I made this vegan tuna salad from chopped hearts of palm! This easy tuna salad is a great vegan seafood recipe that uses canned hearts of palm instead of fish. Create this delicious fish-free sandwich or serve in lettuce or in a wrap.
There are lots of recipes for chickpea tuna salad. I am a huge fan of chickpea vegan tuna, and love the taste and texture of fork-smashed chickpeas. However, every now and then, I want something that tastes a little more delicate and flaky, and this version hits the spot.
Vegan Tuna Salad Using Hearts of Palm
Although chickpea tuna salad is amazing, this version is great for a more delicate version. This requires a bit more time, but can be made ahead and chilled overnight for a great lunch the following day. Serve it on a fluffy, light bread or even in lettuce wraps. Either way, it’s a fun vegan seafood option that uses a different plant-based ingredient to create a vegan tuna salad recipe.
Key Ingredients
In this vegan tuna recipe, I’ve used the following ingredients to mimic a fish-free version of tuna salad:
Canned hearts of palm: These are similar to canned artichoke hearts, but have a more delicate texture and milder flavor. I eat them both raw or baked, and they are a great vegan seafood ingredient! I’ve rinsed the canned hearts of palm here to remove the tangy canned brine, then baked them to develop a delicate but sturdy texture.
Kelp granules: These are a type of dried seaweed that’s made by harvesting and drying various types of kelp, such as kombu or wakame, and then grinding them into small granules. They add some fishy and umami flavor to this vegan tuna salad. It’s also a great source of iodine!
Dried dill: The flavor of dried dill is deeply herbaceous and fresh. Its complex flavor is used in traditional tuna salads, and adds the same quality to this vegan tuna recipe.
Celery seed: This seed has a strong flavor reminiscent of fresh celery, with a bitterness towards the end. This comes from a chemical compound called apiole, which is found in high concentrations in the seeds.
Celery: Slice it thin or thick—whichever way you like! This is going to add a contrasting crunch, and an element of freshness. It also works well with the celery seed.
Vegan mayonnaise: You can use store-bought or homemade aquafaba mayo here. I love Follow Your Heart and Sir Kensington’s brands!
Vegan Hearts of Palm Vegan Tuna Salad
This is a nicely textured, flavorful and rich alternative to tuna or chickpea tuna salad, and is quick and easy to whip up. The chopped celery and celery seed taste amazing together here and are perfectly rounded out with a touch of dried dill, while the kelp granules give it the right amount of faux fishiness and subtle saltiness. This makes and easy, versatile and rich filling for sandwiches or wraps. It’s perfect for Spring or Summer!
More Ways to Enjoy to Use Hearts of Palm
Hearts of palm is a great vegan seafood ingredient. It’s neutral taste and flaky texture makes it perfect for a variety of applications. Be sure to check the label on the can to ensure the brand uses sustainable and ethical harvesting practices.
- These Crispy Hearts of Palm Tacos are a perfectly light and crunchy vegan fish taco. Use fresh herbs and cabbage for a delicious taco!
- Make this Vegan Lobster Roll with hearts of palm. I use fresh herbs and vegan mayo to create a lobster-free roll. Be sure to slather your buns with vegan butter and toast them up for an indulgent summer dish.
- In this Crispy Vegan Fish Sandwich, I use hearts of palm which are smashed, then have a bit of nori added to them. They are breaded and air-fried for a mind-blowing crispy vegan fish sandwich!
- These Vegan Crab Cakes are a perfect vegan brunch item made with hearts of palm. They are super flaky with a perfect crispy crust!
- Make this Crispy Beer-Battered Vegan Fish for a vegan seafood feast! Fresh homemade pickles and slaw balance out the richness of the battered vegan fish sticks!
Vegan Tuna Salad
- Total Time: 1 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan tuna salad is made from chopped hearts of palm, which create a flaky and delicate texture for sandwiches or wraps. This easy tuna salad is a great vegan seafood recipe that uses canned hearts of palm instead of fish to create a delicious fish-free sandwich!
Ingredients
- 14 oz. can of Organic Hearts of Palm
- 1/2 tsp kelp granules
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 2–3 TB celery, thinly sliced
- 2 TB Vegenaise
Instructions
- Finely chop up the hearts of palm, then place into a fine-meshed sieve and gently rinse under cold water. Transfer to a fresh bowl of water and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes.
- While your chopped hearts of palm are soaking, preheat your oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with a silpat.
- Once your oven is preheated, gently pour the hearts of palm back into the sieve and drain well. Press down a bit—enough to remove as much water as you can, but not so much that you smash the hearts of palm.
- Spread the drained hearts of palm onto the silpat in an even layer and bake for 20-30 minutes, gently stirring them every 10 minutes to release some of the steam, but taking care not to let them brown.
