This chickpea tuna salad replacement is also made with tempeh for a flaky, substantial vegan sandwich that is higher in protein than other alternatives and also satisfyingly filling.
Equipment | Stove or Single Burner |
Difficulty | Very Easy |
Vegan or Vegetarian tuna salad alternative, whichever you want!
The only difference in this recipe between the vegan and vegetarian versions is the choice of mayonnaise. If you are a vegan, of course use vegan mayo, but if you're vegetarian you can make this into vegetarian tuna salad with regular mayo. Personally we switched to vegan mayo years ago, even before changing the rest of our diet, because it tastes almost the same but without the cholesterol.
Filled with chickpeas and tempeh for a filling version with more protein!
A lot of vegan tuna salad recipes use hearts of palm or jackfruit to help with the texture, but that adds a lot of bulk to the recipe that doesn't do much to help it "stick to your ribs" and with tuna sandwiches there aren't a lot of other components to help you feel full. We found through experimentation that tempeh can make a good texture that we ultimately thought was better anyway, and it will help you stay full!
Topping ideas.
As you might expect, it is very hard to get a strong fish flavor without fish. Using the kelp and dried shitakes gives more of an essence of fish rather than a solid, tuna-esque pungency. This means that this vegan tuna salad is missing some flavor that real tuna has in abundance. To help bridge the gap and ensure you have a rounded and flavorful experience I high recommend you add toppings to your sandwich, salad, or sushi roll.
For Sandwiches and Salads:
Pickles or Relish
Sliced Red Onion
Sliced Green Onion
Capers
Sliced Tomatoes
Sliced Jalapenos
Pickled Jalapenos
Spring Mix
Green Leaf or Butter Lettuce
French Fried Onions
Black Pepper
For Sushi Rolls:
Julienned Jalapenos
Julienned Carrots
Julienned Green Onions
Julienned Cucumbers
Sriracha
Togarashi
Sesame Seeds
Panko
Substitutions.
Unfortunately in this recipe it is difficult to substitute any of the ingredients. Each of the ingredients is important for adding to the umami of the whole recipe and the seaweed and shitake mushrooms are the key ingredients for the fishy essence. There are only a few things that can be mildly altered.
Substitution for soy sauce: The best substitutes for soy sauce are either to use tamari or Bragg's liquid aminos instead. Soy sauce is the most versatile of the ingredients in this recipe and mostly needs to be replaced with another product that contains a lot of savory umami flavors. There may not be a lot of fish flavor in these products, but the umami is perhaps even more important.
Substitute for tomato paste: If you don't happen to have any tomato paste then the next best thing to use is plain tomato sauce. Be sure to use a tomato sauce containing only tomatoes and salt, nothing with added garlic or basil. Aside from the umami and sweetness provided by the tomato paste, the red color also helps to add a pink hue to the final product giving the vegetarian tuna salad a more similar appearance to the light pink of canned tuna.
Pro tip.
Kelp and possible sand: Depending on the brand of kelp you get it may have more or less sand in it, perhaps even in the crevices. Be sure to use a dry towel to try to brush off any sand on the sheet of kelp. Open and brush inside any crevices as best as you can. Despite your best efforts you may find you still get some sand in your sauce pan. Here are some tips for that situation;
After you have finished the boiling let the sauce pan sit for a few minutes to allow any sand to settle.
Reserve broth from the broth near the top of the pan.
Use a slotted spoon to fish the chickpeas and tempeh out of the sauce pan, off the top of the settled sand, or strain the chickpeas and tempeh while avoiding the broth in the bottom of the sauce pan.
If you feel like you may have accidentally poured sand into the chickpeas and tempeh you can rinse them gently with water, but you will also be washing off fish essence, so try to avoid doing this.
Buy a brand with less sand or fewer crevices.
Kelp or Kombu?
Kombu is the Japanese word for kelp. The product may be advertised as kelp, kombu, or both. You want to buy one that has as much white powder on the sheets as possible, since the white powder is the most flavorful part. You also want a brand that smells strongly of the sea, if possible.
What about other varieties of seaweed? Other varieties of seaweed have less ocean flavor than kelp or kombu, so kelp or kombu are the best options for this use. It is imperative to extract out as much ocean flavor as possible. Other types of seaweed are absolutely delicious in other recipes though, and are very worth using and enjoying in their own rights!
Why simmer the ingredients together?
