VEGAN TUNA MELT SNACK PLATE
This Vegan Tuna Melt Snack Plate is a new spin on a popular classic! Made with vegan tuna salad made from shredded, seasoned tofu, topped with a fresh veggie medley, and served with rye bread topped with melted vegan cheese. All of the incredible flavor of the classic, delivered to you as the perfect bite!
This can make an excellent lunch platter when you are looking for more of a tapas style meal. Or lay this snack plate out for your guests at your next party!…they will thank you for a vegan option that isn’t just another hummus platter.
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SNACK PLATE
This vegan tuna melt recipe makes the perfect snack plate. Many of us spend hours working at desk and love the idea of having a meal to slowly pick on. This recipe is the perfect candidate for just that. You can prep this recipe ahead of time and just scoop out a portion and heat up the bread when you are ready to eat it. Perfect for meal prep and easy snacking all week long!
VEGAN APPETIZER FOR A PARTY
This vegan snack plate also makes the perfect appetizer for a party. Pop this baby on a plater and give your guests a vegan appetizer option to really write home about.
You can plate the recipe as suggested, so your guests can scoop a helping onto their plates and enjoy. Or you can plate this recipe as individual bite size snacks by topping small pieces of bread with the tofu tuna salad and vegetable medley, offering your guests the perfect bite every time!
VEGAN SANDWICH FILLER
Although this recipe is meant to be a snack plate, this vegan tuna recipe is absolutely perfect for a vegan sandwich filler. Tofu is a great source of vegan protein, so you can make a hearty, filling sandwich that will keep you fueled for hours. This recipe is great for making ahead of time so you can quickly throw together sandwiches with ease all week long!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN TUNA OUT OF TOFU
Now I’m sure the idea of making tuna out of tofu leaves you scratching your head. But trust me, tofu, if cooked and seasoned correctly, is an excellent substitute for tuna! It’s just about creating the right flavor and texture.
TEXTURE
First, let’s talk about texture. Tuna has a bit of a chew to it and is often served shredded or in small minced pieces. To recreate this aspect, you will shred the tofu. Simply use a cheese grater and shred the block of tofu as you would a block of cheese.
The second step in recreating the texture of tuna is done in a skillet. Add the tofu to a non-stick skillet with olive oil and soy sauce and simply sauté over medium heat for about 15 minutes. This will pull out the moisture and lightly brown the tuna, creating an amazing texture and mouth feel!
SEAFOOD FLAVOR
Now that you have created the perfect textured tofu, the flavor is the other half of the equation. Recreating a seafood or tuna flavor is actually more simple than you would imagine. Simply add nori flakes, lemon, dijon mustard, and salt. Lemon and dijon add a bit of acidity and brightness to the tofu. Salt, of course adds salt to the dish, and seafood is always a touch salty.
NORI FLAKES
Nori flakes, which are seaweed flakes, is the absolute key to building seafood flavor. The addition of nori flakes gives the tofu that seafood, ocean flavor. You can find nori flakes online or often in the Asian isle at the grocery store.
ADDING IN OMEGAS WITH HEMP SEEDS
A huge reason people love to include fish in their diet is due to the nutrition that fish has to offer. Among the most popular benefits of fish are its high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. But the good news is you can skip the fish without skipping these health benefits with a simple addition of hemp seed.
BENEFITS OF HEMP SEED
Hemp seed is an incredible addition to any meal. But it is particularly great to add to vegan seafood dishes. Like seafood, it contains omega-3, omega-6 fatty acids, and high levels of antioxidants! This is great news for your overall health. These nutrients help lower blood pressure and reduce the rest of heart disease and stroke. They also help protect against free radicals, protecting you from chronic inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions. Fatty acids are also beneficial for your skin and hair health.
In addition to healthy fatty acids and high levels of antioxidants, hemp seed is also a great source of protein, offering around 10 grams of protein per serving.
LOADED WITH PROTEIN
As mentioned above, the addition of hemp brings a healthy dose of protein to this dish. Combine hemp with tofu, and now you are really in business!
TOFU
Tofu, which is made from bean curd, is an excellent source of plant based protein. Tofu offers over 8 grams of complete protein per serving! It provides all nine of the essential amino acids we need for growth, repair, and overall health and function.
In addition to being an excellent source of vegan protein, tofu provides protective plant compounds, may support hearth health and manage cholesterol! Tofu is great at satisfying you for hours and is perfect for a snack plate or as a vegan sandwich filler.
