Mediterranean tuna salad with creamy feta dressing

A tuna salad not like some other you’ve had earlier than! Tabbouleh vibes with a creamy feta dressing, loaded with shiny Mediterranean favourites like lemon, olives, tomato, cucumber and purple radish. Eat in a bowl with a spoon. Or stuff into pita bread. SO GOOD!

Mediterranean tuna salad

That is a type of recipes that was created with a selected aim: to make a wholesome salad utilizing canned tuna that was truly, correctly I need to eat that tasty, not simply meh, okay, I assume I’ve to make do with the canned tuna sort meal, and even worse – however it’s wholesome, so I’ll undergo by way of one thing bland.

No. I can’t. I simply can’t sacrifice enjoyment of meals for the sake of low calorie consuming. Life is just too brief to eat miserably, even for skinny denims!

However, actually tasty meals that additionally occur to be low carb, gluten-free, low calorie and economical are particular.

At this time’s Mediterranean Tuna Salad is one such recipe. I hope you like it as a lot as I do!

Elements for this Mediterranean tuna salad

Assume: a loaded tabbouleh. Besides with tuna, a creamy feta dressing, added bulk and dietary goodness from kale, plus olives, capsicum and purple radish.

Hmmm…studying that again, it actually doesn’t sound just like tabbouleh in any respect! However you get my drift. It has a tabbouleh like spoon-able texture. However it’s extra substantial so you possibly can have it as a meal.

THE CREAMy FETA DRESSING

This salad will get good flavour from the tuna tumbled all all through so the dressing itself doesn’t want a ton of components. Additionally, the feta does loads of heavy lifting right here!

• Danish feta – That is the creamy sort of feta. The feel is midway between a crumbly Greek feta and delicate goats cheese. It crumbles however in a smeary manner and it may be used to toss by way of salads but in addition simply purees right into a creamy dressing.

  If utilizing Greek feta, the extra crumbly sort (ie your fingers don’t get smeary once you crumble it), the dressing will take just a little extra blitzing effort to make it clean and a dollop of yogurt to assist make it creamy wouldn’t go astray both.

• Lemon juice – Contemporary and tangy! The dressing is shiny and tangy, harking back to tabbouleh however not as sharp (tabbouleh is normally simply lemon). The lemon tang offsets the creaminess of the feta.

• Further virgin olive oil – The higher the standard, the higher the flavour!

• Salt and pepper – For seasoning.

CANNED TUNA – CHOOSING

Not all tuna is created equal and never all tuna is sourced responsibly!

Use a tuna in olive oil for a tastier choice, and select:

• greatest – skipjack tuna pole and line caught

• acceptable – FAD-free purse seine caught skipjack tuna (commonest at giant Australian grocery shops)

Don’t purchase bluefin and large eye tuna (endangered), or tuna that’s caught utilizing FADs with purse seine nets, gillnetting and longlining (excessive value to marine life). Go for skipjack tuna, and eat much less albacore and yellowfin tuna.

Test the canned tuna label to find out tuna species and fishing technique. For really helpful manufacturers and extra info on selecting accountable canned tuna, learn this submit: Selecting sustainable canned tuna.

THE SALAD STUFF

OK! And lastly the leafy inexperienced and vegetable stuff that goes inside this tuna salad. Professional tip: Curly kale is straightforward to cut into little items as a result of it virtually “self crumbles” when you begin chopping!

• Kale – I take advantage of curly kale on this salad as a result of it’s simpler to cut into little items because of the form of leaf which lends itself to “crumbling” as you chop (so long as it’s recent and perky not previous and floppy). Nevertheless, tuscan kale (aka cavolo nero/black or lacinato kale) can be utilized in a pinch.

  Different choices – child spinach, cabbage or different greens sturdy sufficient to finely chop.

• Purple radish – For perky freshness and beautiful little pops of pink! Substitute with purple onion or inexperienced onion.

• Purple capsicum – A medium or giant dimension one. Yellow would even be nice and add to the kaleidoscope of color right here!

• Tomatoes – Not like many salads the place tomato is chopped into small items, we’re not deseeding it right now. Scrape all of the watery seeds into the salad – it types a part of the “dressing”!