While it is entirely possible to make the broth with just the seaweed, shitakes, and soy sauce simmered together in the pan, why bother simmering the chickpeas and tempeh in it too? Tempeh tastes a lot better if it has been boiled or steamed before consumption, so this is really a "two birds with one stone" kind of situation. You could choose to not simmer the chickpeas if you prefer. While they pick up some flavor from the simmering they don't pick up a lot, so you could skip it. I mostly simmer them as well to keep everything tidy and together.
How to make vegan spicy tuna rolls.
My husband and I both think that the best way to eat this recipe is as a spicy tuna roll. To turn this into spicy tuna for a vegan spicy tuna roll just mix in sriracha and togarashi until you have achieved the level of spice you prefer. Once the sriracha and togarashi have been blended in you can make either rolls or hand rolls using nori wrappers and sushi rice. Make the vegan spicy tuna rolls feel more official by also using some of the toppings listed above for sushi rolls, such as julienned cucumbers or jalapenos. Togarashi makes a big difference here, so definitely try to add it.
Money Saving Tip |
You should consider buying the dried shitakes, kelp, and soy sauce from an Asian grocery store where they will be cheaper, especially the kelp! |
Let's Begin!
Gather the ingredients. Brush off the outside of the sheet of kelp with a dry towel to try to knock off any sand. Don't use a wet towel or try to rub off the white powder, the white powder contains most of the flavor. If your seaweed has a lot of crevices or an obvious sand presence be sure you read the pro tip above about handling and preventing sand in the broth.
Add to a sauce pan the sheet of kelp, can of chickpeas, tempeh sliced into 1/3in (75mm) wide strips, dried shitake mushrooms, and soy sauce. Add water until covered, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes. If you want to skip simmering the chickpeas you can, but the tempeh does really need to be cooked in the broth with the seaweed and shitakes.
Save 3 Tbs (45ml) of the broth from the sauce pan, then strain. Put the strained chickpeas and tempeh with the saved broth into an airtight container and put it into the fridge until cool, about 3-4 hours. You can also choose to do this the night before. If you make it the night before you can marinate the chickpeas and tempeh in the full batch of broth overnight before reserving the broth and straining. Discard the kelp and save the mushrooms for a different recipe.
Use a fork to roughly mash all the chickpeas being careful not to leave any whole ones. Pinch off all the pieces of tempeh between your fingers to make thin flakes. Stir the squished tempeh flakes into the mashed chickpeas and the reserved broth.
Add the tomato paste and salt and stir it together well. You want to be sure that the tomato paste is thoroughly dispersed and that there aren't any obvious red streaks. That way you can also be sure that the salt has evenly distributed as well.
Add the mayonnaise and stir it together until everything is thoroughly combined. If you like your vegan tuna salad more on the wet side you are welcome to add more mayonnaise. Personally I have always liked my tuna salad heavy on the mayonnaise, but my husband has always preferred it more dry. So I usually add a little more mayo to my portion.
Serve with toppings of choice! If you are serving it to others you can make a nice tray with an assortment of various toppings so everyone can assemble their own sandwich, salad, or roll to their preferred taste.
Enjoy!
What to serve with vegan tuna salad?
This is a great lunch recipe for vegans that can also pack well for an easy lunch for work idea. As a variation on the favorite lunch dish it can be served with any of the usual sides for regular tuna salad sandwiches. Think salty crunchy things or fresh fruit! If you need some suggestions of things to eat alongside it, they here are some ideas;
Chips
Pretzels
Fruit Salad
Popcorn
Apples or Oranges
Snack Mix
Etc.
You could eat it for dinner of course, but I think it is a better lunch idea. Also it is a good summer recipe because you can make this dish using the stove at night the day before while it is cooler, and then you can eat it chilled in the heat of the day. That way it is great for preventing the warming up of your house making meals in the height of the summer heat. Nothing like a cool, filling vegan summer lunch!
Storage.
If kept in an air-tight container in the fridge this recipe is good for 4 to 5 days.
Can I make this the night before? Yes! And this is a great way to use this as a vegan summer meal. As stated earlier, if made the night before allow the chickpeas and tempeh to marinate in the broth overnight and reserve the broth the next day before straining it.
Can I freeze it? No this recipe doesn't freeze well, so don't plan on making it that far in advance. It will need to be consumed shortly after construction for the best results.
What about you?
What's your favorite way to use vegan tuna salad? Do you prefer to use it as a sandwich filling? Or for sushi rolls? And what are your favorite toppings? Is there something you like to put on top that I failed to list? Let us know in the comments! Especially if you have creative additions for the spicy tuna sushi rolls! Sushi is one of those dishes that is particularly hard to make for vegans and vegetarians, so lets crack the code together!
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