VEGAN MAYO
For this recipe, I used Follow Your Heart vegan mayo. This brand is absolutely delicious and is often my personal go-to.
VEGETABLE MEDLEY
Adding veggies to a dish is an excellent way to lighten up a recipe, add fresh flavors, and sneak in some extra nutrients. This vegetable medley is the perfect companion for vegan tuna and cheesy bread. The vegetable medley consists of shredded carrots, sliced tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, and red onion, flavored with a dash of sea salt, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.
This element of the recipe is super simple and takes very little time. Simply chop and shred veggies and combine with salt, vinegar, and olive oil.
WHY YOU SHOULD SOAK YOUR RED ONION
Red onion is absolutely delicious, but it can be a bit too powerful if you just chop and eat it raw. To take a bit of the bite out of red onion, simply soak it in cold water. Soak for at least 5 minutes, but the longer the better. Then drain the water and your set!
PUMPERNICKEL BREAD
For this recipe you will be using pumpernickel bread. Pumpernickel bread is a super flavorful rye bread that is made with sourdough starter and coarsely ground rye. It’s slightly sweet, unique flavor is a perfect companion for this vegan tuna snack plate. Pumpernickel bread is also an excellent choice of bread for a charcuterie board in general.
Simply slice the bread into desired sized pieces, top with vegan cheese, place in an over to broil, and done!
Not into pumpernickel bread? No problem! Swap it out with your favorite bread or cracker.
VEGAN CHEESE
There are so many absolutely incredible vegan cheese options on the store shelves these days! For this recipe, I went with Violife Smoked Gouda Round Slices. This vegan cheese option is super flavorful and melts well! I highly recommend it. Feel free to swap this out with any vegan or non vegan cheese of your choosing!
PREP AHEAD OF TIME
This healthy vegan snacks plate is perfect for prepping ahead of time. Simply prep the tuna and the vegetable medley and store in separate contains and assemble when ready. You can also assemble onto a serving dish in advance and just uncover the dish when ready.
As far as the bread and vegan cheese goes, you can cut the bread and cheese in advance, but you will want to broil it as close to serving time as possible for best results.
Vegan Tuna Melt Snack Plate
Ingredients
FOR VEGAN TOFU TUNA
- 1 block extra firm tofu, shredded
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup vegan mayo I used Follow Your Heart Vegan Mayo
- 1 tsp kelp flakes
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- juice from half a lemon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
VEGETABLE MEDLEY
- 2 tbsp red onion, diced into small pieces
- 1/2 cup carrot, shredded
- 1/4 cup tomatoes, diced I used cherry tomatoes because they are sweeter
- 1 tbsp pepperoncini peppers, diced I used jarred. Omit if you don't like spice
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar Can substitute other vinegar
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
BREAD AND VEGAN CHEESE
- 6 slices of vegan cheese I used Violife Smoked Gouda Round Slices
- 6 slices of pumpernickel bread
- ***This recipe was intended to have one slice of bread per serving, but feel free to double if desired!
Instructions
MAKE THE VEGAN TOFU TUNA
- Begin by shredding a block of extra firm tofu with a cheese grater
- Place shredded tofu in a non-stick skillet with olive oil and soy sauce
- Sauté over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown slightly. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan
- **While tofu is cooking, use your time wisely and move ahead to prep the cucumber medley
- Once, tofu is slightly browned, remove from heat and place in a large mixing bowl
- Add remainder of the ingredients listed under "Vegan Tofu Tuna"
- Mix until evenly coated. Set aside
PREPARE THE VEGETABLE MEDLEY
- Cut the red onion in to small pieces
- Place red onion in a bowl with cold water
- Allow to soak for at least 5 minutes, but the longer the better
- Drain water after soaking. Set red onions aside
- Cut tomatoes and pepperoncini peppers into small pieces and shred carrot.
- Combine all of the prepared veggies in a bowl with the remainder of the ingredients listed under "Vegetable Medley"
- Mix until evenly combined. Set aside.
PREP BREAD AND VEGAN CHEESE
- Cut each slice of bread into smaller pieces
- Cut vegan cheese into pieces to fit each slice of bread and top bread with vegan cheese
- Place on a baking sheet and broil on high for 2 minutes or until cheese is slightly melted and bread is toasted. Keep a good eye on the broiling process! The bread can burn fast!!!
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
- On a serving dish, spread out vegan tofu tuna
- Top with vegetable medley
- Serve with bread and enjoy!
