan Caesar salad.
- Soft Tacos — Serve this spread on a soft corn tortilla with a drizzle of sriracha on top. It’s a delicious, gluten-free way to eat it!
- Wraps — Use this vegan sandwich spread on tortillas to create wraps. Be sure to add some yummy extras, like vegan cheddar shreds, chopped onions, salad greens, and more.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Be sure to stir it before spreading on sandwiches or adding to salads.
Frequently-Asked Questions
How does chickpea tuna salad taste?
A vegan tuna salad recipe with chickpeas tastes amazingly like a regular tuna salad. The combination of other ingredients, including mayo, mustard, onions, and pickles, adds the familiar flavors you’re used to and the mashed chickpeas add the texture!
What can I put chickpea tuna salad on?
Serve this chickpea tuna salad on a bun or bread for a tasty plant-based sandwich. You can also serve it as a dip with chips or crackers. Place a dollop on soft corn tortillas or you can also serve it on a salad.
Vegan Sandwich Spreads
There are lots of options when it comes to making your own sandwich spreads:
Vegan Tuna Salad is so easy to make and so incredibly satisfying. It’s my summer staple dish, especially for lunch. Interestingly enough, it has the same color, the same, look, and even a similar texture to a tuna salad, but (thank goodness) the vegan version comes sans the fishy taste!
More Vegan Sandwiches
If you love vegan sandwich recipes, be sure to give these a try:
That’s it for this vegan tuna salad recipe. Enjoy!
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Vegan Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 15 oz can chickpeas garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- ½ cup vegan mayo
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle (relish works too)
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork. They don't need to be all completely mashed, but mostly.
- In a small bowl, combine the mustard, mayo and miso paste and stir together until well combined. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Pour the mayo mix over the mashed chickpeas and stir until combined. Transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate for about 10 – 15 minutes before serving.
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Enjoy!
I used to buy these sandwiches all the time from the health food store and adored them. I never knew how they were made though, thank you!
I know first hand this is good! I think I will make it tomorrow. I just need Sterzings!!!
Oh my, this looks scrumptious Marly!
I am a fish lover but I’m not Necessarily a lover of mayo – or at least too much of it; all that to say I’m always looking for ways to make meat substitutions so am willing to give Sammie a shot since I am a fan of chickpeas – LOL on the comedian schtick!!
Oh, Debra, you should watch his whole show! He had us in tears he’s so funny!
Here’s my predicament. I absolutely love fish. The smell, the texture, that fantastic taste of the ocean. But I don’t eat it because I’m not evil. I guess what I’m trying to ask is… how can I make it fishy without the fish?
I think the miso paste helps give it that umami taste. However, you might want to check out Allison’s recipe that calls for seaweed flakes. I have a feeling that might just hit the spot for you! Here’s the link again.
Wow, I never knew vegan tuna was possible. Amazing!
I’ve seen chickpeas used in vegan “tuna” sandwiches before but never had a recipe and now I can’t wait to try it. Love all the flavors in your sandwich from all the veggies 😀
Well I know what we are having for lunch. This looks and sounds so good! I hate the fishy smell that comes along with tuna sandwiches, so I’m excited to give this a try! Thank you for sharing this with me today. I hope you have a blessed week with good food, laughter and love. Hugs from Austin!
i love the simplicity of this recipe! i’ve been experimenting with vegan tuna recipes for a bit now and am excited to try this one!bookmarked it with my cookmarked.com account to experiment( http://cookmarked.com ). 🙂
I will give this a try when I get hold of some sweet miso. I make a vegan tuna sandwich from tinned braised tofu mixed with toasted crumbled nori, which is pretty nice.
I love fish but not tuna sandwiches! But I love chickpeas! You found a great way to overcome the fishy smell 🙂
Hope you are doing great, Marly!
Marly,
What a tasty vegan tuna salad recipe, without the fishy smell!
Hi,
These were amazing. I made them for my wife and son and they loved them. I put it on toasted squaw bread and topped it with some finely sliced peperoncinis.
Have you ever put capers in there or used dill pickles instead?
Thank you so much.
I have not tried using capers or dill pickles. My family doesn’t like either, but I do! In fact, the original recipe called for dill pickles, I just happen to like the sweet a little bit more. Maybe because my mom used sweet pickles in potato salads and things like that. You know what? I’m going to give the dill pickle version a try the next time. Great idea!
What kind of mustard? The spice or the condiment?
Just regular condiment mustard. Of course, if you prefer you could use a dijon…
Hands down, the best “untuna salad” recipe I’ve tried! Thank you!! I think the miso is key, and the celery seeds add so much too! I made it with dill pickles and also the Veganaise-like recipe (but lower fat, and cheaper!) from melomeals! It was so delicious that the omnis cleaned it out before I got seconds! Thanks for sharing!
instead of white miso I use seaweed flakes, it makes it taste like fish, if you like the ‘tuna’ taste, its amazing and tastes really good
Lana – love these substitutions for a “fishier” Vegan Tuna Salad!
This sounds looks amazing. Spicy recipe. Vegan Tuna Salad dish is my favorite dish.I made many from these recipes. last night I made Chapli Kabab recipe from one of the best cooking website sharing a link with you: ( https://www.sooperchef.pk/chapli-kabab-recipe/ ).
I love it! Now i dont know if i made this wrong, but i get more of an egg salad sandwich vibe from this recipe (which was a super nice suprise). I put it on sliced bread and mash a half an avocado on each sanwich. Makes for a delicious sandwich when i am at work. Going vegan has been delicious thanks to you!
I should note that i left out the relish, onion, and pepper.
Ahh, I see! I think leaving out the relish and onion would definitely add more of a tuna salad experience. Also, I have tried this and it works, but if you want to add a few pieces of nori (the sheet you use for sushi…you can buy them in the Asian aisles of most grocery stores), it will definitely add more of a tunafish flavor! I would start with just tearing off a few little bits and stirring that throughout, because it can add a strong flavor. Then add more if you like it!