Vegan Almond Salad Recipe (Not Tuna)

This vegan tuna style salad is made with soaked and shredded raw almonds





Tuna salad this is not, Darling. 

Gluten-free, yes. Vegetarian, yes. Vegan, yes.

But so very not tuna.



The older I get the more I crave simple. You know what I'm talking about. Home cooking. Childhood classics- like tuna salad. Instead of getting all worldly and sophisticated and dabbling with truffle oil, with each new gray hair my taste is hula hooping into kid-friendly food faster than Marisa Tomei can waggle. Well, maybe not that fast. She is pretty nimble. But you get my drift. I'm whipping up peanut butter and banana sandwiches, not oysters Rockefeller. Actually, I wouldn't know an oyster Rockefeller if it bit me in the tuchas. Filet Mignon (would you believe I've never had it?) doesn't even tempt me, Darling. And Chicken Cordon Bleu vs Chicken Kiev? 

Okay. It is here where I confess  that I'm no Betty Crocker and I've never attempted either recipe. Most likely because I was never what you'd call a big meat eater. I went vegetarian at age thirteen. If I've dabbled at all in the culinary arts it's been because of Anna Thomas and not Julia Child. The first cookbook I ever bought was The Vegetarian Epicure. That was 1972- the first time I ever made soup from scratch, thanks to Anna.
So when I discovered this inventive, almond based vegan tuna salad recipe over at Happy Healthy Life, I knew I had to give it a whirl. Because I'm digging raw food lately. And the idea of a protein salad a la tuna fish caught my fancy. It's fun for an appetizer- fab with crackers or tucked into lettuce cups. Or go ahead and make a classic "tuna" salad on rye with your favorite gluten-free rye bread (here's mine).




First, you need to soak your almonds. Plan ahead. Do it overnight for best texture.

Recipe for not tuna salad- a vegan salad starts with soaked almonds- here is what the almonds look like soaking




You'll need:

 1 rounded cup raw organic almonds
Sea salt
Fresh water









Instructions:

 Place the almonds in a glass or ceramic bowl and sprinkle them with a little sea salt. Pour in just enough fresh cold water to cover the almonds (some will float). Cover with a clean tea towel and allow them to soak overnight- at least eight to ten hours. Note- if it's very hot where you are, place them in the fridge to keep them cool and extend the soaking time to at least 12 hours. They should be soft when ready and you'll see tiny sprouts starting to bud at the tips.


Almond salad makes a lovely replacement for tuna salad in a vegan diet



Vegan "No-Tuna" Salad Recipe


 I made my faux tuna salad using my own raw cashew cream sauce as a mayo, but if you prefer, you can use your favorite vegan mayo.

 Ingredients:

 Soaked almonds, as above
2 tablespoons coconut milk, or pickle juice
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Cashew Cream or vegan mayo, as needed
Pinch of sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup diced celery
Fresh minced herbs: dill, parsley
Dab of raw organic agave, to taste

Instructions:

 Dump the soaked almonds into a food processor bowl; cover and pulse until shredded. Add the liquids and pulse again.

 Add the cream or mayo, to your liking. Pulse again. You want it flaky.

 Taste test for texture. Add more liquid if it needs moisture to obtain the right consistency.

 Season to your liking with fresh minced herbs and and a dab of raw agave.

 Use in sandwiches, roll-ups, lettuce cups. Serve as an appetizer spread for crackers.

 Serves 3-4.
Options:

If you like the taste of raw red onion, add a teaspoon or two of minced Bermuda onion.

If you like curry, add curry to the mixture. Add chopped golden raisins for a spicy-sweet Indian twist.

More vegan "no-tuna" recipe inspiration:

 Tu-Nut Sandwich at Happy Healthy Life inspired my raw vegan recipe.

 Raw Vegan "Tuna" Salad at Choosing Raw with soaked sunflower seeds.

