Oh how I struggled with the title of this post. It isn’t really mock “tuna”. It is a wonderful fruit and veggie salad, with the addition of a nut paté and a wonderful raw, vegan mayo. But that title is a little long. What I did do was base the salad/nut paté on what I remember being my favorite tuna salad as a girl.
I did not include dulse in this recipe so… no fishy taste. What I do remember about the tuna salad that my mom made was that she always added grapes and celery. I have never gotten over that wonderful combination of salty and sweet.
There are tons of raw recipes on-line for Mock Tuna but they tend to be nut patés. I wanted to lighten up the dish, and fill it with a lot of fresh ingredients. Once again, wonderful omega filled walnuts make an appearance along with healthy sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. That becomes the base, and then to lighten it up, a bunch of fun, crunchy veggies, plus those magic grapes come along for the ride!
You will love this recipe for raw, vegan mayo. By using the same seasoning that traditional mayo, this raw recipe makes a mayo that is pretty darn close to the real thing except it is good for your heart, not bad!
You can find butter lettuce with the root ball attached. It lasts much longer in the fridge this way.
Mock Chicken or Tuna Salad the Rawmazing Way
*serves 4 to 6
Mayo
- 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water, more if needed to achieve proper texture
- 1 lemon, juice from
- 1 tablespoon raw agave nectar or liquid sweetener of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
- Freshly ground himalayan salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and process, scraping down as necessary, until mixture is smooth.
Salad:
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup mayo (see above)
- 2 cups cucumber, peeled and diced
- 2 cups celery, sliced
- 1-2 cups grapes, halved
- 1/2 cup scallions
- 1/2 lemon, juice from
- freshly ground Himalayan salt and pepper to taste*
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
how delicious!!! i love all the textures and flavors!
This looks sooo good. I can’t wait to try it. Susan, I am wondering about black pepper. Do you know the process of how it’s made/cured? I once heard at a raw foods class that it’s treated with formaldehyde. Is this true, do you know?
Looks just like tuna!! Beautiful photos.
Thanks for sharing.
Peace and Raw Health,
Elizabeth
What an amazingly creative recipe!! I love walnuts and could eat them all day long, but I also love the idea of vegan, HEALTHY mayo! Genius!
Beautiful food, from beautiful people, for beautiful people making a better world, we are so lucky you share these fabulous recipes. Gratitude.
Looks great, Susan! I love raw tuna salad.
I had some of this today. A fabulous lady who does reflexology and juice fast retreats made this…and it was SOOOOOOOOOO good! I did not miss the ‘meat’ at all. I’m seeing how I could take my curried chicken salad and turn it into this fabulous creation. Thanks so much for sharing. xx
It is so fascinating what you can do with natural, plant-based ingredients. This salad looks so surprisingly realistic, cannot wait have a taste.
Hi, This looks so nice, can’[t wait to make it, but just one question, are scallions spring onions or the french shallots ( small tight onions) I live in Australia and everyone has different names for all their onions.
Scallions are probably like your spring onions. Cheers!
Your food pictures are bananas! I drool every time I look at your site, simply outstanding!
I am just learning about raw foods and looove looking at your recipes and pictures! Your beautiful pictures and easy recipes make the transition easier. Thanks!
Beautiful dish on beautiful plates!
i have a kitchenaid blender which is some years old now but i love it! although, i do wish sometimes that i had a vitamix for the plunger
I made this and it was delicious and really does fill that ‘craving’ for something that seems more substantial. Even my 87 year old mother who won’t even drink a green drink, thought it was good and wanted me to make it for her. Don’t hesitate on this one folks. Yummy. Wish I had some nice onion flat ‘bread’ to put it in.
Just made it tonight!!This is really yummy recipe!! But when it say 1 cup cashew meaning before soaked or after?? Btw I also add some organic raisin too, it is really nice to put both fresh grape and raisin! Thanks so much for the recipes Susan:)
Whole foods has a mock tuna salad that is delish, but I never thought to make my own! This look delish!
Hi there, what could I use to substitute the dried mustard? And would lime juice work instead of lemon. I have all of the other ingredients on hand except these.
Oh my goodness! So far, I’ve only tried the mock mayo… deee-lish! And my 5-year-old daughter and husband (a die-hard meat and potatoes lover) also really liked it! This is a keeper for sure. Can’t wait to try it with the salad! How long does the mayo keep for in the fridge?
It keeps for about 4-5 days but the wonderful thing is that it freezes! Cheers!
Awesome!! Thought at this rate, it may not last that long… LOL Thank you for the awesome recipe!
This is a great recipe! I added garlic cloves to the mayo and skipped the additions to the nut/seed base. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Susan,
Your posts are always amazing! You didnt use Dulse in yours-have you tired to in the recipe since? Would appreciate your thoughts on how much you would add.
Thanks!
Michelle
Hi, Michelle,
I didn’t use dulse because I really love the flavor of this as is. But you are always free to experiment!!
Warm Regards,
Susan
hi Susan,
I agree with you. I tried without and it is great! Especially after you let the flavors develop. I will take a portion from my batch and try it with the dusle. Again this is a winner!!! Thank you for all of your wonderful, yummy recipes!!
michelle
I am very excited to try and prepare the mock tuna salad however I am allergic Cashews. Would you recommend macadamia nuts or some other kind of nut/seed?
Thank you for fabulous recipe! I just made a batch and it is To put it mildly – sublime! I’ve been looking for a great raw tuna recipe for years and this is it You’re absolutely right most of the recipes out there are really a nice nut pâté. This is light and refreshing and the grapes are the perfect touch. I have already eaten two big plates and am planning on taking it with me on the plane when I travel for business tomorrow. No doubt this will go down as a signature dish and one of my all-time favorites.
Instead of mock tuna, what about calling it a Waldorf salad?
It is much closer to how I make tuna salad than a waldorf salad.