One of the natural food stores in my area has a great salad bar, where I love to get my vegetable-and-protein fix after a long trail run. They have a vegan tuna salad (as in "tuna") that I put on top of my greens every time. It has a wonderful flavor and texture; I've been meaning to recreate it at home for months.
At this point you may be cocking your head, wondering how one makes tuna salad meatless. I was befuddled too, until I saw the ingredients listed on a placard above the salad bar. Are you ready? Almonds, sunflower seeds, onion, celery, parsley, and lemon juice. That's it. Mind blown.
The trick here is to soak the almonds and sunflower seeds in water, drain them, then grind them up with the rest of the ingredients. No mayonnaise, no fuss, no cooking. Never in a million years did I think nuts and seeds could mimic a tuna salad, but they do! The texture is definitely not the same as fish, but the flavor is strangely close--without being "fishy." You can serve this raw, vegan, high-protein salad with crackers, in a wrap, as a dip or on a sandwich with your favorite fixings (I like it on toasted bread with spring greens, avocado, red onion and bell pepper).
If you need inspiration to pull yourself out of the what-do-I-eat-for-lunch sandwich rut, this recipe will absolutely do the trick!
This post was originally published on August 13, 2014.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw almonds
- 1 cup raw or roasted sunflower seeds
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup packed fresh parsley
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Place the almonds and sunflower seeds in a bowl and soak them for 4 hours.
- Strain the almonds and sunflower seeds in a fine mesh sieve and transfer them to a blender or food processor and process until a thick, gritty paste is formed (it should be sticky). This will require some time, so you may need to stop, stir, and re-start your blender/food processor several times.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender/food processor, and process until everything has come together. There will be chunks of celery and onion, so if you prefer a more uniform “salad,” make sure you chop them finely before adding them to the blender.
- Refrigerate the salad for at least an hour before serving. Serve with crackers or veggies, or make it into a sandwich or wrap with your favorite fixings.
Cassie says
I make vegan tuna salad all the time - love it so much! It's crazy easy to make, and it really does taste like tuna (or what I remember tuna to taste like anyway, haha). I eat it on it's own sometimes, but it's really good in a sandwich with fresh veggies and a bit of vegan mayo. Yum yum!
Julia Mueller says
So glad you're a fellow vegan tuna salad lover, Cassie! I also enjoy the salad on sandwiches and used a lot of the recipe for adding to my green salads - I thought it livened them up quite a bit! Amazing what a little nuts and seeds can do 😀
Kare Raye says
Holy crap! This is so brilliant - and so simple! Can't wait to try it.
Julia Mueller says
Yeeeah! Let me know when you do! I think you'd love it! Thanks, Kare!
Alissa says
I can't remember what tuna salad tastes like, but if this tastes like it I'm going to find out! I've played around with all kinds of vegetarian salad recipes using tempeh and tofu, but never thought to use nuts. Awesome idea - love it!!!
Julia Mueller says
Thanks, Alissa! I was really surprised the salad was made with almonds and sunflower seeds, too! I thought for sure any vegan salad would need to be made from tofu or chickpeas, but was pleasantly surprised when the recipe worked out so well. Let me know if you give it a go!
:D says
Does this tastes better than the garbanzo bean version?
Julia Mueller says
Truthfully, I've never made a vegan salad using garbanzo beans, so I don't have any basis for comparison - my apologies! Let me know if you try it out and tell me what you think 🙂
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Whaaaat! This looks amazing, can't believe how simple it is! And so healthy too! I'm now imagining all the variations....
Julia Mueller says
IIIII know, crazy!! I was thinking there could be endless variations on the recipe, too! I figured adding avocado to it would make it nice and creamy, maybe spicing it up with some chipotle peppers. Oof! Can't wait to whip up another batch!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says
I have a feeling this tastes even better than the real thing. No cooking required + no fishy flavor? Sign me up!
