This easy chickpea toona smash will remind you of the days when you used to eat tuna for lunch but instead it’s cruelty free!
When I was a kid, I LOVED tuna sandwiches for lunch. My mom made them so saucy with mayo and onion and I didn’t care how bad my breath smelled when I brought it to school LOL! Moving into my adult life I definitely still ate it but as I started learning about animal agriculture and it’s harmful effects on our environment, I stopped grabbing the tins of tuna to stock my pantry with.
Still, I longed for something that would replace that delicious mayo-y, creamy, savoury goodness of tuna so I went looking on the internet for a vegan tuna recipe. A lot came back with chickpeas being the base of the recipe!
If you’re unfamiliar with aquafaba (aka LIQUID GOLD, aka egg white replacement) and how I use it often in my vegan royal icing recipe, you’ll know I go through a lot of it and end up with so many chickpeas to use up! This easy chickpea toona smash is such a great way to use them and so so nutritious too!
Some key things to keep in mind when you’re making this recipe:
- mash the chickpeas until they are no longer whole – you can do this by hand with a potato masher or pulse lightly in a food processor
- pickle brine is the KEY to adding that “je ne sais quoi” flavor that really will remind you of tuna
- you can use red or white onion but the red onion won’t be as pungent
- season with salt and pepper at the end
- tastes even BETTER the next day!
Here’s a short recipe video you can watch and follow along. I hope you try this recipe and if you do, don’t forget to message me over on Instagram to tell me what you think!
Easy Chickpea Toona Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can (540mL) chickpeas (rinsed & drained)
- 1/2 red onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pickles finely chopped
- 1/4 cup pickle brine
- 1/4 cup vegan mayo
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
If using a food processor, you can add the chickpeas, onions and pickles all at once and pulse until pieces are uniform and small. Then transfer to a bowl.
OR
In a bowl, mash chickpeas until all of them are flattened. You want them to be chunky for the texture but not whole.
Otherwise, to the bowl, add finely chopped red onion and pickles and mix to combine.
Add pickle brine and mayo and mix until well combined. Taste test to make any adjustments to the tanginess if needed. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Keep in refrigerator. Keeps for up to 7 days.
Recipe Video
@thecakemama Make this delicious #chickpeatoona for your next #plantbasedlunch 😋 #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedtiktok
♬ Darling – Trees and Lucy
