Saturday, January 22, 2011

Tuna Salad with Lemon & Olives


There's a gourmet food store in my area that makes the most delicious, yet simple Mediterranean style tuna salad. This here is my attempt at re-creating it at home...and, I'm happy to say I hit the nail on the head.
Still on your resolution bandwagon? Well, this is a perfect meal for that. It's loaded with protein & low in fat...it has little, to no oil {depending on if you chose to add some in}.
But, the truth is, this salad is so good, you don't need to be watching your waistline to enjoy it. It's a great filling for a pita sandwich...mounded on top of some baby arugula, with some crumbled feta & sliced radishes...or, served simply as a snack with some crackers, or toasted bread.

Begin by breaking up 2~5 ounce cans of drained tuna in a mixing bowl. Pitt & slice a 1/2 cup of Kalamata olives...

and add them to the tuna.

Along with 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest, the juice from 1 lemon & 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley.

Stir to combine. Pour in a 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil & season with some salt & freshly ground pepper. Toss well & serve.

Tuna Salad with Lemon & Olives

Serves 4
I have listed the olive oil in this salad as optional, as it tastes great with, or without it. If you are making the salad ahead of time, the oil helps keep it moist.

2~5 ounce cans tuna, drained
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1/2 tablespoon olive oil {optional}
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Add the tuna to a mixing bowl & using a fork, break it up into small pieces. Add the olives, lemon zest, lemon juice & parsley. Stir to combine. Pour in the olive oil, along with a sprinkle of salt & pepper {to taste}. Toss well & serve.
Click here for the printable recipe.

14 comments:

Randa said...

That looks absolutely delicious! Too bad my finance doesn't like olives but I'll definitely have to make a small batch for my self!

Unknown said...

I do something similar and its so good. Lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, fresh herbs, sea salt and pepper over a bed of greens. Divine. The best way to dress up boring canned tuna.

Joanne said...

Wow I totally love how simple and healthy this is! I want a HUGE scoop on top of my next salad!

Anonymous said...

Lemon zest, juice and parsley are three things that always go into my tuna salad. Like this version, I'm much more in favor of a tuna salad with olive oil only; no mayo. A few chopped capers, a sprinkling of red pepper flakes and a dash of balsamic vinegar are the other items to dress up my go-to tuna salad. I rarely have olives at home, but if I did, you can bet they'll go in, too! Great batch you have here!

Cheers,

*Heather*

Angharad said...

I am convinced that olives and lemon is THE best way to do tuna salad although I've never done it with lemon zest - love it!
You know, I need to make this - my husband hates the smell of tuna so I never stink up the house with it but this looks so worth it. Yum.

The Food Hound said...

This salad would give me an excuse to buy the ridiculously expensive imported tuna in olive oil :) I feel like the quality of tuna would matter more in this dish than average tuna salad!

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

What a lovely tuna salad and your photos are gorgeous. I'm sure the lemon zest adds just the right touch to the salad. Like everyone else on the planet I'm trying to eat lighter and less. Thanks for this easy recipe.
Sam

The Duo Dishes said...

Simple and fresh. Of course, the pics made it look even better. Good enough to eat. :)

Gwen - Dishes said...

Good post keep it up.

kelley said...

You make us proud, happy and full:) xo, a sono pal.

Kirsten @ Triple Max Tons said...

YUM! And healthy :) I want to try this for lunch this week.

~Kirsten
http://triplemaxtons.blogspot.com

The Texas Peach said...

What a great and easy alternative to the usual mayo based tuna salad. I'm always looking for new things to pack in my husband's lunch box. Nice to find something new that doesn't require much effort.

Anonymous said...

This looks great! I'm always looking for great, healthy twists on classics like tuna salad. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

This recipe is close to one I duplicated from a restaurant called "Souper Salad". I don't put olives in my salad but add them as a topper along with a bit of feta and chopped tomatoes. I do put tons of Italian parsley, lemon zest, olive oil. This is so yummy. Can be served over pasta topped with feta, tomatoes, olives.

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