Vegan tuna salad that actually tastes like the stuff you grew up eating! Chickpeas and heart of palm give it the perfect texture, but the real magic is in the dulse flakes that infuse it with the perfect savory seafood flavor.
I’m going to be straight with you guys: back when I ate meat, I didn’t like tuna. I think the thing is that I didn’t like fish. Hey, I was a kid, and a lot of kids aren’t into fish, right?
This can put me at a bit of a disadvantage when I’m developing veganized versions of seafood recipes. I’ve done a few, and I always get the question: “Does this actually taste like fish?”
I had a reader suggest the use of dulse flakes to give that ocean-y flavor to my vegan crab cakes, and well, I though it was a great idea. Dulse is a type of edible seaweed that you can buy in dried form for cooking and snacking. So I bought a bag and have been using it in some vegan seafood recipes. I started by including them in the marinade for these scallops. And now I’ve gone and put it into my vegan tuna salad.
Given the fact that I avoided the heck out of tuna salad when I was a kid, I needed a little third party assistance to confirm that it actually tasted like it was supposed to. My husband was a big help in that department, and he gave this one a big thumbs up.
The salad starts with some heart of palm. Chop it up and then shred it up with a fork.
Next comes the chickpeas. Mash them up a bit. I really love how the combination of heart of palm and chickpeas gave this vegan tuna salad just the right texture.
Now you can stir in everything else: mayo, celery, relish, Dijon, red wine vinegar, and of course, the dulse flakes.
Stuff it in a sandwich, wrap it in a tortilla, or throw a scoop on some greens.
Tips for Making Awesome Vegan Tuna Salad…
- I made my salad nice and chunky, chopping and mashing the ingredients by hand. If you like a smoother tuna salad, try pulsing everything in a food processor.
- For maximum flavor, make this vegan tuna salad a day in advance.
- The leftovers will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 2 to 3 days.
- Adjust the seasonings to your own personal taste, and feel free to include your favorite add-ins. Dill, grapes, and sunflower seeds would all be excellent.
- If you’re not into fishy taste (or your kids aren’t), you can absolutely make this without the dulse flakes.
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Vegan Tuna Salad
Vegan tuna salad that actually tastes like the stuff you grew up eating! Chickpeas and heart of palm give it the perfect texture, but the real magic is in the dulse flakes that infuse it with the perfect savory seafood flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce) can heart of palm, drained
- 1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup vegan mayo (I used Just Mayo)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 2 tablespoons pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dulse flakes (or more, to taste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Chop the hearts of palm into 1/2-inch pieces and place them into a small mixing bowl. Use a fork to shred the pieces (shred them finely, or keep them chunky - your call).
Add the chickpeas to the bowl and lightly mash them with a fork or potato masher.
Stir in the mayo, red onion, celery, relish, mustard, vinegar, and dulse flakes.
Taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
Serve.
andrea says
April 4, 2018 at 4:24 PMDo you think I can use artichoke hearts instead of hearts of palm?
Alissa Saenz says
April 4, 2018 at 9:18 PMI think so! The texture and flavor will be a bit different, but still delicious I’m sure. :) I’d chop them up really finely since they’re not as stringy as heart of palm.
Julie says
April 4, 2018 at 6:07 PMSuch a great idea! I hate to be one of those people, but I cannot eat chickpeas, can they be substituted? Thanks!
Alissa Saenz says
April 4, 2018 at 9:17 PMYou could try subbing cannellini or navy beans – would either of those work? Otherwise, you could just use some extra heart of palm. Enjoy!!
Albert Bevia says
April 5, 2018 at 6:06 AMI have to give it you, this is such a creative recipe and the tuna salad looks like….well tuna salad! never heard of dulse flakes, now I have a reason to buy it and try it out….amazing recipe
Alissa Saenz says
April 8, 2018 at 6:45 PMYes! Definitely get your hands on some dulse flakes – they’re awesome in recipes like this. :) Thanks Albert!
jenna says
April 5, 2018 at 9:17 AMThis looks great! Dulse is like a secret weapon in the kitchen. I recently used it to make Maryland crab(less) soup. Between the dulse and Old Bay seasoning, the soup was spot on.
Alissa Saenz says
April 8, 2018 at 6:44 PMOh, that sounds DELICIOUS! I’m really just starting to play around with dulse in the kitchen, but it’s really amazing stuff. :)
Maria Doan Trager says
April 6, 2018 at 1:48 PMOMG!!! I just made this for lunch and oh my!!! Soooo good!!! This an amazing website!! I’ve tried a lot of things and I cook for one vegan and the leftovers don’t last long 😍
Alissa Saenz says
April 8, 2018 at 6:42 PMYay!! I’m so glad you liked it, and that you’re enjoying the recipes!! Thanks Maria!
Michelle says
April 7, 2018 at 1:29 AMThankyou Alissa for all your fantastic recipes that you’ve shared….the ones I have tried have been amazingly good! Wanting to try this one but I don’t have Dulse flakes, could I crumble up a nori sheet or two?
Alissa Saenz says
April 8, 2018 at 6:36 PMI’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes! I think some nori would work. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Carey says
February 9, 2019 at 5:20 PMCrumbled Nori and cannelini beans work great as subtitutes. I prefer dulse, but the nori is what I had. Great recipe!
As a note, mine came out a little wet. Drain the canned items well!
And thanks for the recipe link at the top. One of the most annoying parts of online recipes is scrolling through someone’s autobiography just to get a look at even the simplest recipe.
Alissa Saenz says
February 10, 2019 at 8:38 PMGlad you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much Carey!
Jackie says
April 9, 2018 at 2:13 PMOk so fun story, I made red lentils in my instant pot last week. I pre-soaked them, cooked them, and then totally forgot about them in the IP with the lid on for at least an hour. When I took them out they looked like mashed potatos BUT they tasted like deviled eggs! (they tasted great over rice with salt and pepper, bbq sauce and spinach and some tofutti) My idea next time is to add some vegan mayo, onion and celery and see if I can turn it into an egg salad sandwhich :-D oh it smells just like eggs too which is the only down side lol
scott jacobs says
April 13, 2018 at 6:44 PMSooooo good!!! I have pulse sea vegetables put them in the oven on 200 for 15 minutes ish crushed them into flakes, as well used a healthy pinch of Dulce granules and minced garlic. Off the hook> Love it!!! Thanks for another amazing idea. So easy ta boot!
Alexandria Phillips says
November 4, 2018 at 5:26 PMSo so so good! My new favorite mock tuna salad. I made a double batch for dinner for the family tonight and leftovers for lunch tomorrow. All of my kids gobbled it up.
Amber says
April 7, 2019 at 7:55 PMYummy and quick, yes. Tastes like real tuna salad, nope. I eat vegan 95% of the time, but I still eat dairy, eggs and seafood occasionally. I am always looking for vegan options to replace my favorite non-vegan dishes. This one, while delicious in its own right is nothing like the real deal both flavor and texture wise. It looks like tuna salad, but even my husband that no longer eats seafood said it tasted “weird” at first, then after a couple of bites decided he liked it quite a bit. I will absolutely make this again, but without the expectation of tuna flavor.
Thanks for the yummy dinner!
Alissa Saenz says
April 13, 2019 at 3:23 PMI’m glad you enjoyed it, even if if it didn’t taste like tuna to you. :)