I’m not one to go nuts over vegetarian meat substitutes because nothing can approximate the taste and texture of animal protein. But since I was a meat eater for a majority of my life, I do appreciate a good meat-like meal. And I recently found a recipe for one that is a 98 percent approximation of tuna fish.
Its tastiness can only be described with an expletive.
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| Hot chickpeas |
This is a good meal to make if you’re A) vegetarian or vegan, B) looking for a healthy meal – or at least something healthier than tuna, which tends to contain mercury, or C) in need of a quick meal. Here goes:
Grab two cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), a jar of pickles, some black pepper, soy sauce and hot sauce, if you like. The final ingredient is very important: Annie’s Goddess dressing (some people use vegan mayo, but Annie’s has a nice lemon flavor in it).
- Mash the garbanzos in a mixing bowl with a potato masher, or shred them in a food processor (not to a paste, just a few pulses until they’re chunky)
- Dice your pickles (I used bread and butter, but any type will do)
- Mix everything to your liking – and I like a little extra dressing.
Only 5 minutes should have passed, and you’ll have enough vegetarian tuna for at least five sandwiches, or a week’s worth of lunch. Serve open faced, on toast, with avocados, melted cheese or however you like. You will be astounded at how closely mashed chickpeas and salad dressing tastes like delicious, delicious tuna fish.
