Raw Vegan “Tuna” Mayo

Who would have thought you could re-create a raw vegan version of tuna-mayo using seeds! There are lots of yummy recipes for mock tuna using chickpeas but I wanted to create a raw recipe with a little more bite. The fishy flavour comes largely from seaweed and various seasonings and it’s actually very simple to make. Try eating this with a salad or slathered on some raw bread with some cucumber. Ooh, lovely!

The tuna mayo texture is largely achieved by partially blending seeds, then removing some of the mixture while it’s still chunky. The rest of the seeds are then processed into a soft mushy paste, before re-adding the chunky mixture. The seeds naturally create a creamy tuna-mayo texture of their own when blended with water but you could totally add some vegan mayo to this as when you serve it.

I’ve been quite specific about types of seaweed because that’s the combination I like to use, however you can totally play around and use what you have or can get hold of. Mixed seaweed flakes will work well too. Be prepared to taste and season accordingly as you are making this.

Ingredients

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 1 hour

1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked for at least one hour

3/4 cup water (separated into 1/4 and 1/2) plus more if needed

Juice of 1 1/2 lemons (plus more if desired)

3 tablespoons dulse flakes

1 sheet nori, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried kombu flakes (optional - this will give it a very oceany flavour)

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (not raw)

1/8 teaspoon dried garlic granules

1 1/2 teaspoons tamari

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon liquid aminos (optional)

A few rounds black pepper

Method

Discard soaking water from seeds and give them a rinse.

To a food processor, add the seeds, 1/4 cup of water. They will be soft and wet so should blend easily, but if not you can add a little more water 1 tablespoon at a time. Once the seeds have started to break down and you have a mushy texture that is still chunky, take out 1/4 cup of the mixture and set it aside. See photo below for an idea of the texture at this stage

To the remaining mixture, add the lemon, dulse, nori, kombu (if using) and salt and process until you have a wet mushy mixture.

You don’t want it to be smooth, more like thick and slightly chunky pate. The water and seeds will create a wet and sticky texture as you process it all. See the photo below for how this should look.

Remove from the food processor and put into a mixing bowl. Add the chunkier mix from earlier as well as the olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic granules, tamari, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, coco aminos and black pepper.

Taste the mixture and decide if you need to add more salt or pepper according to your taste. You may also want to add little more lemon. I always add extra lemon and black pepper when it comes to serving.

Store in the fridge.