Vegan Tuna Salad

We're coming up to my one year vege-versary - nearly one year since I became a vegetarian! The year has flown by and I'm proud to say that I love this new lifestyle and change in eating habits. My body feels so much better (and so does my conscience - watch a few food docs and you'll understand). Though I have eaten fish occasionally (I know, I know, that technically makes me a pescitarian, but it made the transition easier) I usually prefer not to - my body just feels better when I don't. All that being said I'm always looking for new recipes that are simple to make, delicious, and easy to take on the go while still being nutritious and limited on animal products. Enter Oh She Glows. This is a fantastic food blog filled with so many delicious vegan recipes that are so incredibly easy to make - all with a very high score on the yum scale. I spent a good few hours browsing the blog and marking future food ideas, and the first one I decided to try was vegan tuna salad. It's filling, full of protein, and tastes so good you don't even need it in between bread, just grab a spoon! Here's my version of the recipe:

Ingredients 

1 cup raw almonds, soaked

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons cultured coconut milk

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

In a bowl, soak the almonds in cold water for up to 9 hours - they'll look all plumped up when they're ready. In a food processor, chop the almonds  until they are a fine, flakey consistency. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flaked almonds, celery, green onion, cucumber, cultured coconut milk, mustard and lemon. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper. Serve chilled. 

I used crackers to dip into it, but ate most of it with a spoon. It would also be great in a pita with some romaine and additional cucumber slices!

Note: Cultured coconut milk is similar to yogurt, but dairy free. Don't be scared of it! It's delicious! You could also opt to use veganaise, mayonnaise, or greek yogurt (the latter two making it non-vegan) depending on what you have on hand.