Pack your lunch box with Vegan Tofu Tuna Salad Sandwiches! They’re great for the office or school. This super easy recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
Vegan Tofu Tuna Salad
I ate a lot of tuna salad sandwiches when I was young. It was easy enough for me to make on my own – open a can, add mayo, and plop it on bread. (For some reason we never added celery or onions in my house.)
It was the first meat that I gave up, before even going vegetarian though. In the early 90s there was so much talk about dolphins getting caught and dying in tuna nets that I couldn’t continue to eat it. I’m not sure why I was worried about the dolphins and not the tunas, but I guess you have to start somewhere.
Pretty much every vegan has a tofu “tuna” recipe under their belts. They’re usually made with chickpeas. I actually have two different chickpea “tuna” recipes here on my blog, and I love them both. But sometimes I like to mix things up a bit, and that’s where this tofu tuna – or tofuna, as I like to call it – comes in.
What You Need
- Firm tofu
- Vegan mayonnaise
- Lemon juice
- Dijon or whole-grain mustard
- Tamari
- Celery
- Carrot
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Seaweed flakes
- Sea salt
- Whole grain or gluten-free bread
- Tomato
- Lettuce
See the recipe card for exact amounts.
Preparing Your Tofu
This recipe does require a little advanced planning, as the tofu needs to be frozen and then thawed before you can make it. Freezing it changes the texture and makes it easier for the tofu to soak up sauces, and in this case, mayonnaise.
Freeze the tofu while it’s still in the pack. Once frozen, allow the tofu to thaw either it on the counter on in the fridge. Then press it the way you normally would to remove any excess water. Make sure you squeeze out as much water as possible. I have a tofu press, but you can also use a cast-iron skillet or a heavy book.
How to Make Tofu Tuna
This recipe couldn't be easier to make!
- Once your tofu has been frozen and thawed, you crumble it in a large bowl.
- You then add the rest of the remaining ingredients and mix.
- Chill the mixture for a few hours so the tofu can absorb the flavors.
Serving Your Tofu Tuna
When I know I’m going to have a busy week, I’ll mix up a batch of this tofu tuna on Sunday so that lunches are easy to make throughout the week. Here, I’ve used it on bread as sandwiches, but you can always pile it on top of a salad too. Use gluten-free bread to make the recipe gluten-free.
Seaweed Flakes
I've thrown a little bit of seaweed to my tofu here in to give it a very slight fishy flavor. You can use kelp, dulse, or nori flakes, (or a blend of all three) which can be found in shaker containers in the Asian food aisle of most grocery stores.
Recipe Notes
I’ve used my homemade oil-free mayo in this recipe. If you’re pressed for time, you can use store-bought, of course.
This tofu tuna salad recipe is extremely flexible, so feel free to mix up what you add to it. If you prefer scallions to red onion, that will work. If you're out of carrots but have a red pepper, dice it up and add it!
To give this more of a “chicken salad” feel, rather than “tuna,” omit the seaweed flakes and use two teaspoons of dried dill.
Tofu Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Tofu Tuna
- 1 container (14 ounces ) firm tofu frozen and thawed
- ⅓ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon or whole-grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 carrot diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced (about ¼ of an onion)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons seaweed flakes
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the Sandwiches
- 8 slices whole grain or gluten-free bread
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 8 lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Crumble the tofu into a large bowl, add all of the remaining ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Chill for a few hours so the tofu can absorb the flavors. Season to taste.
- To make the sandwiches, place about ¼ of them tofu mixture on a slice of bread and top with the lettuce and tomato. Top with another slice of bread and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Notes
JoAnn M Lakes
I had a 1/2 pkg of Trader Joe's sprouted tofu and wanted something for me and husband for lunch. I certainly couldn't freeze it since it was lunchtime so I drained it and pressed it to an inch of its life. I halved all the ingredients and used Maine Coastal Kelp flakes since they're a bit more assertive than dulse. I used Hellmann's vegan mayo, kept the red onion since I had sliced in the fridge, and served with roman lettuce. beefsteak tomato, and sprouts on toasted garlic naan sliced in half and made into a sandwich, No time for soaking up the yummy!!! It was delicious!!! Thanks for popping up on my screen this morning. I can't remember what I was looking but what a great lunch. I really like your site!
Dianne
Thank you so much, JoAnn! I'm glad you and your husband liked your sandwiches!