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Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad

★★★★★ 33 Reviews Recipe Print
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By: Erin5/13/21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad
Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad

Skip the store bought tuna salad and create your own (much tastier) rendition right at home! This easy dish is made with nutritious ingredients and tastes downright delicious.

tuna pasta salad

The tastiest tuna salad recipe

I’ll be the first to tell you… salads do not have to be boring! We often associate the word “salad” with lettuce and croutons, but they can truly be so much more than that. With the right ingredients you can create an abundance of healthy, tasty, and delightful (and get this — totally lettuce free) salads.

Take this healthy tuna pasta salad for example. Overflowing with flavor, this bowl of goodness is filled with tomatoes, celery, carrots, mustard, garlic, and even Greek yogurt. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s totally delicious. Let’s dive in!

tuna pasta salad

Ingredients in healthy tuna pasta salad

For the ingredients, we’re breaking things into two parts: the salad, and the dressing. The salad is loaded with veggies for both nutrients and flavor, and the dressing is created by mixing a blend of Greek yogurt, mayo, vinegar, and seasonings.

Salad

  • Dried Pasta: For your base, grab 4 cups of dried pasta. It can be whatever you prefer — I used brown rice fusilli.
  • Frozen Peas: First up for the veggies is 1 cup of frozen peas. Surprisingly, they do a lot for the flavor!
  • Chopped Carrots: Add texture and nutrients with 1 cup of chopped carrots.
  • Chopped Celery: For more antioxidants, add in 1 cup of chopped celery. Did you know celery is great for ridding your body of free radicals? Who knew?!
  • Grape Tomatoes: Next, include 1 cup of sliced grape tomatoes for flavor and color.
  • Tuna: Finally, the star of the salad! You’ll need three 4oz cans of tuna, drained.

Dressing

  • Greek Yogurt: To create the dressing, begin with 1/3 cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt. This will add flavor while also thickening the dressing.
  • Mayonnaise: Next, include 1/3 cup of mayonnaise.
  • Red Wine Vinegar: For extra flavor, add 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar.
  • Dijon Mustard: 1 tbsp of dijon mustard adds a slight bite.
  • Garlic: You can never go wrong with garlic! Add 2 cloves, minced.
  • Dried Dill: Add a yummy, herby taste with 1 tsp of dried dill.
  • Salt & Pepper: Finish things off with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper!
making tuna pasta salad
making tuna pasta salad

Tools needed to create this recipe

Only 6 main items are needed for this dish, along with a few measuring cups!

  • Stove pot
  • Stirring utenisl
  • Strainer
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Small mixing bowl
  • Whisk

For measuring, you will need 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, and 1 cup.

How to make this tuna pasta salad recipe

If you have a half hour, you have time to create this recipe. With 10 minutes devoted to pasta cook time, this recipe only requires about 20 minutes of actual prep time.

First, place the pasta in the pot and cook it according to the directions on the package. When 4 minutes of cook time is left, add the frozen peas. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the carrots, celery, tomatoes, and tuna.

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, vinegar, mustard, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper.

Next, add your pasta into the veggie/tuna bowl and pour the dressing on top. Stir the mixture until well combined and completely coated.

Enjoy!

tuna pasta salad

Storing leftovers

I recommend keeping any tuna salad leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to five days. You can cover the bowl with tin foil or plastic wrap, but Tupperware or a similar type of container will ensure that the salad keeps its freshness.

What makes this tuna salad healthier

This recipe includes diverse ingredients full of different nutrients. The peas, carrots, celery, tomatoes, tuna, and yogurt alone give you a vast amount of minerals, antioxidants, and other various nutritional benefits!

Plus, since we skipped half of the mayo and swapped it with Greek yogurt, you’re getting less calories and way more protein.

This salad makes the perfect healthy afternoon snack, lunch, or even side salad with your dinner.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

Salads don’t always have to contain lettuce! In fact, they’re often way more fun that way. Here are some more of my favorite salads with bases like broccoli and noodles!

  • Light and Easy Broccoli Salad
  • Healthy Greek Pasta Salad (Gluten-Free)
  • Thai Noodle Salad with Walnut Butter
  • Creamy Italian Chopped Salad
making tuna pasta salad

Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa

tuna pasta salad
★★★★★ 5 from 33 reviews

Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad

Skip the store bought tuna salad and create your own (much tastier) rendition right at home! This easy dish is made with nutritious ingredients and tastes downright delicious.

