The Perfect Vegan Tuna Melt

Servings: 2 sandwiches

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 20 mins

EQUIPMENT

  • wide spatula
  • cast iron skillet

INGREDIENTS

    • 1 batch vegan tuna salad – Makes enough for 4 sandwiches (this recipe is written for 2 tuna melts). Leftover tuna salad tastes fantastic so go ahead and make the full batch!
  • 4 slices good quality sourdough sandwich bread or your favorite bread
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons vegan butter – Omit for oil-free and see Notes.
  • 4 to 5 servings thinly sliced vegan cheddar – See Notes for other options.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat.
  • Butter one side of each slice of bread. The buttered sides of the bread will be the outside of the sandwiches. Flip two slices of bread over so the butter sides are down. Spread the unbuttered sides with tuna salad. Arrange cheese on top of the tuna salad, then top with another slice of bread, buttered-side out.
  • Place the sandwiches in the skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the undersides are golden brown. It’s best to toast these slowly. So keep a close eye on the underside, and lower the heat if needed. Flip the sandwiches, and cook until the cheese is melted and the second sides are golden brown.
  • Serve immediately while warm and crisp.

NOTES

Oil-Free Option

For an oil-free tuna melt, skip the butter, and dry-toast the sandwich in the pan. And for the cheese, I recommend the one in this quesadilla recipe.

Cheese Options

I used Violife’s mature cheddar block and sliced it thinly using a cheese slicer. You could also shred the cheese, but shreds can be a bit messy and hard to deal with.

Feel free to use your favorite vegan cheese. Our favorites for this particular recipe are Chao, Violife, and Follow Your Heart. The Daiya block of cheddar is also good (not the shreds).

NOTE: nutrition information will vary greatly depending on type of bread and exact amounts of cheese, butter, and tuna salad used.

Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 590kcal

Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.