Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad Recipe

About this recipe

When it comes to tuna, I prefer having it light and easy, which means I try to avoid mayonnaise in my tuna salad as much as I can. This Mediterranean version is our go-to because it's simple, packed with veggies and, most importantly, has no mayonnaise. 

Ingredients

• Canned tuna: I always prefer tuna that's packed in olive oil.
• Marinated artichokes: They add so much flavor to the salad.
• Kalamata olives: I use pitted kalamata olives and usually cut them in half.
• Roasted red pepper: This is optional and you can use homemade or jarred roasted red peppers.
• Herbs: I used dill, green onions and mint, but you can also use parsley or cilantro.

Instructions

• Start by chopping the artichoke hearts if they're too big. Slice the Kalamata olives and red onion.
• Chop the herbs roughly, they don't need to be perfect. Drain the canned tuna and place them in a large bowl. 
• Using two forks, break the tuna chunks into very small pieces. Add in artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, red onion, roasted red pepper, capers, chopped dill, mint and scallions.
• Mix well until all the ingredients are well combined.
• Make the vinaigrette by mixing the lemon juice, oregano, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl or a jar.  
• Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, mix and refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes to one hour before serving. 

Serving suggestions

• Make it into a Mediterranean tuna salad sandwich using a crusty bread like ciabatta. Add some heirloom tomatoes and lettuce for a complete sandwich. 
• You can also make a wrap using my homemade pita bread or lavash recipe. It makes the perfect quick lunch. 
• Going low carb? Try tuna salad lettuce wrap. Use butter lettuce to make these as butter lettuce is easier to wrap. 
• If you have never tried tuna salad stuffed avocados, now is the time. Cut an avocado in half and remove the pit. Take a bit of the avocado out to make room for the tuna salad. Fill the avocados with tuna salad and serve immediately. 
• Serve it as an appetizer with homemade pita chips or crackers. 

Additions

• You can make healthy tuna salad with chickpeas if you would like to add more protein to this salad. For this recipe, one can of cooked chickpeas would be enough. 
• Looking for a creamier tuna salad? Try making no mayo tuna salad with avocados. Chop one avocado into small cubes and add it to the salad at the very end. 
• I love adding nuts to my salad so for this healthy tuna salad I suggest adding toasted pine nuts or almond slices. The crunch would make the tuna salad even more delicious. 

Frequently asked questions

Notes and tips

• To make this easy tuna salad I used Kalamata olives but you can use any kind of olives you prefer. Make sure they're pitted so you won't encounter any unpleasant surprises eating the salad. 
• Red onions give a nice kick to the salads and they're one of my favorite additions to any salad. However, if the flavor is too strong for you, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes, pat dry them and then use them in salad. Soaking them would make them sweeter. 
• Make sure the cans of tuna are not damaged. If they are damaged, do not consume them.