Prep: 20Cook: 10Total: 30 minutes
Yield 8 cups 1x
Print Pin it Rate

Ingredients

  • 4 cups dried pasta, I used brown rice fusilli
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
  • 3 (4oz) cans tuna, drained
  • 1/3 nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding peas last 4 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water, set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add carrots, celery, tomatoes, and tuna.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayo, vinegar, mustard, garlic, dill, salt and pepper.
  4. Add pasta to veggie/tuna bowl, then add dressing over top. Stir until well combined and completely coated.
  5. Serve! Store in fridge up to 5 days.
Author: ErinCategory: dinner, lunch, meal-prep, gluten-freeMethod: stovetopCuisine: AmericanDiet: Gluten Free
tuna pasta salad

Did you make this?

Leave a comment below and tag @erinliveswhole on social media!

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There may be affiliate links in this post! By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat 🙂

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Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Kerra says

    Posted on 3/21 at 7:42 pm

    This recipe is amazing! Great for meal prep.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 3/23 at 10:38 pm

      Hi Kerra, so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Joe G says

    Posted on 1/22 at 9:55 am

    Delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/23 at 11:53 am

      Hi Joe, so glad you liked it!!

      Reply
  3. Heather G. says

    Posted on 3/3 at 9:34 pm

    I made this using caperelle brown rice pasta and red bell pepper instead of celery. It turned out absolutely delicious! So happy with it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 3/4 at 10:23 am

      Hi Heather, so happy you loved it so much!

      Reply
  4. Amanda says

    Posted on 2/20 at 12:06 pm

    The best tuna pasta salad! Great for lunch prep!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 2/21 at 9:59 am

      Hi Amanda, so glad you liked it!!

      Reply
      • Marie-France says

        Posted on 4/3 at 2:03 pm

        I struggle with many food allergies, so I took the base but had to switch out all the veggies except for the peas! So I used an English cucumber, a sweet yellow bell pepper and a few baby dill pickles (omitted the dill in sauce because of this). I’m picky with my dressings so I just used just greek yogourt and mayo(half a cup of each) with salt and pepper. Got 5 lunches out of it. New favorite will experiment with the veggies I can eat to try different combos.

        ★★★★★

      • Erin says

        Posted on 4/4 at 6:02 pm

        Hi Marie-France, so happy you loved the salad so much and made it your own! Thanks for sharing!! 🙂

  5. Lauren P says

    Posted on 10/17 at 8:04 pm

    This pasta salad is to die for! Mixed all my favorite things together. I will be making this often!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 10/18 at 6:15 pm

      Hi Lauren, so glad you loved it!!

      Reply
  6. Darci says

    Posted on 8/9 at 9:49 am

    This pasta salad is so good and easy to make. I made it yesterday for my daughter and I to have for lunch this week. It’s definitely kid approved!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/9 at 5:13 pm

      Hi Darci, so happy you and your daughter loved it!

      Reply
  7. Sarah Roarty says

    Posted on 7/27 at 10:03 pm

    Absolutely delicious! I am already craving more.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 7/28 at 9:26 pm

      Hi Sarah, I am so happy you loved it!

      Reply
  8. Jennifer M. says

    Posted on 7/19 at 3:51 pm

    So yummy! This is exactly what I think for tuna pasta salad but BETTER. The sauce is so yummy! Plus I used light Mayo and banza pasta and the macros were 🔥🔥 awesome! So much protein.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 7/20 at 9:38 pm

      Hi Jennifer, so glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  9. Jennifer M. says

    Posted on 7/19 at 2:21 pm

    So yummy! Honestly just what I think of as tuna salad but so much better. The sauce is soooo good. I used light Mayo and banza pasta and the macros were amazing! So yummy and filling.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 7/20 at 9:37 pm

      Hi Jennifer, I am so glad you loved it!!

      Reply
  10. Lauren Matus says

    Posted on 7/17 at 1:51 pm

    So yummy and so refreshing! Thank you for this delicious gluten free option!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 7/17 at 2:59 pm

      Hi Lauren, so happy you loved it!!

      Reply
  11. Jaime says

    Posted on 7/15 at 1:44 pm

    Loved this pasta salad!!
    I used fresh dill and added a small handful of fresh basil from my garden just because😊
    It is absolutely delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 7/15 at 10:37 pm

      Hi Jaime, so happy you loved it and great addition!!

      Reply
  12. Christina says

    Posted on 7/12 at 1:00 pm

    Oh M G currently eating this as leftovers for lunch and it is absolutely delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 7/12 at 5:21 pm

      Hi Christina, so glad you loved it!

      Reply
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I’m Erin. Creator of Erin Lives Whole, a food blog with delicious and easy healthy recipes that will leave you feeling good. We’ve got everything from wholesome baked goods to comforting savory dishes. I can’t wait to see what you whip up! Read More...

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