Vegan Tuna Pasta Salad

There’s something about a pasta salad that just hits the spot—especially when the sun’s out and you want something quick, light, but still filling. This Vegan Tuna Pasta Salad is one of those recipes that’s become a bit of a staple in my kitchen during the summer time. It’s creamy, satisfying, and completely plant-based, using ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard or fridge.

I grew up eating classic tuna pasta salad, usually made with mayo, sweetcorn and whatever pasta shape my mum had in the pantry. So when I started eating more plant-based,  I wanted to find a way to recreate that nostalgic flavour without the tuna. I use chickpeas to mimic the tuna texture, a good vegan mayo for creaminess, and add in a few flavour boosters like lemon, capers, and red onion to keep things fresh and zingy.

This dish is ideal for meal prep, picnics, packed lunches or just when you can’t be bothered to cook something fancy but still want a proper meal. It comes together in about 15 minutes, and you can easily switch up the ingredients depending on what you’ve got lying around.

So if you’re looking for a budget-friendly, protein-packed salad, this vegan version on a classic might become your new go-to easy meal.

What you need to make vegan tuna pasta salad

• pasta
• chickpeas
• green pepper
• red onion
• sweetcorn
• gherkin
• fresh parsley
• garlic powder
• vegan mayo
• vegan yogurt
• juice from jar of gherkins (or white wine vinegar)
• lemon
• nori sheets

Substitution and Ingredient Notes

Pasta: You can use any pasta shapes for this recipe. My favourites for vegan tuna pasta salad are small shapes to coat up as much sauce as possible. I like macaroni or conchiglie but you could also try farfelle

Chickpeas: Chickpeas make a great vegan tuna but you could also use canned jackfruit or artichoke hearts. Make sure to thoroughly rinse and drain before using.

Green pepper: You could substitute this for another colour pepper if needed.

Red onion: I love red onion in a salad but you could substitute for any other onion. Spring onions would work nicely as they’re relatively mild when uncooked.

Sweetcorn: I used a can of sweetcorn but you can easily substitute this for frozen or fresh.

Gherkin: You could also use cornichons or capers.

Fresh parsley: The flavour of fresh parsley works perfectly in this recipe but you could also use dill. I wouldn’t recommend substituting for dried herbs, but if you’ve got no other option you can swap out for dried parsley or similar.

Garlic powder: You can use fresh garlic if you’d prefer. Try one small clove, minced.

Vegan yogurt: Any vegan yoghurt will work; soya, coconut or oat.

Juice from jar of gherkins: You could substitute this for white wine vinegar.

Nori sheet: You can find this with the sushi ingredients in most supermarkets but if you’re unable to source simply leave it out.

How to make

To start, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients and put everything into a large bowl. Mash everything together with a fork or potato masher until desired consistency.

Once the pasta is ready, grab a colander and drain the water.

Add the pasta into the mashed mixture, and stir everything together so that the pasta is covered evenly. You can serve straight away so that it is warm or leave it to cool in the fridge and serve cold.

I love this served as a side for a BBQ or meal prepped  in advance for my lunches over the following few days.

Fancy more salad recipes?

Did you make this vegan tuna pasta salad recipe? Please rate and review the recipe below, and leave me a comment! I love to hear your feedback, and if you’re enjoying my recipes. Make sure to take a photo, tag me @MadeleineOlivia and tag it #MadeleineOlivia.