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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
