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Can you say delicious?
I say it out loud every time I eat chickpea “tuna” salad. This is an absolute perfect summer recipe for any occasion, from daily lunches, to beach picnics, to a Forth of July cookout. What’s better, it only takes a few minutes to make! MmMmMmmmm.
I’ve never been a fan of processed faux seafood products. Yet, I’ve found that by using whole plant-based ingredients in place of highly processed ones, fakin’ vegan food is so much tastier and more fun. Sure, I could go to the store and pick up some vegan “fish”, but what’s really in that? Could it be any healthier than opening up a can of chickpeas? Probably not. Using whole plant-based ingredients, like chickpeas, to replicate animal based dishes isn’t as creepy, and it’s so much better for you. Have you seen my vegan “crab cakes”? Boy… I used to L.O.V.E crab in every form, but I’ve seen the light. I truly believe this vegan stuff is just as good, if not better.
On the left vegan chickpea “tuna” with vegan mayo, and on the right with avocado.
In the video I made this chickpea “tuna” salad using vegan mayo. However, if you are avoiding added oils (mayo is a blend of oil), you’ll have great results using creamy mashed avocado. The flavor is a little milder, but equally as delightful. To really take it to the next level, enjoy the salad on toast (I used sprouted rye bread with dill and caraway seeds), with some romaine lettuce, and a few sheets of seasoned nori. If you do plan on making this for a party or cookout, make sure you at least quadruple the recipe. Folks are going to be all over this one.
Have you made a vegan “seafood” dish before? What do you like to use in place of fish? Ever have mushroom ceviche? I’d like to post a recipe for that soon too 😉
Vegan Chickpea "Tuna" Salad
Ingredients
- 14- oz can of salt-free chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup vegan mayo [url href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Hamptoncreekfoods"]Just Mayo is my favorite brand[/url] OR 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp mashed avocado
- 1 tbsp dijon or whole grain mustard
- 1 1/2 tbsp ume plum vinegar add a splash more if you are using avocado instead of mayo
- 2 tsp celery seeds
- 1 celery rib chopped
- 2 tbsp minced green onion or red onion or shallot
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper more to taste or crushed chili flakes
- 4 leaves romaine or kale
- seasoned nori or unseasoned
- toasted bread
Instructions
- Place the chickpeas, [url href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Hamptoncreekfoods" target="_blank"]Just mayo[/url], mustard, ume vinegar, celery seeds, celery, onion, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into a food processor.
- Pulse a few times until incorporated and minced. Careful not to overblend. You shouldn't be pulsing more than 20 seconds.
- Serve over toast with romaine lettuce and nori.
Jane Powell / July 22, 2022 at 2:42 pm /
I just made this for lunch and it was delicious! I will be making this often. It was so easy and tastes 1000% better than vegan tuna. The best part was that I had all the ingredients! Thanks so much!!!
Niki / November 22, 2022 at 11:22 pm /
You already had ume plum wine? what other dishes do you make with it?
Nancy / July 17, 2022 at 1:36 pm /
What bread do you use?
John / October 26, 2021 at 10:49 pm /
Delicious. Thanks.
E. Jefferson / July 10, 2021 at 5:45 pm /
This is one of my favorite recipes; quick, easy, and most important DELICIOUS!!!
Ken / July 10, 2021 at 10:27 am /
Chickpea tuna salad is excellent , quick and easy. I paired it with some air fryer french fries. I’ll be making it often.
Shonesia / July 8, 2021 at 1:35 pm /
Super simple and insanely delicious! THANK YOU for sharing your creative genius with the world.
Lisa / July 8, 2021 at 11:45 am /
Best chickpea tuna salad EVER! I loved it and will be on rotation!
Chris Vick / October 10, 2019 at 6:33 pm /
This was sensational! I have so missed my tuna sandwiches since switching to a vegan diet. I’m puzzled why the dulse powder (I used granules) isn’t listed in your recipe. The one I printed from your video does include it, and is mentioned in the video. I think it plays a critical role in making it taste like tuna.
Dj / August 2, 2019 at 11:32 pm /
What can I use in replace of Nori?
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / August 21, 2019 at 10:46 pm /
You could try dulse flakes or pieces. You could even use the seaweed snacks for this.
Maribel Mejia / May 12, 2019 at 7:50 pm /
If I can’t find ume vinegar, can I use something else? Maybe apple cider vinegar? Balsamic vinegar?
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / July 14, 2019 at 2:24 am /
Skip it. The other vinegars aren’t good subs in my opinion 🙂 It’s still delicious without it, but you will have to adjust salt.