- Gently smash up about a half of the hearts of palm with a fork, then transfer the entire contents on the silpat to a large bowl and add in the kelp granules, dill and celery seed. Stir gently to combine, then fold in the celery, then the vegan mayo.
- Place the mixture into the refrigerator to chill for an hour or two or overnight to allow all of the flavors to blend, then serve with crackers, or spoon onto a sandwich with a little extra vegan mayo.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: vegan tuna salad recipe, vegan tuna salad no chickpeas, vegan tuna recipe, tuna vegan, vegetarian tuna, vegan tuna, tuna substitute
Deborah Z says
One more question: Can I use Nori sheets for vegan tuna salad or is the dulse a really different flavor?
erinwyso says
Deborah, I think nori sheets would be okay if you add a little extra salt … I hope you enjoy!
Kathleen says
This recipe is UTTERLY DELICOUS! Didn’t care for hearts of palm until this recipe; baking them helps with the texture (for me). I LOVE this & tell people to stop by this blog for FABULOUS recipes!
★★★★★
erinwyso says
So happy you enjoyed, Kathleen, and thank you for your kind feedback + sharing the site with others!
Amy Doo. says
How long does this keep in the refrigerator? Does this freeze well? I’m considering making this for a brunch potluck, so I need to make enough for 12 people (or at least 12 bagels), and given my small oven, it would make more sense to prepare this in advance.
erinwyso says
Amy, it’s best to use this within a day or two. I would not recommend freezing it — I suspect it would get very mushy once thawed.
Elisa Hernandez says
Hey! This is a wonderful recipe, thank you so much for sharing! I can't wait to see what you come up with next:)
Anonymous says
Nobody asked about the little rounds of bread, how do you make those?
erinwyso says
They are made by using a biscuit cutter with regular 'ol slices of bread.
Sandra says
Looks mouthwatering!
Anonymous says
Never having tasted hearts of palm before, I made this for the first time a few weeks ago. I didn't have celery seed or kelp granules, but did have sushi wraps on hand (which I finely chopped). It was so good, I ate it straight from the bowl I made it in. My mom, a real tuna salad sandwich lover, really enjoyed it.
The second time I made this I didn't bake the hearts, and that makes it or breaks it for me. The brine-y flavor was still to prevalent. I baked the hearts last night, and the recipe was back to fan-friken-tastic!
erinwyso says
I am thrilled you and your mom enjoyed this! Thanks for sharing your comments here. I agree with you on the brininess — I dislike the taste too, although some people like it!
Leila A. Fortier says
I served these last night with your minted pea soup! The texture was so interestingly spot-on compared to tuna! As always, the presentation sold me. I just love arranging these meals. I don't know if you purchased bread that was circular like that, but I used a biscuit cutter to get the same result. Funny that you had just come out with this recipe right after I tried your chickpea salad sandwich (which I will write on in a minute).
erinwyso says
Yes, that what I did too with some soft vegan potato bread. It made everything taste light, fluffy and la-de-dah fancy! Thanks for trying it out and your kind feedback,Leila!
Randi (laughfrodisiac) says
So interesting, to use hearts of palm instead of chickpeas like I use in every possible kind of salad! I can't wait to try this.
Kristen Kelley says
When I fell off the vegetarian wagon years and years ago, tuna on toast was a staple for me. I ate it way more than I should have. I'm suprised that I never got mercury poisoning! After "waking up" and going vegan, I did still miss it. I just pretty much brushed it off, figuring there was nothing that would take it's place. Though you are clear that it won't fool anyone, I think that this will foot the bill for me 🙂
erinwyso says
I hope you enjoy, Kristen!
LittleMonsterx14 says
wow this is amazing! i have actually been missing tuna, I have never found a good substitute, i'll need to add this to the must try list!
Abby Bean says
What a great idea for texture; it looks really appealing.
Kristina @ spabettie says
these sandwiches are too cute!
I love hearts of palm – isn't it eerie how closely it can resemble a tuna or chicken? I like the tang, but I also love how you took steps to remove it!
erinwyso says
Thanks Kristina! Yes, the flakiness is spot on! I like the tang of hearts of palm in vegan crab cakes, but something about it in this application just didn't work out — I think it just competed too much with the mayo!
CM says
This is really intriguing! I used to buy "tuno" in a can, years and years ago too, and I was a little bummed when it just disappeared. I also make a chickpea version of a "tuna" sandwich spread, but never thought of using hearts of palm. I will have to try this out! Thanks!
veganmiam.com says
That looks nearly like tuna salad 😉 it used to be my favorite before I became a vegan 🙁 but I'm glad there are so many vegan alternatives to make nostalgic creamy salads!