Remember when you were a kid and you, or someone else in your class, brought a smelly tuna sandwich for lunch?
Well I do, and since I always loved tuna salad, more often than not I was the recipient of angry looks from my classmates. I never understood all the fuss until I stopped eating meat about five years ago and today the strong smell of tuna is not on my list of favorites.
I recently started noticing fellow vegans experimenting with mock tuna salads mainly using chickpeas. To be honest I was a bit skeptical and thought it sounded a bit boring and I didn't believe chickpeas could taste anything like tuna. But I'm always game for trying new things so I went for it and the results were delicious.
Most of the recipes I've come across contain either celery or pickles but since I'm not a big fan of those ingredients I decided to make my own recipe and use sweet corn and jalapenos instead. The jalapenos only produce a slight edge to the taste but if you're sensitive to spicy foods maybe you can find a substitute or just skip them entirely.
I kid you not, this salad tastes a lot like tuna salad. Probably the biggest difference is that the smell is far less potent, which I think it a definite plus. Now you can bring fresh "tuna" salad to work, school or the park without the risk of stinking the place up.
The salad fits perfectly with crackers, a bun or toast, and I even think it would be wonderful in wraps and perhaps as a part of an even bigger salad.
But today I was in the mood for something basic, so I made a toasted sandwich with avocado, leafy greens, tomatoes and the mock tuna salad. It was amazing. I dare you to try it, I promise you'll love it!
Mock tuna salad
1 can chickpeas - rinsed and drained
1/2 cup red onion - chopped
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn - thawed
2 heaped Tbsp vegan mayo
4 slices jalapeno from a jar - chopped
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 can chickpeas - rinsed and drained
1/2 cup red onion - chopped
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn - thawed
2 heaped Tbsp vegan mayo
4 slices jalapeno from a jar - chopped
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1. Mash the chickpeas with a fork or a masher. You could also use a food processor but texture-wise I recommend not to process them too finely.
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste.
Homemade vegan mayo
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
Oil (it's important to use unflavored oil like rapeseed oil or sunflower oil)
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
salt to taste
1. Mix soy milk and vinegar together with a hand blender.
2. While mixing, add the oil slowly until the blend becomes thick like mayonnaise.
3. Stir in mustard and salt.
Mock tuna sandwich
2 slices bread, I used gluten free bread
1/2 avocado
Rucola
Sliced Tomato
Mock tuna salad
1. Toast the bread
2. Simply add the vegetables and "tuna" salad and serve.