This Is The Absolute Best Swap For Vegan Tuna Salad

Tuna salad is one of those recipes that will always cater to whatever you're craving. Together, the sweet, tender fish, creamy dressing, and crisp vegetables are packed with an irresistible flavor. While the main ingredient is a barrier to plant-based eaters who want to enjoy the traditional dish, one expert has the perfect swap for delicious vegan tuna salad.

The tuna that makes up the famed salad has a unique taste and feel that you may not be able to easily replicate with the usual plant-based seafood alternatives like watermelon or tofu. However, there's one item that Guy Vaknin, owner and chef at City Roots Hospitality, believes was made to replace tuna. "Green jackfruit is an incredible substitute for vegan tuna or crab salad," Vaknin says. "It has a shredded texture and mild flavor." Though its ripe counterpart has a bright, sweet, tropical taste, green jackfruit has a more scaled-back flavor that makes it perfect for imitating tuna.

Jackfruit is fleshy and chewy, which makes it look pretty similar to pulled pork when it's cooked. To get the appearance of tuna, you'll need to pulse it in the food processor. To soften it slightly, try sauteing the jackfruit for a few minutes. Most of the ingredients in a tuna salad, like celery, onions, and carrots, are plant-based. For the dressing, however, you can use vegan aquafaba mayo.

Although tuna is pretty mild, it still has a fishy flavor that isn't inherent to green jackfruit. To make up for it, Vaknin has a tip to make the fruit taste a little more similar to tuna. "Season with seaweed, like wakame, to bring a real 'sea' flavor," he recommends. The salty, briny flavor is essential in making the dish taste like the main ingredient was actually caught in the ocean.

You can also go with other types of seaweed like nori or kombu — both are packed with a rich umami flavor that will ultimately make your vegan tuna salad more savory with a hint of sweetness. Using a strip or two of seaweed is fine, but really, there's no such thing as over-seasoning jackfruit. The plant's taste is pretty delicate, so you can add whatever you need to make it taste as fishy as you want.

Don't stick with just seaweed alone; go with flavor enhancers that are commonly used to elevate tuna. A dash of Old Bay seasoning can go a long way in giving the jackfruit that classic seafood flavor. Finish off the salad with a squeeze of lemon and include plenty of fresh herbs when making it.