So delighted was I with my vegan “tuna” salad of yesterday, I decided to make it again today with a couple of variations: first, I added a good dollop of sriracha, and second, I added chopped olives. Oh my…is it EVER good!

Spicy Vegan “Tuna” Salad

• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup grape tomatoes chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 cup cucumber, chopped
• 1 dill pickles, chopped
• 6 green olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegan mayo
• 1/4 cup sriracha
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Place the chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until grainy (but not too grainy–think, the consistency of tuna). Empty into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix together. Mix the vegan mayo and sriracha together in the Magic Bullet and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 3 – 4.

Another variation: make a mini baguette, scoop out the innards, and fill with the vegan “tuna” salad. Top with sliced cucumbers. SO delicious!!

You might wonder why I suggest scooping out the innards of the baguette. I first heard about the controversial practice of “scooping” in relation to bagels. Apparently, in an effort to save calories when indulging in the highly caloric bagel, many people order their bagels scooped of the innards.

The scooped-out part is then filled with…whatever is on the menu. This practice apparently incites the ire of native New Yorkers, who consider the practice sacrilege, but, eh, what do I care about native New Yorkers and what do they care about me and my scooped mini-baguettes?

Believe it or not, I started scooping not to save calories, but because I like the crustiness of bread, but I don’t like TOO much bread. Scooping might seem like a bit of a waste, but, from time to time, it’s a nice treat. Heck, I even scoop my veggie burger buns–believe me, it makes all the difference!

If you like a bit of bread/bun, but not too much, give scooping a try! Just make sure the bread-y object of your scooping has a crisp/hard enough crust to withstand the scoop!