For The Easiest Fish-Free Tuna Salad, Reach For This Canned Ingredient

One thing that many of us love about tuna salad is its room for versatility and creativity. There are many ways you can give tuna salad a little crunch, make it more protein-rich by incorporating cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, or even add a Mediterranean flavor to your tuna salad. If you're following a plant-based diet or don't want to eat fish, you might think it's a dish which is off the table. But there's an easy swap to make it fish-free: canned chickpeas. Jem Mantiri, the plant-based recipe developer, blogger, and food photographer behind The Fruity Jem, explained to The Takeout why this switch works so well.

"Chickpeas work well in vegan tuna salad as they provide a hearty texture and neutral base that soaks up flavors," Mantiri told us. "While they don't have a natural seafood taste, adding the right seasonings (like nori seaweed and miso paste) would help in creating a 'fishy' taste." Interestingly, miso is a great umami booost for tuna salad, too, as well as the chickpea alternative.

Not only can you make these beans taste and feel like tuna, but chickpeas are also a great source of plant-based protein, so you won't lose any of those precious benefits. And just as with a traditional tuna salad, there are endless variations and customizations.

Since tuna has such a distinctive mouthfeel — which is not just a pretentious way to say taste — the way you mash your chickpeas matters. "For the best texture, mash the chickpeas while leaving a few chunks for a variety in texture and more bite, making it closer to a tuna-like consistency," advised Jem Mantiri. In terms of taste, she recommended choosing umami ingredients like capers and nori seaweed to really mimic the tuna flavors. She also suggested adding "something acidic like lemon juice and/or mustard for some tang" to your salad. This tanginess is reminiscent of a classic tuna salad, and is also a great way to brighten up the chickpeas.

If your salad is vegan, Mantiri says that vegan mayo adds the creaminess it needs. Another great alternative is mashed avocado. Onion is great for both flavor and crunch, but Mantiri advised "reducing the quantity in the vegan version," or using red onion instead as it tastes milder and "adds extra color to the dish." For additional crunch, chopped nuts, seeds, or celery are great options. 

What if chickpeas aren't your thing? "Canned artichokes work well due to their tender, flaky texture," suggested Mantiri. "They are a great substitute for tuna, especially if you have guests who do not like or are not used to eating beans or chickpeas." Of course, there are also vegan 'tuna' alternatives available, but Mantiri's advice is "to shop around a few brands until you find your favorite one."