TRENDING

Quinoa Salad with Pears, Baby Spinach, Pecans + Maple Vinaigrette

Image
Vegan Gluten-Free Bliss, Ya'll. And it makes a fabulous (beautiful!) Labor Day picnic offering for all your guests that shun gluten, dairy, eggs, and critters. From the archives, in the nick of time... If you're looking for a fresh idea to liven up your ho-hum salad plate, Sweetcakes, have I got a recipe for you. Light, vegan, and packed with protein, this is no ordinary bunny food. It's got quinoa. Studded with nutty, buttery chick peas and crunchy toasted pecans and succulent jewels of ripe, juicy pears. And did I mention, in a bowl licking maple vinaigrette? In fact, this is a salad even salad haters would eat. You know, those stalwart gotta have my meat and potatoes aficionados who eschew anything leafy. Who snicker at fiber. And mock carrot sticks. The sort of individual who gets misty eyed for melted butter and bacon martinis. To said individuals, salad could never be anything but rabbit chow. But this lovely mélange of flavors just might piqu
Read more

Gluten-Free Goddess Zucchini Bread

Image
Got Zukes Galore? Sharing a favorite summer recipe here on Gluten-Free Goddess-- a cinnamon laced tea bread made with garden fresh zucchini. You'll love it. And so will everyone else. I also jotted down some batter and baking tips for ya. See below. GFG Tips on gluten-free bread baking: Here's my all-time favorite baking pan for gluten-free breads. It's a lovely glazed ceramic pan that creates steady, even heating for gluten-free batters. In other words, it's as foolproof as you can get. Find it here at Amazon:  Good Cook 9-Inch Ceramic Loaf Pan . Make sure your batter isn't cold when you put it into the oven. If you keep your flours in the fridge, for instance, this will cool down your batter quite a bit. If you find your batter is cooler than room temperature, allow the batter to rest in the pan near the pre-heating stove and let it come to room temperature before you place the bread pan in the oven to bake (I also do this with cakes sometimes). The first time
Read more

Gluten-Free Goddess Blueberry Crisp

Image
A Summer Classic: Blueberry Crisp We had a sudden hankering. You know how it is. A craving hits that will not be denied. Insistent. Growling. Desire with an uppercase D. So I'm digging into the archives. June is here. And you start imagining fresh, juicy blueberries, nestled beneath a perfectly golden crumble of a crust, warm, the deepest purple, bubbling as you slide it- ever so gently- out of the oven and onto a cooling rack to rest and settle until you can't stand it a minute longer, breathing in the cinnamon laced aroma of a summer dessert classic. The forever glorious blueberry crisp. And this one's gluten-free. And dairy-free. No xanthan gum either- a bonus. So darling. Don't wait. Blueberry season is short and sweet. Peace + Love, Karina xox
Read more

Calabacitas Recipe with Summer Corn, Zucchini, Green Chiles and Lime

Image
This homespun summery side dish recipe has been a favorite of ours for a long, long time. Not months. Or years. But decades. And I'll tell you why. It's easy- for starters. And reason number two- it's super delicious. And reason number three? It's gluten-free. And reason four (there's a four?)... Dairy-free and vegan for all your meat-shunning soy latte sipping groovy guests.  So get your calabasitas on, dude.  And party.
Read more

Coconut Milk Ice Cream Berry Parfaits

Image
Parfait this! Easy fancy for a long hot summer- so bookmark this one... a simple, creamy coconut ice cream recipe served parfait style with blueberries and strawberries. And it's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. And because you make it yourself, gum-free and carrageenan-free. So many yays. It was sunny and hot yesterday, and today is a repeat. So during a heat wave, even a modest two-day hot fest, yours truly is unable to muster any enthusiasm for cooking. Typically, I live on gluten-free granola. And ice cream. Yes, I know. I am a poor, sad, sad role model. What kind of food blogger doesn't rise to the challenge and cheer-lead you to whip up baby kale and avocado salads and raw maca peach turmeric and oat milk smoothies? What kind of food blogger would simply give in to her sticky, prickly fatigue and general overall crankiness and not create some virtuous, nutrition packed bunny food miracle slurry for you? This one. She who is about to share a no-cook reci
Read more