With crunchy veggies, kalamata olives and a bright lemony dressing, my Mediterranean Tuna Salad is a crave-worthy high protein lunch. Serve it in a sandwich, in halved avocados, in lettuce wraps, with crackers, or over a bed of greens.
Mediterranean Tuna Salad, a go-to healthy lunch
If you’re like me and always looking for more healthy, high protein, flavorful and easy lunch ideas, I highly recommend this Mediterranean tuna salad. I love it just as much as my classic tuna salad recipe, and possibly even more!
In this recipe, I’ve swapped the creamy, mayo-based dressing for a bright, fresh lemon dressing. It ties all of the flavors together and gives this tuna salad bright, zippy flavor. Since it can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, this tuna salad is perfect for meal prep!
I love this Mediterranean tuna salad served on whole grain bread with sliced avocado and baby arugula or in a pita bread wrap. It’s also great in a salad with fresh greens and veggies for a satisfying low carb meal.
Mediterranean Tuna Salad Ingredients
Quick Tip! Chop all of the vegetables up finely so that you can get a little bit of everything in each bite.
- For the Dressing: You’ll need olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and Dijon mustard.
- Tuna: I use two 5-ounce cans of tuna to make 5 servings. You can also halve this recipe to make 2 large or 3 smaller servings.
- Red Bell Pepper: Brings mild sweetness and a crisp crunch.
- Cucumber: I like to use an English cucumber because the thin skin doesn’t require peeling and they are often less bitter than traditional cucumbers, with smaller seeds.
- Kalamata Olives: To bring out the Mediterranean flavors! I also love kalamata olives in my Chickpea Salad and my easy Greek Salad.
- Red Onion: I love the subtle sharpness that red onion brings to tuna salad. The key is to chop the onion finely and to not use too much, since a little onion goes a long way.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley adds color and flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Season the tuna salad with salt and pepper to taste to enhance all of the flavors.
What Kind of Tuna to Use
- I like to use tuna packed in water, not oil. Since we’re using extra virgin olive oil in the dressing, we don’t need extra oil in the tuna itself.
- Look for tuna with no salt added, so that you can control the amount of salt.
- Cans of wild tuna that are labeled, “pole and line caught” ensure that other species weren’t harmed when the tuna was caught.
- My favorite tuna is skipjack wild tuna in water. Skipjack is a light tuna, and it has less mercury than solid white albacore tuna.
How to Make Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Here’s an overview of the recipe steps. Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Make dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and Dijon in a medium mixing bowl. You’ll add the rest of the ingredients right into the bowl with the dressing.
Add remaining ingredients: the drained tuna, bell pepper, cucumber, kalamata olives, red onion and parsley. Stir, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in a sandwich or pita, in halved avocados, in lettuce wraps, with crackers, or in a fresh green salad.
Meal Prep and Storage Instructions
I love having this tuna salad on hand, ready to enjoy for lunch or as a satisfying snack with crackers. You can make it ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Healthy Lunch Ideas
Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- zest of 1 medium lemon
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 medium lemon
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Tuna Salad
- 2 cans (5 ounces each) tuna in water, drained
- ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- ½ cup diced English cucumber
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to mix.
- To the bowl with the dressing, add the drained tuna, bell pepper, cucumber, kalamata olives, red onion and parsley. Stir together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve in a sandwich, wrapped in pita bread, in halved avocados, in lettuce wraps, with crackers, or over a bed of greens.
Notes
- Tuna salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
