6 Mock Tuna Salad Recipes- Vegetarian, Vegan, and Raw Foods Tuna Salad

When I was researching my hub on new vegan, Ruben Studdard, I stumbled across vegan friendly food videos by Mike on YouTube Veggin Out with Mike.  I used Mike’s meatloaf video, but saw his video on Mock Tuna Salad too.  That made me curious and I subsequently searched out additional ideas for tuna salad. 

There seem to be two primary school on mock tuna salad:  the vegetarian and vegan friendly versions using garbanzo beans, and the raw foods diet versions using nuts.  I have tried one of each, and enjoyed them both. 

I think the key to success with a mock tuna salad is to seek out ingredients or recipes that are not too far a departure from the flavor profile you would usually go with for tuna salad.  I would never put carrots in my tuna salad, so I probably wouldn’t like carrots in my mock tuna salad. 

After reviewing numerous videos, I have selected 6 for you.  I have also transcribed the recipes.  In some cases, recipe amounts are given.  Others do not specify amounts for ingredients. 

I’ve viewed several of Mike’s videos. He does not give amounts for a specific recipe. I’ve made this vegan friendly tuna salad, and have made a stab at putting some amounts here.

1 can of Garbanzo beans, drained

1 medium pickle, chopped

2-3 artichoke hearts, chopped

¼ c chopped onions

1 Tbsp Olive oil

Spicy brown mustard, Dijon, &/or Vegenaise to taste

Pepper and sea salt to taste

¼ tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp celery seed

1 Tbsp cold milled flax

Mike mashed the garbanzos against his dish with the back of a spoon. The canned garbanzos that I have bought are way too hard for this. I used my food processor. Process until there are no large chunks.

Although sometimes I put sweet pickle relish in my tuna, I usually use dill pickle, so used a Claussen’s pickle here. I wouldn’t typically put artichoke hearts in my tuna, but I like them and decided to use them. I used artichoke hearts packed in water, not marinated artichokes.

I don’t typically use mustard in my tuna, so didn’t here. And I must confess, I had not yet bought Vegenaise, so I used Dukes mayo.

This was pretty good. I’d definitely have it again.

green onion thinly sliced

diced red onion

diced celery

capers

juice of ½ lemon

drained and rinsed garbanzo beans

Vegenaise

pickle relish

Dijon mustard

Salt, pepper

Dulse, nori, or kelp powder

I like most of the ingredients of this one, so I think I’d try it.  I don’t typically put celery in my tuna, but like fine chopped celery in chicken salad, so I’d try it. 

I’d probably use Claussen’s pickles because they have the best texture.  Never thought of putting capers in tuna, but I like capers, so I’d try that too.  I might even try a little Dijon. 

Dulse, nori and kelp are seaweeds.  They are loaded with B vitamins and trace minerals.  They smell fishy if you take a big whiff, but I’ve used dulse powder, and it does not make the food taste fishy. 

1 ½ c pre-soaked almonds

1 c pre-soaked sunflower seeds

2 to 4 stalks diced celery

1 small diced onion

½ tsp Celtic Sea Salt

½ tsp pepper

¼ c water

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ tsp kelp granules

Soaking the nuts makes them absorb water, and impacts the texture of the nuts for use in recipes.  Soaking nuts also makes them more digestible, but requires 8 to 24 hours. 

Process the nuts in a food processor.  Transfer to a bowl and combine with other ingredients. 

1 pkg tempeh

1 red onion

¼ c umboshi vinegar

1 stalk celery, diced

½ diced carrot

½ small cucumber, diced

½ c kosher dill pickle, diced

1 Tbsp Vegenaise

½ Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp capers

1- Steam tempeh 20 minutes. 

2- In a bowl, add vinegar to onions. 

3- Add rest of vegetables. 

4- Add vegenaise, mustard, and lemon. 

5- Cut tempeh into cubes and mix with other ingredients. 

I tried this one too.  This is from a husband and wife team.  The husband calls it “mock tuna” and the wife calls it “walnut pate”. 

3 c walnuts, soaked 30 minutes or longer

Namu shoyu

Sea salt

Cumin

Carrots

Celery

Scallions

Cilantro

1- Soak and drain nuts.  Transfer to food processor.  Add namu shoyu, salt and cumin. 

2- Pulse several times to break nuts into small pieces. 

3- Add rough cut carrots and celery.  Pulse food processor a few times. 

4- Add scallions and cilantro.  Pulse a few more times. 

I only used 1 ½ cups of nuts and adjusted my other ingredients accordingly.  In accordance with Donna Gates’ recommendations for grains and nuts in The Body Ecology Diet, I soak my nuts 8 to 24 hours.  I would not typically add carrots to tuna, so I don’t with this recipe. 

The first time I made this mock tuna, I did not have namu shoyu, scallions or cilantro.  I used soy sauce and regular onion.  I used the cumin, which was not something I’d typically put in tuna, but it was a nice touch.  I really liked the flavor from the cumin. 

The second time I made a walnut mock tuna, I used walnuts, celery, purple onion, sweet pickle relish, and mayo.  This was my favorite so far. 

The Renegades recommended using the mock tuna/walnut pate to top salads, or put in wraps.  I eat it on wasa crackers. 

1 ½ c soaked sunflower seeds

2 stalks celery

Bunch of green onions

¼ c fresh dill

1 Tbsp dulse

Process in food processor.  Do not over process.

Sauce

¾ c coconut water (or water if you don’t have coconut water)

3 cloves garlic

½ c lemon juice

½ tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp dry mustard

1 ¼ c pine nuts, macadamia nuts, or cashews

Process in food processor. 

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