Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Cool off and relax with this chilled, refreshing Mediterranean Tuna Salad. Using canned tuna, lemon juice, capers, walnuts, and grapes, it's a quick and easy dish sure to leave you feeling satisfied.

A fresh and nutritious salad all in one

Does your summer consist of making foods that are as refreshing as humanly possible? I know mine does! Though I love the summer heat, it's always nice to escape to an air conditioned kitchen and whip up a bowl or plate of something fresh, cold, and crunchy.

For me, Mediterranean foods usually fit the bill! Mediterranean recipes traditionally include fresh veggies and lots of whole foods and proteins. The cuisine is known to be light and nutritious!

This recipe for tuna salad is no different. It's served cold, and it's filled with lots of fresh ingredients like capers, red onion, and lemon juice. It also uses walnuts and seedless grapes for a unique and flavor-rich touch! I love to throw some of this white tuna salad in-between two slices of bread for a delicious sandwich.

One of my favorite chicken salad is the waldorf salad with grapes, so I knew I wanted to make a tuna version. On every corner of every deli in New York City, they have the best tuna salad in the fridge section, but you have to try this homemade version. It makes for a great meal prep, too.

Ingredients used in Mediterranean tuna salad

For this salad recipe, we're sticking to the essentials. To achieve that delicious Mediterranean meets tuna salad flavor that we're aiming for, we need only 9 specific ingredients. And that includes salt and pepper!

• Tuna
• Lemon juice
• Mayonnaise
• Capers (or relish/pickles)
• Red onion
• Walnuts
• Red Seedless Grapes
• Salt
• Pepper

For substitutes, you can use greek yogurt in place of half of the mayonnaise. The mayonnaise has tons of healthy fats and really makes for a delicious healthy lunch. This best tuna also goes well with cranberries for a touch of sweetness and cup sunflower seeds for extra crunch. I also like to add chopped carrots, a hard boiled egg, or a dash of curry powder to add in some extra punchiness.

Tools used to make this recipe

As expected, you hardly need any tools to bring this recipe to life. You'll just need tools to cut your veggies and a bowl to put everything in! Oh, and don't forget measuring cups.

• Cutting board
• Chopping knife
• Large mixing bowl
• Stirring utensil
• Measuring cups: ¼ tsp, ½ tsp, 1 tbsp, ⅓ cup, and ½ cup

How to make tuna salad, Mediterranean style

Salads are typically pretty simple to make, and this one is no exception. All it involves is chopping your veggies and then mixing everything together in a large bowl! The whole process should take only around 5-10 minutes, including prep time. How's that for a quick meal?

To begin making Mediterranean tuna salad, start by chopping the capers, red onion, walnuts, and red California grapes.

Then, add them to a large mixing bowl along with the tuna, lemon juice, and mayonnaise.

Add salt and pepper to taste. I usually use ½ teaspoon each.

Enjoy!

Recipe variations & options

There are a number of ways to customize this dish with add ons and variations! Here are some delicious ideas that will thicken up your salad and make it even more filling, should you choose to try them!

Add veggies
Add extra bulk to your salad by including veggies like bell peppers, celery, tomatoes, radishes, black olives, and/or cucumbers! The options are pretty endless.

Include extra protein
Though this recipe already includes lean protein, you can take it one step further by adding chickpeas! It's a delicious way to sneak in extra oomph.

Pair it with crackers
Did you know this dish doubles as a dip? Think about it! Though it's a salad, it actually doesn't include lettuce and works really well when scooped up bite by bite with crackers or chips!

More delicious Mediterranean-inspired dishes

If you love your fair share of light and refreshing Mediterranean dishes, here are some more to choose from! The tzatziki makes the perfect appetizer and snack.

• Healthy Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
• Easy Tuna Patties with Spicy Aioli
• Easy Baked Falafel Recipe with Tahini Sauce
• Healthy Greek Pasta Salad (Gluten-Free)

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