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If you’re looking for a plant-based replacement for tuna salad, look no further! This healthy Vegan Tuna Salad is a delicious alternative.
How to Make Vegan Tuna Salad
This Ocean-Friendly Mock Tuna Salad uses vegan mayonnaise, grainy mustard, and sweet pickle relish for flavoring. For my vegan friends or anyone who can’t eat real tuna, this is a delicious alternative to a real tuna salad. It’s also gluten free and dairy free.
Easy Faux Tuna Salad
This recipe takes me back to my childhood when this easy tuna salad was a lunchtime favorite. As a serving suggestion, you can either wrap this Vegan Mock Tuna Salad in a tortilla, scoop it onto toast, or serve it plain or over crisp romaine. Or, go super traditional and make a vegan sandwich. The celery and onion provide characteristic crunch, and the gently-smashed garbanzo beans give a nice texture.
Vegan Tuna Salad Steps
You won’t believe how easy it is to throw together this vegan chickpea salad recipe.
- Gather your ingredients including garbanzo beans, vegan mayo, mustard, relish, onion, and celery
- Prep the ingredients including rinsing and draining the beans and chopping the onion and celery
- Toss all the ingredients together, using the back of a spoon to gently smash the garbanzo beans
- Serve chilled or at room temperature
And, if you are looking for more easy vegan recipes, you might like these:
Or, see my entire index of healthy vegan recipes!
Here’s the printable recipe for this easy Vegan Tuna Salad:
Print
Vegan Tuna Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes- Cook Time: 1 minutes
- Total Time: 11 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: No-bake, easy
- Cuisine: Vegan, dairy-free, healthy
Prep Time:
Yield:
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Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
A fresh and easy salad that replaces a traditional tuna salad. This is a healthy vegan version.
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 1/4 onion, chopped finely
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the garbanzo beans, celery, mayonnaise, relish, mustard, and onion.
- Stir to combine. Use the flat side of a fork to smash some of the beans.
- Serve over chopped romaine as a salad entrée, wrapped in a tortilla for a wrap, or on toasted bread for a sandwich.
Notes
This salad will keep in the refrigerator in a tightly-sealed container for up to 5 days.
I hope you enjoy this vegan salad recipe as much as I do! This has quickly become a favorite in my household.
Here’s a pinnable image to save this recipe to you favorite healthy Pinterest board:
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Suzanne says
Looks fantastic Carrie! Is that wrap gluten free?
Carrie says
Hi Suzanne! I was cleaning out the fridge and used a wheat and corn tortilla from Trader Joe’s, but generally I like to use the brown rice tortillas from either TJ’s or Food for Life.
Patty says
Have fun, Carrie!! 🙂
Ceil says
Thank you for the recipe! I used to eat “Tuno” a vegan tuna substitute, but they quit making it. I love sandwiches in the summer, and this looks great. I really enjoy your blog and recipes; thank you for sharing!
Cynthia@OrnamentalStyle says
Thanks for the recipe. I will think of it as “chicken” salad since I don’t like tuna. Have a blast at the getaway, you lucky duck. I look forward to hearing about it. And congratulations on getting the first draft done! That’s huge!
Lairel Wirtanen-Siloy says
I like to think of it that way too! For some reason I think homemade chick peas, in this recipe, really make it taste like a chik’n salad.
Carrie says
I think you’re totally right, Lairel. You could probably add some dried fruit to make it taste more like a traditional chicken salad as well.
Diane says
The wrap looks great, as does the kale salad. I wasn’t able to find the kale salad in the recipe section. ??!! 🙂 (The pic is cute … I see kitty is packed and ready to go too!)
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
This “tuna” salad sounds absolutely awesome! I LOVE chickpeas :).
Kelly @ Vegan Iowan says
I love how simple and clean this recipe is! I’m vegan, and my husband is not, but we agree that tuna from a can is just too sketchy. I look forward to sharing this with him! It looks perfect for a work-day lunch.
