The Best Vegan Tuna Salad (Oil-Free)
This vegan tuna salad comes together in less than 10 minutes and tastes better than the real thing! Enjoy this versatile, oil-free tuna substitute on wraps, sandwiches, or crackers, or to top off a green salad.
Equipment
- 1 food processor (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas with liquid (aquafaba) reserved
- 1½ tablespoons aquafaba
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (juice of approximately ½ a lemon)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
- ⅓ cup celery (approximately 1 stalk); finely diced
- cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the chickpea mixture (food processor method): Add the chickpeas, aquafaba, nutritional yeast, low-sodium tamari, lemon juice, garlic powder, and onion powder to a food processor (a mini food processor is great for this if you have one). Pulse just until the mixture is still textured but you do not see any whole chickpeas (about 10 to 12 pulses on the Chop setting in a mini food processor). The texture should be slightly rougher in appearance than hummus—blending too much will cause it to become too smooth and lose the tuna-like texture. Transfer the blended mixture to a large bowl.
- Alternatively, prepare the chickpea mixture by hand: In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork until they are mostly mashed but still have some texture. Stir in the aquafaba, nutritional yeast, low-sodium tamari, lemon juice, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Add the remaining ingredients: After blending the mixture in a food processor or by hand, stir in the pickle relish and celery. Add cracked black pepper, to taste.
Notes
- To reduce the sodium content, reduce the amount of pickle relish and/or the low-sodium tamari. The taste will not be as strong but it will still have flavor.
- If you like more crunch and a stronger onion flavor, feel free to replace the onion powder with ¼ cup of finely diced red onion.
- Store unused vegan tuna salad in the fridge. Best used within 5 days.