Active time : 20 minutes Total time: 20 minutes
This easy recipe is one of our go-to, pantry-friendly lunches. While you can use water-packed tuna for this rustic salad, we prefer the rich flavor and larger chunks of jarred olive oil-packed tuna. Then, for this Mediterranean-inspired version, we forgo the usual mayo-based dressing and gently combine the fish with crunchy fresh vegetables, tangy pickled vegetables, fresh herbs and a simple combination of lemon juice and olive oil. Serve on a bed of greens or pile on toasted bread for an open-faced sandwich, as we do here.
RD tip: This recipe bumps up the health value of your tuna salad by adding a half-serving of vegetables to your meal. Plus, canned tuna gives you some omega-3 fatty acids when it’s hard to find fresh fish.
Toast With Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 5 ounces (142g) olive-oil packed tuna
- 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped, plus 1/4 cup (4g) light green celery leaves
- 1/4 cup (40g) jarred roasted red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (40g) jarred marinated artichoke hearts, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (35g) red onion, minced
- 3 jarred whole pepperoncini, stemmed and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (4g) Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup (4g) basil leaves, torn
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 slices 1/2-inch thick (120g) quality bread
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional garnish)
Directions
Preheat the broiler to high and position a rack 4-inches from the heat.
In a medium bowl, use a fork to flake the tuna into large pieces. Add the celery, celery leaves, roasted red pepper, artichoke hearts, red onion, pepperoncini, parsley, basil and capers. Drizzle with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Brush the two slices of bread with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Place under the broiler and toast until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes.
Transfer the bread to two plates and pile the tuna salad on top of each piece of toast. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using. Serve immediately.
The tuna salad can be refrigerated overnight and added to toasted bread just before serving if you prefer a make-ahead strategy.
Serves: 2 | Serving Size: 1 cup of salad and 1 slice of bread
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 365; Total Fat: 15g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 5g; Cholesterol: 36mg; Sodium: 528mg; Carbohydrate: 32g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 3g; Protein 26g
Protein helps keep you satisfied which promotes weight loss. Search our High Protein collection with egg, meat, seafood, and vegetarian recipes in “Recipe Discovery” in the MyFitnessPal app.