Maribel Mejia / May 12, 2019 at 7:50 pm /
If I can’t find the plum vinegar, can I use something else? Apple cider vinegar? Balsamic vinegar?
Sophie Bainbridge / March 5, 2019 at 12:15 am /
I’ve made this recipe so many times over the years. It’s just a classic. You can bulk make and have it for lunch everyday. Pad it out with lots of salad in a wrap or on toast, I bet it would be great with pasta too as a cold pasta salad. I honestly love it so much!
guyfromhoboken / October 15, 2018 at 4:03 pm /
Delicious and has been a go to lunch for me for awhile. I make a couple of minor changes such as I leave out the celery. I dislike raw celery, though I like it cooked in a good vegetable soup. I also only use a teaspoon of plum vinegar, as I personally find it sweet enough with just that amount, plus it does have some sugar in it, so I limit where I can. I use only a tablespoon of vegan mayo as I throw in an avocado. Avocado alone sometimes doesn’t add the appropriate creaminess unless it is REALLY ripe. So this changes depending on what I have on hand. Thanks for the great site and recipes!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / October 18, 2018 at 3:01 am /
Fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / January 16, 2018 at 1:13 am /
Awesome!
DS / January 15, 2018 at 4:07 pm /
We don’t have access to the UME, so I substitute with 2tbsp of Maggi and 1tbsp of balsamic vinegar. I used more because our cans of Chick Peas are 19oz 🙂 Soooo tasty…love this recipe!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / January 16, 2018 at 1:08 am /
Nice! I’m happy to know that those are good subs 🙂
Maria Concepcion / November 6, 2017 at 8:14 pm /
I just tried this recipe, LOVED it!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / October 15, 2017 at 6:57 pm /
That’s so great! I’m happy you enjoy it. I think it’s better too 🙂
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / October 5, 2017 at 1:42 am /
Yes! Great sub 🙂
Hefisah Nejeser / September 24, 2017 at 2:02 pm /
I’m so excited to make this! I’m not vegan (yet) lol but I am allergic to tuna. I’m so happy to have found a healthy substitute! P.S. I’m also allergic to soy and so glad that many of your recipes don’t require soy
Lena / July 11, 2017 at 3:09 am /
I just made this. Although I didn’t follow the recipe exactly (i.e. I used regular, non-vegan mayo and eyeballed some of the measurements), I still enjoyed the result. I need something to make ahead and bring for lunch to work. This fits the bill nicely. It’s filling, doesn’t require heating and is easily portable. I might use less plum ume vinegar next time. I only used 1 Tbsp but even that was a little salty for me. Overall I would highly recommend this for a simple and fast meal!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / June 18, 2017 at 1:28 pm /
Wonderful!! That’s so great to hear, Tracy!! Thank you 🙂
Maria Coloma / April 6, 2017 at 4:09 am /
I followed your recipe but stired in at the end: 1 x sheet of Nori (I ground up the seaweed sheet, for extra fishy flavour, in my mini Ninja food processor). I was suprised by how much it tasted like real tuna. I will be making this again and many more times.
VegRunner66 / January 15, 2017 at 4:49 am /
I love chickpea faux tuna. Sometimes I will use half vegan mayo and half pureed, totally unnoticeable, white beans… less fat, less calorie, more protein and fiber.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / January 18, 2017 at 3:16 am /
Yes!! Isn’t it the best ?!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / January 18, 2017 at 3:16 am /
Oh, and I love that white bean trick 😉
Ted / September 28, 2016 at 10:33 pm /
Best recipe ever..made this for my lady’s lunch today and now her coworkers want some. I immediately gave them your link..but somehow I think they want me to be their lunch lady..I will be trolling your site for more goodies. 🙂
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 29, 2016 at 10:48 pm /
Nice!! I’m so glad to hear that 🙂
Matthew White / September 24, 2016 at 3:31 pm /
This is ridiculously good!! So simple, yet so good. The ume plum vinegar makes to flavors “pop.” A must try for all…
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 24, 2016 at 5:01 pm /
Yes, I’m glad you enjoyed it!!
ElleBella / May 14, 2016 at 7:43 pm /
My favorite lunch is tuna and chips. This vegan version is pretty good, which I had for lunch today.
I was very happy with this vegan tuna with a bag of Pop Chips. Yummy and healthy.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / May 22, 2016 at 6:16 pm /
Fantastic!! thanks so much!
miriammarcus / May 4, 2016 at 8:58 pm /
Thank you for this! I will be enjoying this for dinner tomorrow night <3
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / May 12, 2016 at 2:35 pm /
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoyed it!!
