The Best Vegan Tuna Melt 

When I tell you this is THE best vegan tuna, I really do mean it. And it's not just because the texture is wayyyy more tuna like than a chickpea version of this dish (although that too should be acknowledged) but it's also because it's way more macro balanced with a textured vegetable protein base. Don't get me wrong, I love a chickpea tuna. I even have one on the blog, and it's absolutely delicious! However I think of it more as a really flavourful chickpea sandwich than a tuna replicate. But this textured vegetable protein version has a really similar texture to canned tuna, and it soaks up the flavours of the salad mix really, really well. 

Weird fact about me, when I went vegan (almost 9 years ago!), one of the only meats I missed was canned tuna. Odd I know, but I've just always loved simple, classic dishes and sandwiches and for a long time tuna, and cheese and eggs, were the only thing I really missed. Being vegetarian came really easy to me. At first I made a lot of chickpea tuna salad sandwiches and loved them, but when I started to educate myself further on the protein aspect of a vegan diet and the importance for my active lifestyle my vegan grocery list expanded and I found so many new ingredients I'd never heard of before. Like textured vegetable protein, or textured pea protein, the soy free version. 

That's when this tuna salad mix came to life and I added it to a few of my ebooks, serving it in different ways, because the flavour works so well with so many different options.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Great protein to calorie ratio. 

Perfect prepared like a tuna melt, but it's also a great protein mix to enjoy with crackers as a high protein snack, pour it over some greens for a hearty, high protein low calorie salad, or add it to some whole wheat bread sans cheese, for a great cold lunch sandwich!

Flavour packed! 

Customizable. I used pickled jalapenos for a spicy kick, you could use pickles, or skip the tang and go apples and celery.

Perfect for meal prep. This protein salad will sit and marinate in the fridge gaining even more flavour as the days go on. 

What You'll Need

Textured vegetable protein or textured pea protein.

Seaweed flakes or chopped nori. This is what gives it that fishy tuna taste. You can skip this if you're not big on the fish flavour and more looking for the texture.

Mayo or vegan greek yogurt. Yogurt will keep the calories lower, mayo adds a nice tang.

Fresh veggies like diced red onion, cilantro or your preferred herbs, and pickled jalapenos. 

Dijon mustard is an essential flavour to add depth to the salad.

A nice dose of cracked black pepper, and sea salt. 

Substitutions

You can substitute the textured vegetable protein for textured pea protein if you want to make it soy free.

Seaweed flakes are up to you. They add a fishy flavour making this taste more like a tuna, but you can skip it if you're not feeling that ocean taste.

Mayo or greek yogurt. 

I've never tried substituting the dijon for a yellow mustard, and while it would definitely change the flavour, it might work. You let me know if you try it.

Use different fresh elements! Instead of the red onion, cilantro, and jalapenos I used, try apples, celery, parsley, dill, or pickles!

Storing

This is a great tuna recipe for meal prep. Make the tuna salad then store it in the fridge in a tightly sealed meal prep container for up to 5 days. The flavour only gets better as it sits.

For the actual tuna melt part, I would eat that hot. You don't want the cheese melting then firming up again. 

Please note: all macros and calories have been calculated to the best of my ability but may vary slightly. 

 

High Protein Vegan Tuna Melt 

Recipe makes 4 servings

Macros per serving:

631 cals - 27g fat - 69g carbs - 28g protein

 

Macros for JUST TUNA SALAD per serving:

147 cals - 3g fat - 11g carbs - 19g protein 

Use the tuna salad macros to pair this flavourful, meal prep friendly protein with your favourite pairings. (Head to "why you'll love this recipe" for suggestions!). 

 

Ingredients, Vegan Tuna Salad:

• 1 cup textured vegetable protein 
• 2 tbsp seaweed flakes or nori sheets, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/3 cup pickled jalapeno
• 1/3 cup plain vegan yogurt (Mayo is also great! Just account for additional calories)
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients, Vegan Tuna Melt:

• 1 batch "Vegan Tuna Salad" 
• 8 slices sourdough bread
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 8 slices vegan cheddar cheese 

 

Instructions, Vegan Tuna Salad:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper, set aside.
2. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil.
3. Add textured vegetable protein to a bowl with seaweed flakes, and cover with boiling water, let sit for 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes, drain well, pressing any excess water out. Then spread hydrated textured vegetable protein and seaweed mix across the baking tray.
5. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. While it cooks, finely chop your vegetables: red onion, cilantro, and pickled jalapenos. Then add them to a mixing bowl.
7. Add to the mixing bowl: vegan yogurt, dijon mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and sea salt.
8. Mix everything really well to combine.
9. Once textured vegetable protein is out of the oven, add it to the salad mix bowl and mix everything together well. Adjust seasoning is desired.
10. Then set in the whole mix in the fridge to cool the “tuna” mix completely. NOTE: if enjoying right away in a tuna melt, you won't need to cool the mixture down.

 

Instructions, Vegan Tuna Melt:

1. Add 1/2 tbsp oil to each slice of bread.
2. Set the bread, oil side down into a frying pan. 
3. Top each bread slice with 1 slice vegan cheddar. 
4. Bring the pan to medium low heat and place a lid over it.
5. Fry cheese toast, covered for a few minutes, or just long enough for cheese to get melty.
6. Add in 1/4 of the tuna mixture to one slice of each sandwich and seal with the other sliced of bread.
7. Grill the sandwiches until both sides of toast are brown and golden, tuna is warmed through, and cheese is nice and melted.
8. Remove from the pan and slice in half. 
9. Enjoy!

 

 

Let us know in the comments how this recipe went for you!