Vegan Tuna Pasta Salad

This easy Vegan Tuna Pasta Salad is a delicious plant-based version of the classic cold tuna pasta salad! Gluten-free and allergy-free, made with healthy chickpea tuna and your favorite noodles, this pasta salad is perfect for meal prep, lunches, picnics, and potlucks! No fish or eggs, this quick and simple recipe is packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and tons of flavor!

Did you grow up eating tuna pasta salad too? My mom would make it all the time, but we just called it "tuna noodles". Cold macaroni noodles, with canned tuna, mayo, and plenty of salt and pepper. When the nostalgia cravings come calling, you know that means we need to remake the recipe to be gluten-free and vegan! With all the ease and simplicity of the classic cold tuna pasta salad with its creamy, tangy, umami flavors, just none of the fish, eggs, or gluten!

Why You'll Love This Vegan Recipe

It's so easy to make, just boil your choice of pasta, mash some chickpeas, do a little chopping, combine everything, and serve! You're taking my famous chickpea tuna recipe and adding it to a macaroni salad! It's easily customizable, so you can add in as many veggies, herbs, and spices as you'd like. It's easy to double or triple batch for however many mouths you need to feed and it's 100% plant-based, filling, and nutritious! This recipe is:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Fish-Free, Shellfish-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
• Sugar-Free
• Kid-Friendly
• Quick & Easy, 10 Minute Recipe
• Simple, Make-Ahead, & Budget-Friendly
• Meal-Prep Lunch, Light Dinner, Picnic & Potluck Staple

Ingredients For Vegan Tuna Pasta Salad

• Gluten-Free Pasta: Any small bite-sized gluten-free pasta noodle will work, however, I recommend elbow macaroni noodles or small shell noodles for this cold pasta salad.
• Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas or your own pre-cooked chickpeas are what make the "tuna" in this mock tuna pasta salad!
• Onion: Yellow onion or red onion are my top picks but you can also choose a milder onion like shallots, scallions, or chives.
• Celery: Diced celery stalks give a delicious and refreshing crunch to the pasta salad.
• Vegan Mayo: Store-bought or homemade eggless mayo is all you need to swap in to achieve that classic creamy texture. My favorite brands of allergen-free mayonaisse are Hellmann's and Trader Joe's.
• Pickle Relish + Fresh Dill: You can use dill relish or mince a dill pickle yourself to toss in the salad. Add some fresh dill to really enhance the flavor!
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon gives the salad deep, rich, savory, and pungent flavor notes.
• Salt + Pepper + Nori: Salt and black pepper to taste! My secret optional seasoning is a crumbled sheet of nori (seaweed). This gives the chickpea tuna a fishy flavor without the need for actual fish!
• Lemon Juice + Vegan Fish Sauce: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a touch of bright acidity to the pasta salad while the vegan fish sauce (or coconut aminos) adds a bold umami savoriness to the recipe.

Ingredient Variations

• More Veggies: Besides onion and celery you can add green peas, diced bell pepper, chopped broccoli, shredded carrots, chopped marinated artichoke hearts, or hearts of palm.
• Mayo Subs: If you don't want to use vegan mayo, you can use plain unsweetened vegan yogurt.
• Herbs & Spices: You can add or swap in any combination of fresh (or dried) herbs and spices. Try some parsley, marjoram, oregano, or basil! For spices, you can add some garlic powder, curry powder, chili powder, or Old Bay seasoning.
• Cheesiness: If you want to add some cheesy flavor to the vegan tuna pasta, add in some vegan cheddar cheese shreds, vegan parmesan, or nutritional yeast!
• Coconut Bacon: For crunch and smokiness, try some vegan coconut bacon!

How To Make Cold Vegan Tuna Pasta Salad

 

1. Boil the gluten-free macaroni while you mash the chickpeas in a large bowl with a potato masher or the back of a fork.
2. Add the diced celery, onion, relish, seasonings, herbs, dijon, lemon juice, and vegan fish sauce to the mashed chickpeas.

3. Add the mayo to the chickpea tuna and mix to combine.
4. Drain and rinse the gluten-free pasta under cool water to stop the cooking process before adding it to a large serving bowl.

5. Add the chickpea tuna to the bowl of gluten-free pasta.
6. Mix everything together until fully combined. Taste and adjust any seasonings you need, before chilling the pasta salad in the fridge until ready to serve.

Make-Ahead & Storage Instructions

• Make-Ahead: This cold chickpea tuna pasta salad is great for meal prepping ahead of time for lunches, potlucks, and BBQs. However, if you plan on storing it for more than 2 days in advance, I recommend keeping the cooked gluten-free pasta in a separate container from the chickpea tuna. When you're ready to serve, just mix everything together, day of, which will prevent the pasta from getting too mushy.
• Leftovers: You can store leftovers in a closed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The gluten-free noodles will soften the longer you keep it in the fridge. If the leftovers seem too thick after being stored in the fridge, just add an extra scoop of vegan mayo when mixing everything together again.

Vegan Tuna Macaroni Salad Tips & Tricks

• When cooking the gluten-free pasta, make sure to keep the noodles al dente according to the package directions. You don't want mushy noodles in your pasta salad. The noodles should still have a slight bite to them and they will get slightly softer after being mixed with the rest of the ingredients. This is why rinsing under cold water to stop the cooking process is key.
• Make sure to chill the chickpea tuna pasta salad in the fridge. Chilling allows the salad's flavors to develop and this is a cold pasta salad so the ideal temperature to eat it at is cold, not warm.
• If you want to make this gluten-free tuna pasta salad grain-free, use chickpea pasta or other grain-free pasta (you'll really amp up the protein content too!)

Serving Suggestions

This gluten-free chickpea tuna pasta salad makes a delicious meal on its own, but can also be served as a simple side dish at BBQ potlucks or large gatherings. It would go wonderfully with grilled vegan entrees like BBQ eggplant, grilled cabbage steaks, portobello mushroom steaks, grilled cauliflower, sandwiches, or a classic veggie burger!

More Gluten-Free Pasta Salads:

• Classic Italian Pasta Salad
• Classic American Macaroni Salad
• Gluten-Free Greek Pasta Salad
• Vegan BLT Pasta Salad
• Asian Pasta Salad
• Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
• Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Print

This tuna macaroni salad may be tuna-less but you won't be missing out on any of the classic old-fashioned comfort!

So tell me:

+ Did you ever try cold tuna pasta salad?

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