A delicious sandwich filler made from chickpeas and a few kitchen vvitch tricks!
Tuna was our go to sandwich filler in our household before we were vegan, it was also my baked potato topper of choice. So naturally it was one of the first things I had to test out and make vegan.
When Wolfman and I were looking into vegan tuna we were shook that it was made from chickpeas (I know you think, that ain't working girl), but it really works. Alot of recipes I read called for capers and/or white wine vinegar for that acidic back note. I found using pickled beetroot juice not only added the flavour needed, but also provided the mixture with a lovely pink colour making it look like tuna.
This recipe is using 1 tin of chickpeas, however, I make this chuna weekly as part of my Sunday prep and we double the recipe as we use this in sandwiches, wraps, vegan sushi, onigiri and jumeokbap (korean rice balls) and it is SO good.
When I first made this recipe I mashed the chickpeas by hand with a fork or a potato masher, now that I make this recipe weekly I use my trusty food processor to do all the hard work for me.
Ingredients
1/2 red onion, finely chopped (or chopped in a food processor)
1 tin of chickpeas, mashed (or pulsed in the food processor)
1 sheet of nori, finely blended
2 tbsp vegan mayo
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp pickled beetroot juice (straight from the jar)
Squeeze of lemon juice (this is optional but I feel adds some brightness)
Freshly cracked black pepper
Method
Create nori flakes by putting your nori sheet into a high powered blender and set to one side
Using a food processor chop your red onion and put into a bowl
Drain and rinse your chickpeas in a sieve then tip into the food processor and pulse until they are at a desired texture, then add to the bowl with the red onions. (NOTE: If you just leave the chickpeas to blend they will turn into a paste texture, whilst this is great for falafel and burgers it's not the texture we want to imitate tuna)
Add your mayo, soy sauce, beetroot juice, lemon juice and black pepper to the bowl and mix to ensure all ingredients are fully coated.
Serve however you like!
Leftovers will keep well for 5 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Please do give this one a try it's one of my go to vegan basics and it never disappoints.
If you did make this chuna mayo recipe how did you have it? On a baked potato? In a sandwich? Let us know!
Blessed be,