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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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