Every now and then, I feel like having a tuna salad or a tuna melt. But how could I make a tuna melt without tuna? Very easily, actually. And I never have to worry about bones, mercury poisoning, innocent dolphins being caught and killed as collateral damage from the large nets that are used to capture tuna! At the rate we are raping the oceans, there won’t be any left very soon! So making mock tuna is a win, win, win!
One of my favorite way to make it, is to use chick peas because it gives a nice rich texture and flavor. You get all the good protein and none of the saturated fat that usually comes with it. And I guaranty that everyone that tries it, will love it and ask for seconds. So make plenty, it keeps well!
The key to making mock tuna salad when using garbanzo beans is to create a mixture that resembles real tuna salad. To accomplish this I use a potato masher instead of a food processor. The risk you run if you use a food processor is to end up with something that looks more like hummus than tuna. Not that hummus isn’t delicious but it isn’t what we are making today!
*Kelp powder and all seaweeds are so good for you. You will need some for this salad if you want it to taste like the ocean but not so fishy! You can use other seaweed if you don’t have kelp. A good place to find it is at Whole Foods in their bulk section or in the Asian section of your local grocery store (most carry a mix of seaweed, toasted sesame seeds) or in Asian stores where you will find a greater selection and much lower prices!
- 2 cans of chick peas (or prepare yourself the day before)
- ½ cup vegenaise (eggless mayonnaise)
- ⅔ cup minced celery
- ⅓ cup minced dill pickle (not sweet relish!)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 green onions, minced
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon kelp powder*
- 1 tbl capers (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- Start rinsing the chick peas under water and pour into a large bowl.
- Start mashing them with the potato masher. It will take a minute or so to go through the 2 cans. The goal is not to puree everything but to end up with something you cannot identify as chick peas. So look for whole beans and go for it.
- Add the Vegenaise, the celery, the relish and mix with a wooden spoon.
- Add the remaining ingredients, mix some more.
- Taste, see if you need salt and pepper.
- It is ready to enjoy at this point.
- If you want to scoop on top of a salad (like on the photo) I would refrigerate it for 30mn. Same for a sandwich.
What about a vegan ‘tuna’ casserole? Actually for the tuna casserole, I would use tvp instead of chick peas but that’s me!
The fun never ends!