• Kalamata olives – Entire pitted olives that we’ll minimize into 4 items. I like doing that since you get these little juicy briny bits of olives littered all through the salad. Pre-sliced olives don’t have fairly the identical meaty little chunk to it, although you possibly can completely use it for comfort.

• Parsley – For herby freshness, and a nod to the tabbouleh-aspiration.

• Cucumber – I take advantage of what we name Lebanese cucumbers right here, those which can be round 18cm / 7″ lengthy. In case you are utilizing the lengthy telegraph cucumbers (about 30cm / 12″ lengthy), you’ll want simply over half.

The right way to make this fabulous tuna salad

One of many extra technical recipes on this web site:

1. Blitz the dressing

2. Toss every little thing collectively

(Forgive me, generally I’ve to seek out methods to amuse myself throughout lengthy days working at dwelling alone!😂)

1. MAKE Creamy feta dressing

I discover it best to make use of a stick blender for this dressing. There’s not sufficient quantity to make use of a daily dimension meals processor although a small one would work. A blender is a little bit of a ache for small quantity creamy dressings, I discover. Too exhausting to scrap all of it out.

1. Blitz the feta, lemon, oil, salt and pepper till clean.

2. Modify the thickness if wanted utilizing a teaspoon of water at a time. Objective: Thick drizzle-able consistency. ⚠️ Don’t make it too watery as a result of the juices from the greens will dilute the dressing when all of it will get tossed collectively.

2. TOSS SALAD

I haven’t included step images for chopping the greens as a result of it doesn’t actually matter what form or the way you chop them, so long as they’re small spoon-able dimension. Nevertheless, I demo the vegetable chopping within the recipe video beneath.

1. Toss in phases – Put the kale, capsicum, tomato (scrape in all of the juices too), cucumber, radish and olives. Pour over all of the dressing and toss properly. Crumble within the feta and toss once more – it’ll smear which is an efficient factor!

2. Tuna chunks – Then add the tuna. Break it up gently into chunks as you gently toss it by way of. I personally like having chunks relatively than tiny crumbly bits of tuna which is why I add the tuna final.

And also you’re accomplished – time to eat!

Methods to eat this tuna salad

It’s fairly properly documented within the decade of recipes contained on this web site that I’m an enormous fan of salads you possibly can eat with a spoon relatively than a knife and fork (proof right here and right here and right here). By some means simply makes salads appear extra satisfying as a meal, relatively than a bowl of wimpy leafy greens that has me reaching into the cookie jar half an hour after dinner. (I can actually *hear* my mom rolling her eyes as she reads this, telling me to develop up! 😂)

Anyway, all that was resulting in the ground-breaking instruction to serve this salad in a bowl and eat it with a spoon.

Or – stuff it into pita pockets for the most effective tuna sandwich of your life. – Nagi x

PS Mmmm, that could be a little bit of an excessively grandiose assertion! Let’s say it’s equal greatest with the traditional Tuna Sandwich. I’ve a really large delicate spot for that one. And in addition see beneath the recipe card for some extra canned tuna recipe choices that I’m proud to say all proceed to obtain rave critiques, even from canned tuna skeptics! 😇

Watch easy methods to make it

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Mediterranean tuna salad with creamy feta dressing

Creator: Nagi

Lunch, Primary, Facet

Mediterranean

Servings3 – 4

Faucet or hover to scale

Recipe video above. A tuna salad not like some other you have had earlier than! Tabbouleh vibes with a creamy feta dressing, loaded with shiny Mediterranean favourites like lemon, olives, tomato, cucumber and purple radish. Eat in a bowl with a spoon. Or stuff into pita bread. SO GOOD!Low cal, nutritious, low carb, economical, filling and outstandingly scrumptious. It is a dwelling run!