Bea Muniz / March 13, 2016 at 4:43 pm /
Yes, I do say out loud : “This is so delicious!”, every time I make it. Today, I did not have celery, so I sneaked in some shredded carrots, yum. My two older sons, love it also. To be honest, I could eat chick pea salad every day! Thank you, Jenne, for an awesome recipe. With food this good, having a plant based diet is easy!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / March 17, 2016 at 12:20 pm /
Yummy!! I know exactly what you mean. I want to eat this all of the time; and often do. I especially like it for to-go lunches. I take it with a few nori rolls and/or romaine 🙂
Thank you for commenting!!
Julia Krupnik / March 10, 2016 at 2:45 am /
Love the recipe,but I forgot to rinse it out and it came up a little watery, but still very tasty.
Thanks.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / March 17, 2016 at 12:27 pm /
Oh yes!! But try it again, and you’ll become hooked 😉
צ'אן לין / February 17, 2016 at 2:59 am /
I made this last night and it was easy, delicious and believable. My carnivore partner said it actually fooled him. He says it tastes like tuna salad. Success! Thank you for the amazing recipe!!!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / February 21, 2016 at 10:48 pm /
How exciting 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know. I just picked up the ingredients to make this today. I LOVE it!!
Ashley / February 5, 2016 at 12:40 pm /
I made this yesterday, and I was surprised by how yummy it was! I feel like this version is much better than “tuna”. Being a new vegan is much easier now that I found your channel and website.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / February 8, 2016 at 9:39 pm /
Hey Ashley! I’m so happy you liked it too 🙂 And I’m so glad to hear that being vegan is easier now. Yay!!! I am honored to be a part of your journey. I hope you’ll join http://www.sobuddhalicious.com
Nicole / January 25, 2016 at 12:13 pm /
Growing up we used to eat a lot of mashed avocado and tuna on bread or crackers. Years later vegan feels right for me though and this tastes even better. Had it tonight on some pitta bread and put some lettuce on it as well. Amazing! Thank you for the simple recipe!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / January 25, 2016 at 6:35 pm /
I’m so glad you like it too!! I agree, the vegan version is better 🙂
She.Cole / December 5, 2015 at 6:31 am /
I’m new to this lifestyle, and this recipe is very delish!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / December 6, 2015 at 10:25 pm /
Welcome!!!
I’m glad you like the recipe. I hope my blog helps you on your vegan journey 🙂
Happy Holidays!! xo
Natalie Michelle / November 9, 2015 at 4:43 am /
I made 1 can worth and my daughter and I enjoyed it so much we made an extra batch for tomorrow for her to take to school and me to take to work. Very happy with how this turned out and will be making this many more times!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / November 23, 2015 at 9:49 pm /
How exciting!! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Stephanie T McShane / June 11, 2021 at 3:42 pm /
I love this recipe. I have never been a tuna sandwich fan, so I leave out the seaweed and and 2tbs of sweet relish instead. I enjoy this as a sandwich spread, On rice cakes an crackers.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / November 6, 2015 at 2:19 am /
Mmmm! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
Bibi Corr / September 24, 2015 at 6:43 pm /
I live in New Zealand, and I have yet to see a vegan mayonnaise here. Can you please suggest a substitution? Thanks so much 🙂 Can’t wait to try! x
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 26, 2015 at 1:22 pm /
Hey Bibi! You can try mashed avocado in place of mayo. Works wonderfully 🙂
Susan Fredricks Ditzler / August 18, 2015 at 4:55 pm /
This was so good.I used dry beans that I had already cooked up instead of canned. I added some extras after i mixed it up. Adding in some cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, garlic powder. I didn’t have that vinegar so I added extra dijon and some lemon juice. I had all this on top of some spinach and kale.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / August 18, 2015 at 7:09 pm /
Oh snap! That sounds so good! Thanks for sharing Susan 🙂
Jo / July 7, 2015 at 8:03 pm /
I made this last night. It is amazing! I was a little heavy-handed with the pepper and mustard (I love a good whole mustard), but it still tasted great!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / July 7, 2015 at 8:31 pm /
That’s great!! I love a good mustard too girl 😉
veganmama4girls / June 27, 2015 at 3:29 am /
I love chickpea tuna salad! This looks delicious. Thank you for reminding me to make some!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / June 29, 2015 at 2:29 am /
Hehe, you’re so welcome. Enjoy!