These Vegan Tuna Salad Sandwiches are a healthy lunch or dinner done in 15 minutes! This fun twist on chickpea salad is a great plant-based alternative.
Vegan Tuna Salad Sandwiches
I’m no stranger to good vegan sandwiches. Y’all really seem to LOVE the ones I’ve posted on my blog, especially these buffalo chickpea salad sandwiches, these egg salad sandwiches (making ASAP), and these 10 vegan sandwiches you can pack for work or school (or home lunch because we’re in quarantine). Don’t forget one of my personal favorites: this vegan BLT I created for my friend Taylor’s blog!
Truly, nothing beats a hearty sandwich. When Emily and I made these tuna salad sandwiches and I took my first bite… it was pure sandwich heaven. Now listen: I’ve never really been a big tuna salad person. But I do like recreating the tastes of seafood and the ocean – I grew up in Louisiana where seafood is plentiful and fresh. But now we can an even better option – VEGAN tuna salad, no fishies harmed. Can I get an amen?
Ingredients in Vegan Tuna Salad
So how exactly are we recreating the classic tuna salad in this vegan tuna salad sandwich? The base of this recipe is a standard chickpea salad, but we’ve got a fun twist. Let’s go through the ingredients you’ll need:
- Chickpeas. Canned or cooked from dried works here! Check out the video in this post to see how I cook chickpeas in the Instant Pot.
- Vegetables. Crunchy, fresh vegetables are great here: bell pepper, carrots, and celery. Use what you’ve got!
- Mayonnaise. Follow Your Heart Vegenaise is a cult classic, but I’m also loving the Hellmann’s Vegan Mayo.
- Spices. All you need are garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Couldn’t be simpler.
- Nori. This is what makes this vegan tuna salad so delicious! I love this guide to nori by Brewing Happiness.
- Bread. Choose whole grain for a complex carbohydrate source! You can also use gluten-free bread if needed.
And that’s all, folks! I bet you have at least most of those ingredients right now. If you don’t have nori, head to your local Asian supermarket. Then you can make this sushi burrito, too!
How to Make Tuna Salad, the Plant-Based Way
First, start off by mashing the chickpeas. I use a fork because #keepitsimple, but you could also use a potato masher or a similar gadget. You want them to be mostly mashed with a little texture left.
Then (and wait for how complicated this is) add everything else to the bowl. Crumble in the nori. Stir. Slap onto some toast. DONE.
My favorite toppings for these vegan tuna salad sandwiches are sliced tomato and crisp lettuce. My roommate Amanda added vegan cheese to hers to create a vegan tuna melt… ABSOLUTE GENIUS.
Vegan Tuna Salad Sandwiches
These Vegan Tuna Salad Sandwiches are a healthy lunch or dinner done in 15 minutes! This fun twist on chickpea salad is a great plant-based alternative.
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (1 1/2 cups), drained and rinsed
- 1/4 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 large carrot, diced
- 1/2 large stalk celery, diced
- 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Dash cayenne pepper
- 1/2 nori sheet
- 6 slices whole grain or gluten-free bread, toasted
- For serving: lettuce, tomato, pickled vegetables, vegan cheese
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add chickpeas. Mash with a fork until smooth, leaving a bit of texture. Add bell pepper, carrot, celery, mayonnaise, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir until well combined.
- Crumble the nori sheet with your hands into the bowl; it should be small, rice-sized pieces. Stir to incorporate.
- Serve on toast with desired sandwich toppings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 459.4
- Sugar: 7.6
- Sodium: 728.5
- Fat: 21.4
- Saturated Fat: 1.9
- Unsaturated Fat: 18.2
- Trans Fat: 0.1
- Carbohydrates: 50.4
- Fiber: 9.9
- Protein: 15.2
- Cholesterol: 0
