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    Home > Recipes > How-Tos

    Vegan Tuna

    Published: Oct 13, 2020 · Modified: Oct 12, 2022 by Iosune · This post may contain affiliate links · 71 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Side shot of a bowl of vegan tuna with the words vegan tuna
    Photo of a bowl of vegan tuna with the words vegan tuna

    Vegan tuna, the perfect vegan substitute for regular tuna. It's fishy, healthy, and low in fat, and to make it you only need 5 ingredients and 10 minutes!

    Photo of a bowl of vegan tuna

    Sometimes I find it hard to find homemade plant-based fish recipes. If I try to look for one at the supermarket, it usually contains lots of additives and preservatives, and that's not really healthy. That's why I decided to try this vegan tuna recipe, and it's delicious!

    Although this recipe doesn't really have a tuna texture, it's actually very tasty and it really resembles the tuna flavor. The key to this dish is the nori flakes, which help give it its characteristic fishy touch.

    Besides, you can eat this vegan tuna as a dip or use it to make sandwiches, salads, or any recipe that calls for real tuna. It also contains good quality vegan protein because it's made with chickpeas.

    Vegan tuna, healthy, low in fat, and wonderfully good. It's a super simple recipe that requires 5 simple ingredients and just 10 minutes. I hope you like it!

    How to make vegan tuna - Step by step

    Step-by-step photos of how to make vegan tuna
    • Blend the nori sheet in a powerful blender until you get nori flakes (photo 1). Set aside.
    • Add the chickpeas to a bowl and mash them with a fork (photo 2).
    • Incorporate the remaining ingredients (photo 3), stir, and mash again until well combined (photo 4).
    • Serve immediately.

    Pro tips

    • The nori sheet isn't optional, as we need it to get a fishy flavor. You could maybe use another kind of seaweed, but I haven’t tried it myself.
    • You can replace the tahini with 1-2 tablespoons of oil (I’d use extra virgin olive oil).
    • Feel free to use lime juice instead of lemon juice.
    • If you don't like chickpeas, this recipe will also work with other legumes like beans.
    Side shot of a bowl of vegan tuna

    What is vegan tuna?

    Vegan tuna is a vegan meat substitute for tuna. Of course, it doesn't contain any real tuna at all, and although the texture of this recipe is not super close to regular tuna, it does have a similar flavor and it's actually delicious.

    Besides, it is low in fat and very healthy and nutritious, as well as high in protein because it's prepared with chickpeas.

    How long will this vegan tuna keep?

    If you have any leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge and they will keep for 4-5 days, and sometimes even for a week. If it smells and tastes good, you can eat it.

    How to serve vegan tuna

    There are a lot of dishes you can prepare with this vegan tuna. I love to add it to salads like tomato avocado salad or vegan potato salad, although I also enjoy it in a vegan tuna sandwich.

    Another option is to mix it with some vegan mayo and use it as a topping for your baked or jacket potatoes.

    Looking for more vegan meat recipes?

    • Tempeh
    • Seitan
    • Tempeh Bacon
    • Vegan Bacon
    • Vegan Meatballs
    Close-up shot of a bowl of vegan tuna

    Did you make this vegan tuna recipe?

    Please leave a comment below, share it, or rate it. You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST. I’d love to see what you cook!

    Square photo of a bowl of vegan tuna

    Vegan Tuna

    Vegan tuna, the perfect vegan substitute for regular tuna. It's fishy, healthy, and low in fat, and to make it you only need 5 ingredients and 10 minutes!
    4.95 from 18 votes
    PRINT PIN RATE
    Course: How to
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Iosune


    Ingredients 

    US Customary - Metric
    • 1 nori sheet
    • 2 and ½ cups canned or cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • 2 tablespoon tahini
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ½ teaspoon salt
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    Instructions

    • Blend the nori sheet in a powerful blender until you get nori flakes. You can also finely chop the nori sheet with a knife. Set aside.
    • Add the chickpeas to a bowl and mash them with a fork.
    • Incorporate the remaining ingredients, stir, and mash again until well combined. If you want to save some time, use a food processor instead, but don’t over-blend.
    • Serve it with dishes like tomato avocado salad, vegan potato salad, vegan tuna sandwich, or mix it with some vegan mayo and use it as a topping for your baked or jacket potatoes.
    • Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. If it smells and tastes good, it could also last for up to a week.

    Notes

    • The nori sheet isn't optional, as we need it to get a fishy flavor. You could maybe use another kind of seaweed, but I haven’t tried it myself.
    • You can replace the tahini with 1-2 tablespoons of oil (I’d use extra virgin olive oil).
    • Feel free to use lime juice instead of lemon juice.
    • If you don't like chickpeas, this recipe will also work with other legumes like beans.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.2g | Protein: 8.8g | Fat: 6.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Sodium: 341mg | Fiber: 5.1g | Sugar: 0.6g

    Update Notes: This post was originally published in May of 2018, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, and tips in October of 2020.

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    1.1K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Montaigne says

      November 22, 2021 at 8:41 am

      I’m wondering if this recipe can be used for bakes/mornays? I’ve been wanting to make a tuna bake for a while now but since I don’t eat fish anymore I haven’t been able to.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        November 23, 2021 at 1:05 pm

        Hi! I don't completely understand your question, sorry!