Joanna says
Have a fun time in San Diego!!! The recipe sounds so good…I will be making it soon!
Angela says
Congrats on finishing the first draft of your Master’s project! That is a great accomplishment!! And, I really like the categories feature of the app and the redesign. Very nice! I hope YOU have a wonderful, relaxing week and a fun, safe trip 🙂
Ally says
Where can you buy white miso?! I went to fresh market and they didn’t have it :/ Do you have any suggestions. It would be in the spice section correct?
Carrie says
Hi Ally! The white miso I got was in the refrigerator section at the health food store.
Sandy says
Yum – i love the look of that ‘tuna’ salad!
Alex@Veggin' Out says
That tuna salad sounds fabulous! Anything that involves chickpeas immediately grabs my attention 🙂
Jackie says
The pickle relish addition sounds great, I’d love to know which brand you use. Have fun in San Diego – I wish I could go!
Carrie says
Thanks, Jackie! I used an organic relish I got at the health food store. Trader Joe’s also sells one. I would love to find a low-sugar version, or at some point try making my own. 🙂
kimmythevegan says
Oh my goodness Carrie – this sounds super delicious! I love that you skipped on the mayo, I used to love it when I first went vegan, but it’s not super healthy and I rarely eat it now.
I don’t have miso… I should get some. I also like that it’s nut free (much lower fat than other recipes out there).
Hope you have fun at the getaway!
Kelly B says
I made this for my family for dinner tonight and it was a real hit (except for my older daughter but I think it was the texture that she didn’t like) LOL. Anyway, I had my husband try a bite before dinner and asked him what it reminded him of. The only hint I have gave him was ” Think non-vegan” and he answered with “tuna or chicken salad.” Score! I couldn’t find whole grain mustard but mixed dejon and spicy. Came out great! Thank you!
Carrie says
Yay!!! Thanks for letting me know, Kelly. Somebody recommended breaking up a sheet of nori (seaweed) and adding that to the mix for an even more authentic tuna flavor.
Diane says
I just downloaded your app. FYI – I found it in the App Store , not ITunes .
One thing I’m missing from your recipes is calorie and nutrition break down . Do you ever include that?
The recipes are great!
Carrie says
Great, thanks Diane!!! At this point, I don’t have the man-power (woman-power) to do the nutritional analysis, but that might be a future development of the app. Thanks for the suggestion. BTW, would you consider writing a review of Vegan Delish in the App Store? I would really appreciate that. 🙂
Sue says
Hi Carrie,
I finally got a chance to make your mock tuna salad – it’s delicious. The tahini definitely gives it a distinct flavor. Thanks for another great recipe.
Sue
Carrie says
Great, Sue…so glad you liked it!!! 🙂
Mabel says
I love tuna salad! Thanks for this great recipe. 🙂
★★★★★
Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition says
This is one of my all-time favorite vegan recipes!
★★★★★
Andrea says
Oh, chickpeas are a clever substitution! This looks delicious and refreshing.
★★★★★
Lisa says
Love this vegan spin on the classic recipe. I’ll definitely have to give it a try this weekend, it looks delicious!
★★★★★
Sara Welch says
Served this for dinner last night and it has quickly become a family favorite recipe! So easy and flavorful-yum!
★★★★★
SHANIKA says
I love this salad! It looks so delicious! I love that it’s vegan and that you’ve used chickpea!
★★★★★
Elaine says
I am definitely not going anywhere else – I’ve found the replacement I was looking for! I have some friends who would really love that, and I can’t wait to surprise them with this recipe now!
★★★★★
Beth B. says
This is the first recipe I’ve tried from your website and I love it! It has all of the great flavors from tuna salad without the overpowering smell of the tuna. I paired mine with chopped lettuce and it made a great lunch. This will probably be my go-to for a while because it is so tasty and easy to make. Thanks!
Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition says
You’re so welcome, Beth! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.