This vegan Better Than Tuna Salad is like a fishy magic trick! Instead of actual tuna, we’ve got artichokes and chickpeas doing their vegan voodoo. But wait, there’s more! We’ve added a secret ingredient that will teleport your taste buds straight to the sea! Prepare to be amazed, because not only does it taste incredible, it’s also healthier for you and of course, it’s fish-friendly!

Recipe tips:

Most vegan “tuna” salads are made with chickpeas, which is a great place to start. However, for an incredibly tuna-like texture, I prefer a mixture of chickpeas and shredded artichoke hearts. When pulsed in the food processor a couple of times, artichoke hearts have a flaky texture that very closely resembles canned tuna.

One important thing to note about the artichoke hearts is that they should be either canned in water or frozen. Don’t use marinated artichokes for this salad, because the taste of the marinade is too prominent and will make your “tuna” taste more like the marinade than anything else.

To get that tuna flavor, shred a sheet of nori and add it to the mixture. The seaweed will give the salad that “fishy” taste without all the negative effects of tuna.

This recipe is delicious freshly made, but it tastes even better the next day, after all the ingredients have had a chance to blend together, so feel free to make it ahead of time.

Tuna & Mercury

Once the chickpeas and artichokes are shredded, the rest of the recipe is very similar to making traditional tuna salad…but much better for you without the added toxic levels of mercury.

Tuna accumulate high levels of toxic mercury, due to industrial pollution and the contaminated fish they eat. This is especially a problem for pregnant women and children. Even half a can of albacore tuna a week, contains 60% more mercury than is considered “safe” by the U.S. government.

Tuna flesh is loaded with heavy metals that attack the heart muscle, so the toxicity outweighs any possible health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. According to a recent study published in the American Heart Association’s journal, men with the highest levels of mercury increased their risk for heart disease by 60 percent and their risk of dying of a heart attack by 70 percent. Do your heart a favor—put down the fish fork and pick up a safer source of omega-3s, such as walnuts and flaxseeds.

PETA

So skip the tuna, and try this better than tuna salad made with chickpeas which are high in protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins, as well as artichokes, which are packed with anti-oxidants, fiber, vitamins while also being low in calories.

Enjoy!

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