        Reply
    2. Kathryn Gannon says

      July 04, 2021 at 9:04 pm

      I think I will try this recipe with jackfruit for the texture.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        July 05, 2021 at 9:42 am

        Hi! It sounds amazing! Hope you like it 🙂

        Reply
    3. Doreen says

      February 27, 2021 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      Can’t believe how much this actually tastes like tuna... amazing 🤩

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        March 02, 2021 at 10:06 am

        It's just amazing! We love this recipe 🙂

        Reply
    4. Lee Weingast says

      January 07, 2021 at 3:19 pm

      This vegan tuna is so easy to make and really delicious! I add grated carrots!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        January 15, 2021 at 11:18 am

        Hi Lee! So glad you liked it 🙂

        Reply
    5. Dave Pressman says

      October 13, 2020 at 7:15 pm

      Looks like a good recipe; I'll try it. I've been making this recipe with kelp powder, which also imparts a fishy taste.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        October 16, 2020 at 9:59 am

        Hope you enjoy the recipe, Dave 🙂 Have a nice day!

        Reply
    6. Sassy says

      April 20, 2020 at 5:09 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for lunch today as something different. It was absolutely delicious. Normally I make my vegan ‘tuna’ with vegan mayo; chickpeas; chopped celery, radishes and dill pickles; dried or fresh dill; finely chopped nori; lemon juice; salt and pepper. And while it is always tasty, I wanted something a little different. This hit the spot, I never would have thought to use tahini in it! As I had organic, wax free lemons, I did add a little zest but that was my only change. Thank you for sharing your recipes, I cannot wait to try more.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        May 05, 2020 at 1:02 pm

        Hi Sassy. Sounds good 🙂 I am so glad you liked it!

        Reply
    7. Sophie says

      April 13, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      Hi. I'm keen to give this a go but, I don't have (& can't seem to get hold of) any chickpeas. Do you think it would work with something else? Black beans or butter beans maybe? And I've only seaweed flakes so I was just wondering, when you've 'blitzed' your nori sheet, how much does it produce, 1 teaspoon? Or more? If you get a chance to answer my queries, that would be great. Meantime, stay safe! 🙂

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        April 15, 2020 at 11:39 am

        Hi Sophie!! You can try with other legumes like beans if You don´t have other options. It should work. About the seaweed amount, it is more than a teaspoon, my advice is to go spoon by spoon till you find a sea flavor you like. Have a great day!!

        Reply
    8. Christine says

      March 29, 2020 at 8:34 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! Three weeks into covid19 isolation, and living off of my pantry. Even lowly tuna fish sounded pretty amazing to me, and I actually had all the ingredients! I wrapped it in a brown rice spring roll wrapper and it was very much tuna to me. The nori and lemon provided just the right salty tang to suggest fish. Thank you, I’ll be making this a lot!

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        April 01, 2020 at 4:25 pm

        Hi Christine! You're so welcome 🙂 So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    9. Veggiebear says

      January 12, 2020 at 12:25 am

      5 stars
      Wow, this is amazing! I have been a vegetarian for 10 years, and tuna is the only meat I ever miss. I’ve tried a few recipes over time, but none of them were ever worth eating until this one! I will definitely be making it this again and again! My husband is a meat eater and he also likes they way it tastes. Thank you so much for sharing!!

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        February 27, 2020 at 3:30 pm

        Hi! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it so much!

        Reply
    10. M says

      December 22, 2019 at 11:13 am

      Where can I buy nori flakes in Spain? Also items like tofu where would you suggest?
      Muchas gracias!

      Reply
      • Judit says

        January 05, 2020 at 12:41 pm

        I have seen tofu in 'herbolarios' o 'tiendas eco'. Nori I don't know... I haven't lived in Spain for a long time now but they may have it in big supermarket with Japanese ingredients as you need it your sushi.

        Reply
        • Iosune says

          February 26, 2020 at 6:29 pm

          Hi Judit! Thank you so much for your comment 🙂

      • Iosune says

        February 25, 2020 at 5:08 pm

        Hi! I buy nori sheets at Mercadona and then I blend them in my blender to make nori flakes 🙂

        Reply
    11. Pete Chidgey says

      November 13, 2019 at 8:42 pm

      Hi. Made this recipe and it’s pretty damn good! I used to use vegenaise but tahini is a bit thicker and tastes great. I had mine in a jacket potato with violife grated cheese and baked beans

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        November 14, 2019 at 7:35 am

        Hi Pete! Sounds so good 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    12. Sean says

      November 11, 2019 at 3:40 pm

      Hey this is amazing amazing really love it xxx

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        November 12, 2019 at 1:48 pm

        Hi Sean! Thank you so much 🙂

        Reply
    13. Caprice says

      October 31, 2019 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe, adding sweetcorn and vegan mayo after. Absolutely delicious! Will make time and time again. Thank you

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        October 31, 2019 at 5:54 pm

        Hi Caprice! Sounds great 🙂 You're so welcome!

        Reply
    14. Shaun of Australia says

      July 22, 2019 at 6:52 am

      5 stars
      I make this every week except I use 2 Nori and 2 Cans of drained tin chickpea since I have the food processor out anyway. I also use Olive oil instead of Tahini
      Great in a sandwich with cheese and mayo or with crackers or toast

      Thanks Iosune! You are a champion

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        August 02, 2019 at 5:32 pm

        Hi Shaun! You're so welcome 🙂 So glad you like it!

        Reply
    15. Gradus Wolters says

      June 29, 2019 at 7:28 pm

      You shared a recipe that I will use for the rest of my life. Stunningly delicious!

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        June 30, 2019 at 9:41 am

        Hi Gradus! I'm so happy to hear that 🙂

        Reply
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