Vegan Tuna Casserole
This vegan tuna casserole is a warm, baked pasta dish that swaps canned fish for a chickpea-and-nori “faux tuna,” then folds it into fusilli with peas, cream of mushroom soup, cashew milk and vegan cheddar before topping it all with crisp Panko. It tastes like the comforting tuna noodle casserole you remember, but it is completely plant-based and packed with protein from the chickpeas and peas. Make it for a relaxed family dinner or when you want a cozy, crowd-pleasing bake that happens to be dairy-free.
I love experimenting with food, and veganizing meat-based recipes is kind of my specialty. The result is never identical to the original, of course, but with a little creativity you can get surprisingly close in both texture and taste. Today I decided to take my faux tuna recipe to the next level by turning it into this baked casserole.
What makes the chickpea “tuna” taste like the sea
The whole illusion lives in the faux-tuna base, and two ingredients do the heavy lifting. Nori seaweed flakes carry that briny, oceanic note, while a tablespoon of flaxseed oil adds the slightly “fishy” smell and taste that reads as tuna to your brain. Together they convince your palate before the texture even comes into play.
Texture matters just as much. When you mash the drained chickpeas, use a fork and stop early — you want a flaky, slightly chunky result, not a smooth puree. That uneven, shredded texture is exactly what canned tuna looks like once it’s flaked, and it’s why the finished casserole feels so familiar. The blended sauce of vegan mayonnaise, water, vinegar, flaxseed oil and garlic then coats those chickpea flakes and binds everything into a cohesive, scoopable mash.
Ingredient notes worth knowing before you start
- Nori flakes: you’ll often find these sold as a snack in Asian grocery stores. If you only have nori sheets, tear or crumble them down into small flakes.
- Flaxseed oil: this is what gives the “tuna” its fishy aroma. Keep it for the cold faux-tuna mix rather than cooking it, since it’s a delicate oil.
- Chickpeas: one drained can is all you need. They bring the protein and the flaky body of the faux tuna. For more ways to use them, browse my recipes with chickpeas.
- Fusilli pasta: the spirals hold onto the creamy sauce well. Cook it according to the package, and reach for a gluten-free version if you need one.
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup + cashew milk: these create the creamy, classic casserole sauce. Make sure your soup is a vegan version.
- Vegan cheddar + Panko: grated vegan cheddar melts through the pasta, while Panko mixed with a little olive oil bakes into that crunchy golden top. Use gluten-free Panko if needed.
How to get the texture just right
- Keep the chickpeas flaky. Resist the urge to over-mash. A few stops with the fork and you’re done — chunky beats smooth here.
- Cook the pasta to just al dente. It bakes for another 15 to 20 minutes in the oven, so slightly firm pasta won’t turn mushy by the time it’s done.
- Season in layers. The card asks for salt and pepper in the faux-tuna mash and again in the pasta mixture. Tasting at both stages keeps the final dish balanced.
- Don’t skip the oil in the Panko. Tossing the breadcrumbs with olive oil is what lets them brown into a crisp layer instead of staying pale and dry.
- Watch the top, not the clock. Pull the casserole when the surface is golden and crunchy — that’s your real doneness cue.
Why the Panko topping works
Panko breadcrumbs are larger and airier than standard breadcrumbs, so they crisp up rather than soak in. Coating them with a little olive oil before they go on top helps them conduct the oven’s heat and brown evenly, giving you that contrast of crunchy crust against the creamy pasta underneath. Baking at 180 C (356 F) is hot enough to set the top and melt the cheddar through without drying out the sauce in the short bake time.
What to serve with vegan tuna casserole
This casserole is rich and creamy, so a light, fresh side balances it nicely. A simple green salad or a tangy vegan Olivier salad works well alongside it. If you’re building a bigger comfort-food spread, a bowl of vegan red lentil soup to start makes the meal feel complete. And if you love this kind of dish, you might also enjoy my vegan cheesy pasta casserole on another night.
Storing and making it ahead
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for about three to four days. Reheat individual portions in the oven or a covered skillet so the Panko top can crisp back up — the microwave works in a pinch but softens the crust. You can also prep the components ahead: the faux-tuna mash holds beautifully covered in the fridge (the recipe even has you set it aside while you work), so you can make it earlier in the day and assemble the casserole right before baking. For more baked dinners like this, take a look at my full collection of vegan casserole recipes.
If you liked this creative vegan tuna recipe, also check out my vegan salmon recipe and be amazed! And once you’ve baked this casserole, I’d love to know how it turned out — did your Panko top get that perfect golden crunch? Leave a star rating and a comment below with any tweaks you made to your faux-tuna mix.
Summarise & Save This Recipe
★ Add us as a trusted Google source
Vegan Tuna Casserole
Ingredients
For vegan tuna:
- 1 can chickpeas drained
- ½ stalk celery finely chopped
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- ½ red onion chopped
- 30 g vegan mayonnaise
- 50 g Nori seaweed flakes can be found as a snack at Asian stores
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil it has a "fishy" taste and smell
- 40 ml water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- salt and pepper
For the casserole:
- 250 g fusilli pasta cooked according to the instructions on the package; you can use GF if you want
- 1 cup peas frozen
- 300 ml condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup cashew milk
- 1 cup vegan cheddar cheese grated
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs use GF if needed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Prepare the "tuna":
- In a bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork. Don’t puree it, you want it flaky and slightly chunky in texture. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add finely chopped celery, red onion, green onion and Nori flakes.
- In a blender, combine vegan mayonnaise, water, vinegar, flaxseed oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add this sauce to the chickpea mash and mix well.
- Place the fake tuna mixture in a bowl, cover and set aside.
For the casserole:
- Heat the oven to 180 C (356F).
- Put the cooked pasta in a bowl, add the peas, the vegan tuna, the canned mushroom soup, milk and grated cheddar. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the mixture to a casserole greased with oil.
- In a small bowl, mix the Panko breadcrumbs and olive oil and sprinkle over the pasta mixture.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until it browns on top and forms a crispy layer.
Frequently Asked Questions
The faux tuna is built from mashed chickpeas seasoned with salt and pepper, then mixed with finely chopped celery, red onion, green onion and Nori seaweed flakes. A blended sauce of vegan mayonnaise, water, vinegar, flaxseed oil and garlic binds it together. The Nori and flaxseed oil are what give it that briny, fish-like flavor.
Nori seaweed flakes add the briny, oceanic taste you associate with tuna, while flaxseed oil contributes a slightly fishy smell and flavor. Together they make a plant-based chickpea mash read convincingly as tuna without using any fish. You can usually find Nori flakes sold as a snack in Asian grocery stores.
It can be. Swap the fusilli pasta for a gluten-free version and use gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs, and check that your condensed cream of mushroom soup is gluten-free as well. The chickpea faux-tuna base itself contains no gluten.
Yes. The faux-tuna chickpea mash keeps well covered in the fridge, so you can make it earlier in the day and set it aside. Assemble the full casserole with the pasta, peas, soup, cashew milk and cheddar right before baking, then add the Panko topping and bake until golden.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about three to four days. Reheat portions in the oven or a covered skillet so the Panko topping can crisp back up. The microwave works in a pinch but will soften the crunchy crust.
Bake at 180 C (356 F) for 15 to 20 minutes. The casserole is done when the top browns and forms a crispy layer, so use the golden, crunchy surface as your doneness cue rather than the clock alone.
Great recipe
Love it!