Recipe for a Tuna Salad with lemon vinaigrette: A Quick and Satisfying Meal for lunch or dinner
Tins of tuna - well I know some people love to hate the protein rich long-lasting preserved fish - but I still aim to always have in in my cupboard those easy tuna salads or sandwiches, for when I just don´t feeling like cooking. Today was such a night, and I really fancied a fresh and tangy salad after all the rich Christmas and New Year food.
So if you are also looking for a go-to tuna salad recipe that's not only delicious but equally satisfying for lunch or dinner? Look no further! This salad is a variation of a Salad Nicoise, another personal favorite. It is perfect for a solo meal or for sharing. And it pairs well with a slice of crusty sourdough bread or toast.
I used tin of tuna in brine - I never bother with the ones in oil, as I prefer to "oil it" myself with a good quality cold pressed oil, but you can of course use whatever you prefer. I also had some cherry tomatoes, celeriac, overripe avocado and a tin of white beans.
Let's dive into the details of this tuna salad recipe
Tuna salads are both easy and cheap with ingredients most of us have in the cupboard - some may disagree here of course, but who cares as they are probably not even reading this post.
If you don´t have all of the ingredients at hand, other fresh veggies work equally well. Bell peppers, cucumber or other fresh herbs work well too - especially thyme. You can also use white wine vinegar here instead of lemon juice. If you do, be sure to add it carefully as it is strong. I know I hardly ever follow measurements myself, unless they are crucial. Mostly I use recipes as an inspiration adding whatever I have at home or prefer.
Ingredients
What goes into a healthy tuna salad?
These were the ingredients I used for the Tangy Tuna salad. Feel free to try other ingredients. Chickpeas would also work well in this salad, or chopped bell peppers. It is a very versatile salad.
- Tin of tuna - I use the ones in brine, but you can use oil if you prefer. Just add less olive oil if you do.
- White cannelini beans - you can use chickpeas instead
- Red onion - and you can use any salad onion instead.
- Stalk of celery - you can also use chopped bell peppers or cucumber
- Capers - you can leave these out or use cornichons instead, or even green olives
- Cherry tomatoes - you can use any larger tomato instead
- Avocado - you can leave this out
- Parsley - you can use thyme instead
- Lemon juice - you can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar here instead
- (Egg) - you can add a chopped hardboiled egg
And finally here is the recipe card below.
📖 Recipe
Tangy Tuna Salad with white beans and avocado
Equipment
- 1 Kitchen knife
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Salad bowl
- 1 smaller bowl
Ingredients
- 1 tin Tuna, drained
- 1 tin Canellini beans or similar white beans
- 1 stalk Celery, chopped
- 1 Avocado, cubed
- ½ bunch Parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Capers
Lemon vinaigrette
- 1 Lemon Cut in halves. Start with half and see what you prefer. I likevery tangy flavours
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil cold pressed, extra virgin
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove of Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup.
Instructions
- Chop the tomatoes intohalves, dice the avocado, dice the celery. Chop the parsley, slice the onionfinely. Open and drain the tin of tuna and the tin of white beans. Combine in abowl with adding the tin of tuna and the tin of white beans and mix gently.
- Combine the juiced lemon (½ to begin with), olive oil, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey/maple syrup in a small bowl andwhisk it well with a fork or a small whisk, until you get an emulsion.1 Lemon
- Add vinaigrette dressing to the tuna salad to taste- as much as you prefer. Mix well. I will easily use all of this dressing inone go, but I do like a lot of dressing on my salads.
- Serve with a slice of sourdough bread
Nutrition
FAQ
Does the tuna salad keep until the next day? Answer: No. I would personally not store a mixture of fish and raw veggies for food safety reasons. Also it is just best eaten fresh.
Pairing
This tuna salad goes well with a good slice of sourdough bread - toasted or fresh.
Top tips
When you prepare the salad dressing for the tuna salad be sure to add lemon juice to taste. You can also you white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, though you may want to add a little less or a little water, as these can be quite sour. If you leave out capers you may want to add a little extra salt to the marinade.
You can also add a dash of hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco. An hardboiled egg would also go well with this tuna salad.
Some suggested equipment and condiments
For those who feel like shopping, or just want to see what type of mustard or oil I am using:
- Carbonized Acacia and rubber chopping board https://amzn.to/48HxZ7k
- Excellent and sharp Sabatier knife https://amzn.to/3vmcXwq (Amazon)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coldpressed https://amzn.to/4aHYElV (Amazon)
- Maille Dijon Mustard https://amzn.to/47mQxIA (Amazon)
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