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Scarlett’s Tuna Salad

Amanda
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This is the salad of hot summer nights, when turning on the oven sends (hot) shivers down your spine. Or the salad of weeknights when opening a can of really good tuna and chopping a few veggies are the only two steps you can manage.This is a recipe from the New York Times, via chef Scarlett Lindeman’s and her Mexico City restaurant Cicatriz. It’s full of crisp cucumbers and pickled red onions, creamy avocado, soft herbs and watercress and really high-quality oil-packed tuna. The salad doesn’t even require you to make a dressing-just toss a little of the vinegar pickling liquid (from the red onions) and some olive oil, salt and pepper with the ingredients and YOU ARE DONE. Sit down and eat with your bad self.This salad won’t travel well for a weekday work lunch, but you could prep the veggies and herbs in the morning, and prep the avocado and “dressing” at work. Then just pop open your tuna and assemble your salad. No one would be sad to have this bright, fresh salad for lunch. Especially on a Monday, because who can even do Mondays?

Not sure if you noticed, but I totally forget my pickled red onions until the photos were almost complete. They were all ready and sitting on the counter. Did I make this on a Monday? Also, don’t be like me and make sure the pickled onions make it to your meal…they’re totally worth it.My mom even liked this one and she’s a tough cookie in the food department.

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Scarlett’s Tuna Salad

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  • Author: Amanda
  • Yield: 2 to 4 servings 1x
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Description

Bright and fresh, this filling tuna salad hardly requires any work aside from a quick red onion pickle, a little chopping and opening a can of tuna. It’s great for weeknight dinners or assemble-at-work lunches!

Ingredients

Scale

PICKLED RED ONIONS:

  • 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

SALAD:

  • Two 5-ounce cans high-quality canned tuna (packed in water or oil)
  • 3 small Persian cucumbers, sliced about 1/4-inch-thick
  • 3 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed
  • 2 handfuls of baby watercress
  • Handful of fresh basil leaves, washed and torn, to taste
  • Handful of cilantro leaves, washed, to taste
  • Handful of fresh mint leaves, washed and torn, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. To make the pickled red onions: In a small saucepan, combine the rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt with 1/2 cup water over high heat.  Bring to a boil; transfer the sliced onions to a glass bowl or jar.  Once the liquid is boiling, immediately pour over the onions.  Let sit for at least 1 hour before using.
  2. To assemble the salad: If using olive oil-packed tuna, drain from the oil and set aside.  If using water-packed tuna, drain the water and place the tuna in a small bowl, breaking it up into large chunks/flakes with your hands.  Pour a little olive oil over and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cucumbers and green onions with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and the lime juice.  Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.  Drain the vegetables using a slotted spoon (reserve the liquid) and place on a serving platter.  Add the tuna and avocado to the bowl with the reserved liquid along with 1 tablespoon of the pickled onion liquid (if using water-packed tuna and following the instructions above, you can reserve the olive oil to drizzle over the salad).  Gently toss the mixture in the dressing, ensuring you keep the tuna in larger chunks/flakes.  Scatter over top of the cucumbers and green onions; add some of the pickled red onion slices, to taste.  Drizzle any of the remaining liquid over the top of everything.  Scatter the watercress, basil, cilantro and mint over the top; season with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Generously drizzle the salad with extra-virgin olive oil, or the reserved oil used for the water-packed tuna, if applicable.  Serve immediately!

Notes

Inspiration: Scarlett’s Tuna Salad on nytimes.com

  • Category: Salad, Fish, What's for Dinner

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