Jackfruit Tuna Sandwich

When I was a kid, most of my lunches were cheese sandwiches. Very simple and easy to make, they were a staple in my lunch box. However, from time to time, my mom would whip-up the most delicious tuna salad sandwich: tuna, mayo, mustard and cilantro leaves. On those days, I couldn’t wait for lunch to come! Now that I am vegan, I have been looking for the perfect dupe-recipe. I think this is it.

Here is what you need:

For the mayonnaise:

• 1/2 cup raw cashew nuts
• 2 tbs fresh and chopped dill
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• juice of one lemon
• 1/8 cup almond milk
• 1 pinch hot chili pepper flakes
• 1 tsp hot Dijon mustard
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

For the ‘tuna’:

• 1 can young jackfruit in brine (a little bit more than 2 cups)
• 1 can chickpeas (2-3 cups)
• 1 small onion
• 2 tsp dried kelp: I used wakame flakes that I crushed in my mortar
• 1/3 cup fresh chopped dill
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp oil, or some water

To serve:

• Hamburger buns
• Lettuce leaves
• tomato slices
• pickles
• cilantro leaves

Here is what you do:

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic and set aside.
2. Drain the jackfruit and smash each piece with a fork to separate the fibers. I kept the young seeds because they add a nice bite, but feel free to remove them if you like.
3. In a large sauce pan set on medium heat, heat up the oil. Add the onion and garlic and give a quick stir. Let cook until the onion is translucent. Add the pulled jackfruit and stir. Finally, add the kelp and dill, and mix until well combined. Let cook for 5 to 7 minutes and turn off the heat.
4. In your blender, add the cashews, dill, hemp seeds, lemon juice, almond milk, chili flakes, mustard, and soy sauce. Blend until smooth. Taste and season to your liking.
5. In a large bowl, place the drained chickpeas and mash them with a potato masher. It’s okay if some chickpeas are still whole, but the vast majority of them should be mashed up.
6. Add the mayonnaise to the chickpeas and mix well. Add the jackfruit mix and stir until everything is well combined.
7. Serve a few spoonfuls of ‘tuna salad’ in your toasted bun and add lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and cilantro. Enjoy!

This is so delicious! Seriously, I was completely mesmerized while eating it, and completely satisfied after eating it. It is so flavourful and really brings me back to my childhood’s tuna sandwiches. The flavours are amazing, but the texture is just incredible! You really have to try this out!