Dear friends, followers, recipe lovers, and Dherbs family members…it’s time to talk about the wonderful world of vegan “tuna” salad. Made entirely from vegan ingredients, this entree is a true culinary delight! It offers the same creamy, dreamy goodness that you would get from a mayonnaise-based tuna salad. In addition to the incredible depth of flavor, it also offers great texture from the crunchy celery, onions, and pickles. If you close your eyes and savor the flavors, you may just taste the fish that isn’t there!
This dish is truly as easy to make as it is to devour. We cannot stress this point enough: the texture is so tantalizingly close to the real thing. You may even reconsider buying canned tuna after you make this! Even though it is completely plant-based, you don’t want to consume the entire bowl in one sitting. It’s be tempting, trust us, but sunflower seeds are calorically dense, offering about 165 calories per quarter cup. Even though they offer protein, vitamin E, selenium, folate, and zinc, too many won’t do any favors to your waistline.
The key to keeping this “tuna” salad textural is to not over-blend the sunflower seeds in the food processor. You want to pulse them with the lemon juice and olive oil to a point where they are combined, but not a paste. After a few pulses, taste the beginning of what will be your vegan “tuna” salad and check for texture. If it needs more blending time, give a few more pulses and taste for texture again.
- Prep Time:15m
- Total Time:15m
- Serves: 4 servings
- Category: Entrees, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 1/2 c unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 pickles, chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 c celery, chopped
- 1 tbsp. onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp. dill, chopped
- 1 tbsp. parsley, chopped
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Add the sunflower seeds, olive oil, and lemon juice to a food processor and pulse to combine. You do not want to over-blend! You just want to create a chunky texture that is similar to that of a regular tuna salad.
- Once you achieve your desired consistency, spoon the mixture into a small mixing bowl and add in the remaining ingredients. Mix well to combine and taste to adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve with a salad, crackers, or raw vegetable sticks!