Julia Mueller says
My sentiments exactly! I was never a fan of opening cans of tuna and having to drain out the liquid. Definitely feel like this recipe is a winner! 😀
Liz says
Very interesting! We make a chick pea version and use kelp powder, which is a great addition for a little bit of "sea" flavor. I like that this one doesn't use mayo.
Julia Mueller says
I've been meaning to try a salad using chickpeas and kelp - sounds wonderful! I'm pretty anti-mayo myself, so I'm glad you're on board with mayo-less "tuna" salad 🙂
Ami@naivecookcooks says
What??!! This is seriously genius!!
Julia Mueller says
Haha! Thanks, Ami! It was an epic mind blow for me, too 😀
lynn @ the actor’s diet says
This is my go-to order whenever I’m at a vegetarian restaurant! Thanks for the recipe.
Julia Mueller says
You got it, Lynn! Enjoy!
Crista says
great recipe! so EASY to make!! and looks REALLY good!
Julia Mueller says
So glad you like it, Crista! Cheers to easy and delicious!
Disha Kapadia says
Looks great and easy!
Julia Mueller says
Many thanks, Disha! Let us know if you give it a try 🙂
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Ohhhh... this is so exciting! And creative! I would have never guessed these ingredients would yield such delciousness! Thank you, Julia!
Julia says
You got it, Traci! So happy you're interested in the recipe. It really is a marvelous salad to have on-hand!
Joanne Bruno says
I have to say, I would have never thought nuts and seed were the secret mock tuna ingredient! Very cool. Definitely something I'll be trying out in my sandwiches.
Julia says
IIIII know, crazy, huh? It makes one terrific sando and I bet you'd love it!
Ronnie Fein says
Love this idea. I used to make tuna all the time but found it so salty that I stopped. Terrific substitute. Thanks!
Jean Seigfried says
I made this recipe to the jeers of my non-vegan AND vegan family members, and got only 1 "ugh" from them all---in fact they all have plans to use as dips, fillings for tomatoes etc, and the usual sandwich salads. THANKS for the great recipe, it is a wonderful change of pace food packed with more nutrition than our usual snack stuff.
Jean says
So excited to make this! How long does it keep in the fridge, if you know? Thankyou!
Beth A says
This recipe looks great! I'm allergic to almonds... (but no other nuts) What would be a good substitute?
Donna F says
I have some raw cashews sitting around and I was considering trying a version made with them. I can only imagine that it will be delicious.
Amy K says
The blending process was a bit cumbersome so we ended up blending in batches. Maybe next time we will use the food processor.
As for the taste, it was DELICIOUS. I did not expect it to be so tasty. We had it in a sandwich and my boyfriend and I are digging it. Can't wait to eat lunch tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe!
Laurie says
This is pretty delicious. I did over process mine a bit but it was still pretty good. I would add less lemon the next time but all in all, it's a great recipe and a great alternative to the chick pea "tuna" salad I usually make which has vegan mayo in it.
Kelly says
Hi! I made this meatless tuna for dinner tonight. It is A-MAZING!! The recipe makes a rather large batch. How long will it keep in the refrigerator? Can it be frozen?
Susan says
This is a very intriguing recipe. The only issue I have with it compared to real tuna is that this one is not equal in protein (I am always concerned about that because I don't do well with a lower protein diet). I'm definitely keeping this for if my vegan friends visit.
Perri Hogan says
I would also love to know how long this would keep for in the fridge, or freezer?!
Donna F says
I made this the other day! First, let me just say that this is nothing like tuna salad. However, it is absolutely delicious and fresh-tasting. I added dried cranberries and put it in a tortilla with cucumbers and sprouts, and drizzled a little balsamic dressing on top. Superb. I highly recommend! Even my meat-eating co-workers thought it looked and smelled amazing.
Jill Roberts @ WellnessGeeky says
Awesomness vegan tuna salad! Looks yummy! Definitely I will prep it on the weekend for my family. I'm also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing Julia!
Robin Hamilton @Wellness Wires says
I had a similar vegan tuna salad at a restaurant recently and found myself craving it and wondering if I could recreate it today.