The Perfect Vegan Tuna Melt

Think vegans can't eat tuna melt sandwiches? Think again! This 100% plant-based, creamy, cheesy, perfectly toasted vegan tuna melt will melt your heart into a pool of bliss. We're talking straight up diner-style vegan comfort food!

Oil-free option included.

Does anyone really know the origin of the tuna melt? I mean, pairing fish with cheese is basically considered sacrilege in most cuisines. I tend to think of this classic American sandwich as another wacky culinary creation of the 1960s, like the weird-yet-amazing strawberry pretzel salad.

I didn't grow up eating tuna melt sandwiches, but that doesn't mean I don't know delicious food when I taste it. And friends, this Vegan Tuna Salad makes one seriously epic vegan tuna melt.

The combination of chickpeas and jackfruit creates a surprisingly convincing fish-like texture. That tuna salad has been getting some rave reviews from you all lately, so I figured why not take it one step farther and make a deliciously toasted and cheesy melt!

This is a pretty easy sandwich to make, but in case you're not practiced at making pan-grilled sandwiches, I'll point out a few key factors so that your first attempt is a slam dunk. Let's get to it!

Ingredients

1. First, make a batch of this Vegan Tuna Salad. The recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare and makes enough for 4 sandwiches. It tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge. So even if you're only making one or two tuna melts, go ahead and make the whole batch of "tuna" salad. Trust me, you'll enjoy snacking on it tomorrow!

2. Next, gather your favorite sandwich bread. My top choice for tuna melts is the French-style sourdough made by Annie's Bakery here in Asheville. But feel free to use any good quality sandwich bread you like and that fits your dietary needs. A hearty whole-grain bread is also good.

3. Decide on a cheese. I opted for Violife's mature cheddar block, which I sliced myself. Other options:

• vegan cheese slices by Chao, Follow Your Heart, and Violife
• pre-shredded vegan cheese - it doesn't melt quite as well because of the anti-caking agents, but it'll do in a pinch.
• or for an oil-free option, make your own meltable mozzarella like the one in this quesadilla recipe!

4. Finally, make sure you have some vegan butter on hand. You'll need about 1 ½ tablespoons per sandwich.

*If avoiding oil, simply skip the butter. You may want to experiment with spreading a bit of Oil-Free Vegan Mayo on the outside of the bread, though I haven't tested that yet myself.

How To Do It

1. Preheat a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Butter one side of each slice of bread (skip this step for oil-free). The buttered sides of the bread will be the outside of the sandwich. Turn over a slice of bread so the butter side is down. Spread the unbuttered side with a generous layer of tuna salad. Arrange the cheese on top of the tuna salad, then top with another piece of bread, butter-side out. Repeat for the remaining sandwiches.
3. Add the sandwiches to the skillet, leaving enough room to be able to flip with a spatula. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the underside is golden brown. I find it's best to toast these slowly, with lower heat. Keep an eye on the underside, and reduce the heat if needed. Flip and cook until the cheese is melted and the second side is golden brown.
4. Serve immediately while crisp and warm!

Expert Tips

• When assembling the sandwiches try to keep the edges tidy. If there's cheese and tuna salad falling out all over the place, it will burn and cause a mess in the pan AND on the outside of your sammies.
• Start out with low to medium-low heat. If the pan is too hot, the bread will brown before the filling gets warm and melty.
• If the tuna salad was made in advance and is now cold from the refrigerator, warm it briefly before assembling the sandwiches. This also helps the cheese melt.
• Don't skimp on the cheese! Whether using pre-sliced cheese or slicing it yourself, use about 2 servings per sandwich.... or three. I'm not judging.
• Make sure the bread gets nicely toasted and crisp. This is critical for a perfect tuna melt, a sandwich that is otherwise almost too creamy.
• For an open-face tuna melt, preheat the oven broiler. Use an oven-safe skillet, and preheat it on the stove. Place the sandwich(es) in the pan, then transfer the pan to the oven. Cook under the broiler until the cheese is melted.

And there you have it, the perfect Vegan Tuna Melt!

Try it with jalapeño, fresh herbs, different cheeses, thinly sliced tomato.... may your taste buds be your guide!

If you try the recipe I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below to let us know how it turned out.

You might also like:

18 Delicious Vegan Sandwiches
Vegan BLT With Carrot Bacon AND Tempeh
Curried Chickpea Salad
Vegan Pimento Cheese
The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
Epic (and secretly healthy) Vegan Quesadillas

📖 Recipe