This jackfruit tuna salad is a fish free vegan version of the classic tuna dish, using jackfruit and dulse flakes as a substitute to replicate tuna’s taste and texture. It’s a healthy quick and easy meal made in just 10 minutes that’s perfect for meal prep.
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Jump To Section:-
- Benefits of this recipe
- Ingredients
- Equipment needed
- Step by step instructions
- How to serve & uses
- Storage
- Diet requirements
- Other salad recipes
- Other jackfruit recipes
- Recipe card
Benefits Of This Recipe
Vegan and vegetarian. Seaweeds and plant based vegan meat substitutes means you don’t have to miss out on enjoying versions of your favourite meat and fish dishes like this mock tuna salad.
Healthy, light and refreshing. Salads like this and my Sprouted Buckwheat Salad are packed full of fresh whole natural plant based ingredients, which are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein and digestive enzymes. Raw foods also have a high water content, which help keep us hydrated and feeling refreshed (1).
No mayo. Tuna salad is typically served with mayonnaise, which is made with egg, so not vegan friendly. While vegan mayonnaise’s are available, they are made with soy, which is a common food allergen, and contain inflammatory artificial preservatives and additives to extend its shelf life.
This recipe uses mashed avocado instead to provide the creamy texture. It’s a cheap and easy whole food substitute to produce a vegan tuna salad without mayo.
Perfect make ahead meal. The recipe is easily scalable and takes only 10 minutes to make, with no cooking required. It’s a dish both kids and adults will love and can be used and served in numerous ways. It can be made in advance and stored for up to 3 days. This makes it perfect for meal prep and gatherings, parties and BBQ’s.
Raw. Consuming foods raw without cooking them not only makes meals quicker to prepare but means the foods retain all of their digestive enzymes and nutrients (2).
Related post: 20 Healthy Food & Drink Swaps
Ingredients
Tin of Jackfruit (UK Link/US Link). Jackfruit is an exotic fruit that is one of the most common vegan meat substitutes. It can be easily pulled apart to perfectly replicate the flaky texture and consistency of tuna. Tinned jackfruit can contain artificial additives, preservatives and emulsifiers so ensure you buy one made with only jackfruit, lime juice and sea salt like Bonsan’s or Native Forest’s.
Atlantic dulse flakes (UK Link/US Link). A seaweed which mimics tunas fishy taste. It’s rich in essential vitamins and minerals like iodine (3).
Sprouted chickpeas (UK Link/US Link). One downside of jackfruit as a fish substitute is its low protein content. Therefore chickpeas, a plant based source of protein, are a great addition to this salad (4). Sprouted chickpeas have a higher protein, fibre, vitamin and mineral content, are easier to digest and result in our body absorbing more of the nutrients than store bought tinned chickpeas (5). You can easily sprout them at home following these How To Sprout Chickpeas instructions. However, they can easily be substituted with a tin of chickpeas if you don’t want to sprout them.
Microgreens. These contain up to 40 times the nutrients of regular fully grown vegetables (6). Cress and rape are most commonly available in stores to buy but you can use any microgreens you prefer. Like with sprouted chickpeas you can grow your own microgreens at home – broccoli, kohlrabi and pea are also great.
Vegetables. Celery, radishes, cucumber and red onion are included in this recipe – the most common veg in traditional tuna salads. However, you can use any vegetables you like. For example, add sweetcorn or swap red onion for scallions/spring onions.
Avocado. Used as a healthy plant based replacement for mayonnaise to provide the same creamy texture. It’s a source of healthy fats to help absorb fat soluble vitamins in the other ingredients (7).
Fresh herbs. Dill, chives and parsley are the most popular herbs to serve with tuna but you can use any herbs you like. Basil and tarragon also go well.
Apple cider vinegar with the mother (UK Link/US Link). The mother contains prebiotics which feeds the good bacteria in our gut (8).
Ground mustard seed powder (UK Link/US Link). Used in place of mustard so it’s free from added salt and sugar and artificial preservatives that store bought mustard can contain.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice. Adds a delightful refreshing citrus flavour.
Watercress. A dark leafy green used as a base to serve the salad on. You can swap this for any leafy green you like, such as arugula/rocket, romaine/cos lettuce, chicory etc.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full ingredients list.
Equipment Needed
- Fork to mash the avocado and shred the jackfruit
Step By Step Instructions
- Make the avocado mayonnaise by mashing the avocado then stirring in the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.
- Chop the cucumber, radishes, celery and red onion and mince the garlic clove.
- Remove the core from the jackfruit and shred it with a fork until it resembles tuna.
- Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Serve on a bed of watercress or any other way below.
How To Sprout Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans
- Add the chickpea sprouts to a sprouting jar and fill the jar completely with filtered water. Leave to soak for 12 hours – the chickpeas should have doubled in size after.
- After 12 hours, drain the water fully, then rinse by filling the jar and draining it completely again.
- Leave the chickpeas in the sprouting jar at room temperature inverted on a drip tray to allow any water to drain. Cover the jar with a tea towel.
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas twice a day (first thing in the morning and in the evening are good times).
- Sprouted chickpeas are ready in 2-4 days, when a white root, that is at least 1/4 inch long, has grown from each one.
- After a final rinse and drain transfer the chickpeas to a tray lined with a tea towel or unbleached kitchen towel to dry completely. Remove any unsprouted chickpeas and then serve with this salad.
- Approximately 1/3 cup/60 grams of sprouting chickpea seeds will provide the 1 cup/120 grams of sprouted chickpeas needed for this recipe, serving 2 people as a main meal.
How To Serve & Uses
This vegetarian tuna salad makes a healthy filling meal on its own, served on a bed of watercress like in this recipe. It can also be:-
- Used in sandwiches and wraps.
- Served on top of a baked sweet potato or courgette/zucchini.
- Used to stuff squashes.
- Stirred into pasta.
- Served as a side dish, like with this Jackfruit Chilli Con Carne, Root Vegetable Soup or Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto.
Storage
- This salad is best eaten fresh on the day it’s made but can be stored in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- The mashed avocado will brown as it’s stored due to oxidation, although the lemon juice will help reduce this. It’s still safe to eat. Alternatively, to keep the avocado fresher, chop and stir together all the other ingredients in advance and mash and stir in the avocado just before serving.
- It is not advisable to freeze the salad.
Diet Requirements
This jackfruit salad recipe is:-
- Gluten free
- Wheat free
- Dairy free
- Lactose free
- Soy free
- Nut free
- Seed free
- Oil free
- Nightshade free
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
Other Salad Recipes
Other Jackfruit Recipes
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Recipe Card
Jackfruit Tuna Salad (No Mayo, Vegan)
Equipment
- Fork
Ingredients
Jackfruit Tuna Salad
- 1 tin jackfruit drained, core removed and pulled apart
- 1 cup sprouted chickpeas or sub 1 tin chickpeas, drained
- 2 medium celery sticks chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 cup cucumber sliced 1/4 inch thick and quartered sliced 1/4 inch thick & quartered
- 1 cup radishes thinly sliced
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 large avocado
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar with the mother
- 4 tsp Atlantic dulse flakes
- 2 tsp ground mustard seed powder
- 1 ounce fresh dill finely chopped
- 1/2 ounce fresh chives finely chopped
- 1/2 ounce fresh parsley finely chopped
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1.5 ounces microgreens
To Serve
- 2 cups watercress
Instructions
How To Sprout Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans
- Add the chickpea sprouts to a sprouting jar and fill the jar completely with filtered water. Leave to soak for 12 hours – the chickpeas should have doubled in size after.
- After 12 hours, drain the water fully, then rinse by filling the jar and draining it completely again.
- Leave the chickpeas in the sprouting jar at room temperature inverted on a drip tray to allow any water to drain. Cover the jar with a tea towel.
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas twice a day (first thing in the morning and in the evening are good times). Sprouted chickpeas are ready in 2-4 days, when a white root, that is at least 1/4 inch long, has grown from each one.
- After a final rinse and drain transfer the chickpeas to a tray lined with a tea towel or unbleached kitchen towel to dry completely. Remove any unsprouted chickpeas and then serve with this salad.
To Make The Salad
- Make the avocado mayonnaise by mashing the avocado in a small bowl with a fork then stirring in the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.
- Mix this with the remaining salad ingredients in a bowl until fully combined and all the vegetables are coated.
- Serve on a bed of watercress.
Notes
Nutrition
I love everything about this salad! The watercress and greens are an amazing addition!
Thank you so much Cindy, I’m so pleased you loved the salad!
Great idea using jackfruit to mimic tuna. It was my first time trying this recipe and you nailed it!
Thank you so much Nancy, I’m so glad you enjoyed the salad and the jackfruit tuna!
I am obsessed with jackfruit recently, so I am on the lookout for all the jackfruit recipes. And I really enjoyed this one! It’s simple and easy to follow, so flavorful and addictive!
Thank you so much Jacqui, I’m so pleased you enjoyed the salad. It’s definitely one of my favourites now.