Vegan tuna paté

A homemade vegan tuna paté recipe for flavourful feasts! It’s creamy, spreadable, and actually tastes like tuna! Serve it as a special occasion starter or spread it on bread or toast as a party snack. Either way, your guests will love it! It’s also great for dipping veggies or as a sandwich filling.

I’ve modified this recipe many times over the years. Not because there was anything wrong with it – on the contrary! Everyone has always loved every variation I’ve made. My first one was inspired by South African snoek paté, which I fell in love with while I was visiting my brother in Cape Town. Snoek is a fish that’s not available outside South Africa, so when I went back home, I replaced it with kippers or herring, depending on what I could find. When I became a vegetarian and later vegan, I thought I would never be able to eat it again. But I was wrong because along came Vuna! A cruelty-free, ocean-friendly tuna alternative that doesn’t compromise on taste or texture.

I’m not sure which countries Vuna is available in, but we have it in Switzerland because it’s produced here by Garden Gourmet. I know they sell it in Italy, too. If it’s not available where you live, I hope it will be soon! In the meantime, you can make do with another brand.

Does vegan tuna taste like tuna?

Garden Gourmet Vuna really does taste a lot like tuna. It has the same fishy smell and taste. The more expensive brands of real tinned tuna have a flaky appearance. Vuna isn’t flaky. It looks more mashed up like the cheaper brands of real tuna. I can’t comment on other brands of plant-based tuna because I haven’t tried them. The first brand I tried was Vuna, and I stuck with that because everyone likes it.

How to make vegan tuna paté

Ingredients

In the recipe card below, you’ll find the full ingredient list with the exact quantities needed for this recipe.

Vegan tuna

If you can get hold of it, I recommend using Vuna by Garden Gourmet (not a sponsored link) for this recipe. My cats aren’t impressed, but all the humans I know say it looks, smells and tastes a LOT like tuna! That’s a photo of it in the pic above.

Vegan Philadelphia

I use plant-based Philadelphia in this vegan tuna paté. You need a vegan cheese that has a relatively neutral flavour and a thick, spreadable consistency similar to Philadelphia.

Vegan greek yoghurt

Greek plant-based yoghurt is best for this recipe because it’s thicker and creamier. I have a preference for soya. I use Sojasun Greek style (not a sponsored link) because I have a preference for soya as opposed to other types of vegan yoghurt. Avoid coconut yoghurt for obvious reasons! In any case, the yoghurt you choose should be plain and unsweetened. Don’t worry too much if you can find Greek-style yoghurt – further down I’ll tell you how you can make ordinary soya yoghurt nice and thick by hanging it briefly. If you’re in a hurry, just use plain soya yoghurt.

Vegan butter

The vegan butter in this recipe is melted and added to the other ingredients in the blender. When the finished paté goes in the fridge, the butter will set again and improve the consistency, making it a bit firmer. My favourite brands of vegan butter are Vegan Block by Naturlì and Flora. If you want to omit the butter for any reason, you can. The paté will be a bit softer, but delicious nevertheless.

Spring onion

Spring onion is one of the main flavourings in this vegan tuna paté. Tuna is often paired with onion because they go so well together. You could substitute spring onion with finely chopped red onion or mild white onion. Avoid yellow onion because it’s too strong.

Red pepper

I added a small amount of raw red pepper to this paté because I think it enhances the flavour. The pretty little red flecks in the finished paté do something for the appearance, too. It also contains vitamins A and C and minerals.

Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice if you can. Apple cider vinegar is optional but adds a bit of zing. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, just omit it.

Parsley

Just like red pepper, parsley adds to the flavour, nutrient profile and appearance. Use fresh parsley where possible, and chop it finely.

Salt

I use unrefined sea salt.

Paprika and chives (for garnish)

I use paprika or cayenne pepper for garnish – it gives the paté a nice splash of colour. Then, I sprinkle some chopped chives or spring onion over the top for the finishing touch.

A few tips before you start

You can either make this paté smooth and creamy or leave a little texture so that it’s more rustic and authentic-looking. I prefer the latter, so I put the vegan tuna in the blender last. Like this, it maintains some of its texture.

I finely chop the red pepper and parsley before putting them in the food processor. That way, if the blender misses any bits (which it usually does), I won’t have any large bits in the paté.

Greek yoghurt is thicker than ordinary yoghurt. This applies to soya yoghurt, too. Ideally, your yoghurt should be thick for this recipe. If it isn’t, and especially if it looks a bit watery, I highly recommend hanging the yoghurt. This is quick and easy to do. Just spoon it into a cheesecloth or muslin and leave it to hang for 15 – 20 minutes while you prepare everything else. Remember to put in a bit extra to compensate for the “whey” that you’ll throw away. The weight stated in the recipe is the weight once strained.

Don’t add mayonnaise to this recipe – it isn’t tuna mayonnaise – it’s a vegan tuna paté! Anyway, there’ll be a great tuna mayonnaise recipe coming up soon!

How to make vegan tuna paté – method

• Finely chop the red pepper and parsley by hand with a sharp knife. Keep some parsley for garnishing.
• Slice the spring onion into thin rings. Set some aside for garnish.
• Melt the vegan butter.
• Put the red pepper, parsley, spring onion, cream cheese, yoghurt, lemon juice, and vinegar into a food processor and blend everything together until you get a smooth cream.
• Add the melted vegan butter and pulse blend to amalgamate.
• Add the vegan tuna to the food processor. Pulse blend just long enough to incorporate it. Don’t overblend it, or it will end up being too smooth, and it will lack texture.
• Transfer your vegan tuna paté to a serving dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour so that the butter can set properly.

How to garnish and serve

Just before serving, garnish your vegan tuna paté with a pinch of paprika or cayenne pepper. Sprinkle some chopped chives or spring onions and parsley over the top and serve with crusty bread, vegetable crudités, or toast.

What to do with leftover vegan tuna paté

When I have leftovers, I often use this paté as a sandwich filling the next day. If you want to keep it in the fridge, put it in an airtight container – it’ll keep for several days.

Can you freeze vegan tuna paté?

Unfortunately, this vegan tuna paté is not suitable for freezing.

What is plant-based tuna made of?

Ingredients vary from brand to brand. Garden Gourmet Vuna contains water, pea protein (18%), rapeseed oil, vital wheat gluten, flavourings (probably seaweed, although it doesn’t say so specifically), citrus fruit fibres, and salt. Some brands use soya. I’m not a huge fan of plant-based meat and fish substitutes because they are often highly processed and contain a lot of ingredients that I don’t fully understand. On the other hand, Vuna seems to have a better ingredient list than most brands, and it means we can still eat “tuna” paté!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe for vegan tuna paté as much as we do! If you try it and like it, I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments below, or take a quick pic and share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook @vegan_hot_stuff – I love seeing your re-creations!

Before you go, maybe you’d like to take a look at some other delicious vegan recipes…

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