Garbanzo & Heart Of Palm Salad (Vegan Tuna Salad)
Tuna salad is a recipe that has been in my family since I was a kid. Since I became vegan, I've missed it, that's why I needed to find a way to replace it. I kept the recipe the same with the exception of the tuna and the mayonnaise which I have veganized. I'm telling you, becoming vegan has opened my eyes to new possibilities, food replacement options I wouldn't have though of previously.
In this recipe tuna is replaced with garbanzos or chickpeas and heart of palm, an ingredient I had not had the pleasure of trying until I became vegan. Garbanzos add hardiness, the heart of palm adds a flaky fish texture and kelp powder adds a very light fishy flavor. Besides the fish, I had to replace the mayo. The best vegan mayo I have tried is made by follow your heart. The mayo in this recipe is the only unhealthy ingredient and yet is still healthier than regular mayo because it doesn't have any cholesterol. Additionally, without the tuna we are avoiding mercury and other heavy metals often associated with neurological problems.
There are 39 grams of protein in one cup of garbanzos compared to 48 grams in a cup of tuna. Not too much of a difference and also not a significant one considering that our bodies don't need as much protein as the media would have us believe. A sedentary man need 56 grams and a sedentary woman need 46 grams. Now what would make this recipe provide you with complete protein is pairing it with grains, so eating it with pita chips or on a sandwich.
Besides being vegan, semi healthy and environmentally friendly, this recipe is supper quick to make.
It yields about 10 cups of salad.
Ingredients
- 3 cans of chickpeas
- 2 cans of heart of palm
- 1 cup of corn
- 1 cup of peas
- 1 1/2 celery sticks (diced)
- 1 carrot (diced)
- 1/2 yellow onion (diced)
- 1/3 iceberg lettuce (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (heaping cup)
- 1 teaspoon kelp granules (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or a little more to taste
- tortilla chips, Ritz crackers, tostadas, pita chips or toast
- preferred hot sauce (optional)
Preparation
1) Drain the chickpeas well then crush or blend them lightly.
2) Do the same with the heart of palm. If you are crushing you will need to give it a rough chop first. If you are blending make sure to leave some chunks, you don't want to liquefy it. You want it to have a similar consistency to that of canned tuna.
3) Add the corn and peas.
4) Add the diced celery, carrot, and onion.
5) Thinly slice the iceberg lettuce and add it to the mix
6) Add the vegan mayonnaise, optional kelp granules and salt
7) Serve with tortilla chips, Ritz crackers, tostadas, pita chips or on a sandwich and eat with choice of hot sauce if preferred.