Elements

Salad:

• ▢ 3 tightly packed cups finely chopped curly kale (~6 – 7 kale stems, sure actually!) (Notice 1)
• ▢ 2 tomatoes , chopped into 1 cm / 1/3″ squares (use the juices too!)
• ▢ 1 purple capsicum / bell pepper , chopped into 8mm / 1/3″ squares
• ▢ 1 cucumber , minimize lengthwise into 6 or 8 wedges, the chopped into 8mm/1/3″ items
• ▢ 1 cup roughly chopped parsley leaves
• ▢ 8 purple radish , chopped into 8mm / 1/3″ squares (sub 1 small purple onion or 2 inexperienced onion stems)
• ▢ 1/2 cup entire pitted kalamata olives , minimize into quarters
• ▢ 50g/ 1.5 oz Danish feta (the creamy type, not crumbly Greek feta) (Notice 2)
• ▢ 425g/ 15 oz canned tuna in oil , drained (Notice 3, select responsibly)

Directions

• Dressing – Put all of the components EXCEPT the water in a jug simply giant sufficient to suit the top of a stick blender. Blitz till clean. Add water 1 tsp at a time till it is a thick drizzle-able consistency (do not dilute flavour an excessive amount of). Then style and add extra salt if wanted (feta saltiness varies by model).

• Salad – Place all of the salad components EXCEPT the feta and tuna in a big bowl. Pour over the dressing, toss. Crumble feta in, toss (it’ll smear – we like!). Add the tuna and gently toss, attempting to maintain some chunks relatively than all of it crumbling into tiny items.

• Style and add extra lemon if desired (I take pleasure in this on the tart facet – tuna can take it!).

• Serve in bowls with spoons for digging in! Tuck heat pita pockets on the facet, or use the tuna salad to stuff contained in the pita (it is sooooo good!).

Recipe Notes:

1. Kale – Objective right here is to cut it up such as you would parsley for tabbouleh or garnishing! Curly kale is simpler to cut as a result of the form of leaf lends itself to “crumbling” (so long as it’s recent and perky, not previous and floppy). Nevertheless, tuscan kale (aka cavolo nero/black or lacinato kale – photograph right here) can be utilized in a pinch.
Finely chopped kale (watch video) – Seize the bottom of the kale stem and run your hand up the stem to strip the leaves off. Discard robust stem (or add to vegetable inventory). Bundle the kale leaves tightly then finely chop such as you would parsley leaves! I run my knife by way of to chop finely into strips, then I chop 90° the opposite manner. Or – use your meals processor 🙂 (Although the items will get just a little smaller). To measure, pack tightly into cups. You actually will want 5 giant or 6 to 7 medium stems!
Substitute – child spinach, cabbage or different greens sturdy sufficient to finely chop.
2. Danish feta – the creamy sort, blends effortlessly right into a creamy dressing. If utilizing Greek feta, the dressing will take just a little extra blitzing effort to make it clean and a dollop of yogurt to assist make it creamy wouldn’t go astray both.
3. Tuna in oil is tastier than tuna in brine / spring water!
Sustainable decisions – learn the can label and go for: skipjack tuna that’s pole and line caught ie no nets (greatest) or FAD-free (subsequent greatest). Keep away from: Bluefin and bigeye tuna. Eat much less: Yellowfin and albacore. See Selecting Sustainable Canned Tuna for my information.
4. Further flavouring choices – This salad will get flavour and salt from tuna so the dressing doesn’t want wild flavours. If you wish to use this dressing on a facet salad, counsel including one or all these choices to present it a flavour enhance (else you would possibly discover it just a little plain):
2 tbsp finely chopped recent dill
1/8 – 1/4 tsp finely chopped garlic (use with warning, uncooked garlic flavour will be harsh)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Further salt
Leftovers holds up properly for two days as a result of kale doesn’t flip right into a soggy mess even as soon as dressed. It does get just a little watery although (from tomato and cucumber juices) so if you happen to intend to make forward or preserve leftovers, I might add just a little additional feta within the dressing and skip the water to make it thicker (like mayo consistency) to anticipate the dilution.
Diet per serving for 4 folks.

Diet Data:

Energy: 421cal (21%)Carbohydrates: 11g (4%)Protein: 30g (60%)Fats: 29g (45%)Saturated Fats: 7g (44%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 4gMonounsaturated Fats: 16gLdl cholesterol: 37mg (12%)Sodium: 1208mg (53%)Potassium: 709mg (20%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 5621IU (112%)Vitamin C: 100mg (121%)Calcium: 254mg (25%)Iron: 3mg (17%)

Key phrases: canned tuna recipe, mediterranean salad, Tuna Salad

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You’d swear they had been large hunks of beef, the way in which he was eyeing off these (un-opened) cans. 😂