Simple Mediterranean Tuna Salad (Printable Version)

Bright Mediterranean tuna salad with crisp vegetables, olives, and zesty lemon dressing. Ready in 15 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 cans (5 oz each) tuna in olive oil, drained

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
04 - 1/4 red onion, finely sliced
05 - 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
06 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Add-Ins

07 - 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
08 - 1/4 cup capers, rinsed

→ Dressing

09 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
10 - Juice of 1 lemon
11 - 1 garlic clove, minced
12 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How To Make:

01 - Place drained tuna in a large bowl and flake gently with a fork, breaking into bite-sized pieces.
02 - Add cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, roasted red peppers, parsley, olives, and capers to the bowl with the tuna.
03 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to coat evenly without breaking up the tuna.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Its the kind of salad that actually gets better after sitting for a bit, letting all those Mediterranean flavors mingle
  • You can throw it together in under 15 minutes with ingredients you probably already have lurking in your pantry
02 -
  • I learned the hard way that adding the dressing too far in advance makes the tuna get mushy
  • Letting the salad sit for just 30 minutes before serving transforms it from good to incredible
03 -
  • Use tuna packed in olive oil, not water, for the best texture and flavor
  • Let your knife do the work, cutting everything into uniform pieces so each bite has a little bit of everything