Description
This Tasty Tuna Salad Delight is a fresh, vibrant, and easy-to-make salad perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner. Featuring albacore tuna combined with crisp cucumber, red onion, vine ripe tomatoes, and flavorful marinated artichoke hearts, olives, and feta cheese, it’s tossed in a tangy olive oil and vinegar dressing with herbs and garlic. A vegetarian option swaps tuna for chickpeas, making it versatile and suitable for various diets. Ready in just 15 minutes, this Mediterranean-inspired salad brings a delicious balance of textures and bright flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Base
- 2 cans Albacore Tuna (or chickpeas for a vegetarian option)
- 1 English Cucumber, sliced
- 1 Red Onion, sliced
- 2 Vine Ripe Tomatoes, chopped
Additional Ingredients
- 1 cup Marinated Artichoke Hearts, chopped
- ½ cup Green Olives, chopped (or use capers)
- ½ cup Kalamata Olives, chopped (or skip if you prefer)
- ¼ cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves, grated
- 1 tsp Dried Italian Seasoning
Dressing
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Red or White Wine Vinegar (or lemon juice)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Cheese
- ½ cup Crumbled Feta (or vegan feta)
Instructions
- Prepare Tuna or Chickpeas: Drain the tuna cans thoroughly to remove excess liquid. If using the vegetarian option, rinse chickpeas well and mash them slightly to create a similar texture to flaked tuna.
- Prepare Vegetables: Slice the English cucumber and red onion thinly. Chop the vine ripe tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Grate the garlic cloves finely to release their flavor.
- Combine Main Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the drained tuna (or mashed chickpeas) along with the sliced cucumber, red onion, and chopped tomatoes.
- Add Artichokes and Olives: Mix in the chopped marinated artichoke hearts, green olives or capers, and Kalamata olives if using. These add briny and savory notes to the salad.
- Add Herbs and Seasoning: Stir in the chopped fresh parsley, grated garlic, and dried Italian seasoning to distribute the aromatic flavors evenly throughout.
- Mix Dressing: Drizzle the olive oil and red or white wine vinegar over the salad ingredients. Gently toss everything together until all components are coated well with the dressing.
- Season and Finish: Taste the salad and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper according to your preference. Adjust vinegar or olive oil quantities if a tangier or richer flavor is desired. Finally, sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese (or vegan feta) on top and gently fold into the salad.
Notes
- For a vegan version, substitute tuna with chickpeas and feta cheese with vegan feta.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of vinegar for a different tangy flavor.
- Make sure to drain canned tuna/chickpeas well to avoid a watery salad.
- This salad keeps well refrigerated for up to 2 days but is best consumed fresh.
- Add a handful of toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds for extra crunch.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
