01 Mar Vegan “Tuna” Salad

For the record, I’m not vegan. I do, however, try to keep animal-based products in my diet to a minimum for a variety of health, ethical and economic reasons. I’m also a little averse to labels (such as ‘vegan’, ‘vegetarian’, etc.) becauseI feel they can be divisive and cause unnecessary conflict. So, I’ll just say I eat a lot of plants and sometimes unborn offspring of chickens, and sometimes that ridiculously good stuff called cheese, and sometimes other stuff when someone is kind enough to make me dinner and I don’t want to be “that” guest. Can’t we all be friends?

I used to really love tuna fish salad. Practices around fishing tuna make my heart hurt, and scary levels of mercury contributed to my decision to eliminate it from my diet. That, and the issue with canned goods….sheesh! I found a great replacement with garbanzo/chickpeas. Inexpensive, loaded with fibre and protein – they make a great base for many delicious dishes.

As many of my recipes come to be, this one started with a wee craving and a desire to make something with only the ingredients I had on hand, so if you choose to try this out, I encourage you to experiment heavily…have fun!

Kind Living Vegan “Tuna” Salad

1 28 oz can cooked Garbanzo beans (I like Eden Organic as they use BPA-free cans)
2 stalks celery finely diced (approx 1 cup)
1 small carrot shredded (approx 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup mayonnaise or vegan mayo
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Pulse chickpeas in food processor until flaky (don’t over process). Add remaining ingredients and pulse again until well-incorporated. Season as necessary.