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  • Mediterranean Tuna Salad

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    Mediterranean Tuna Salad – so much flavor and so easy to put together! This mayonnaise-free tuna salad is naturally gluten-free.

    mediterranean tuna salad

    If you are looking for a light and healthy lunch idea, this Mediterranean tuna salad recipe is for you! This no mayo salad is loaded with incredible flavor from the freshest ingredients and comes together in just 15 minutes.

    Talk about light and refreshing salad that requires no cooking! The albacore tuna is the main ingredient to creating this wonderful, healthy salad you will want to make all summer long.

    The freshly squeezed lemon juice & lemon zest add so much flavor to the salad.

    This salad is not only delicious but it’s very quick to put together and there is no cooking involved. That’s what I call a win! It came together in about 15 minutes, and my husband and our little boys loved it.

    For more delicious and easy summer salads, check out these: Cucumber Salad recipe, Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad, and Cowboy Caviar.

    Mediterranean Tuna Salad Ingredients

    This salad is loaded with fresh and healthy ingredinets:

    • Vegetables: Bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, black olives
    • Albacore Tuna
    • Chickpeas
    • Seasonings: Garlic, parsley, lemon, salt & black pepper
    • Olive oil
    ingredients for mediterranean tuna salad

    How To Make Mediterranean Tuna Salad

    It takes about 15 minutes to make this delicious summer salad!

    • Add red bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, albacore tuna fish, garlic, chickpeas, black olives, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl and mix.
    • Drizzle olive oil, lemon juice, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    • Garnish with fresh parsley and serve cold. Enjoy! 

    Tuna Salad without Mayo

    This delicious and nutritious tuna salad is made with an easy and refreshing homemade dressing instead of mayo. It’s packed with protein and delicious vegetables.

    	mediterranean tuna salad recipe

    Healthy Tuna Salad

    This mayonnaise-free tuna salad recipe is naturally gluten-free, light and refreshing.

    This Mediterranean Tuna Salad is perfect to serve for lunch or a light meal. While I was cooking it, I tasted a little bit to see if it needed more seasoning, and I couldn’t stop eating it. It was so delicious!

    mediterranean tuna salad no mayo

    How to Store Tuna Salad

    The Mediterranean healthy tuna salad will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days. If you are planning to make this ahead of time, you can chop the red bell pepper, red onion, and cucumber ahead of time, and combine them with the rest of the ingredients just before serving.

    What’s The Best Tuna To Use?

    I love the convenience of canned tuna, and I always have a a few cans in my pantry. I like to use albacore tuna as it has a firm texture and the chunks don’t break up and get lost in the other ingredients. It has a light flesh and is mild in flavor.

    recipe for Mediterranean Tuna Salad

    Recipe Notes and Tips

    • Cut the vegetables into small and evenly sized pieces. They will be easier to combine when you mix it and it will be easier to eat.
    • Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled. It has a much brighter and fresher flavor and makes all the difference!
    • Chickpeas provide a good amount of protein and fiber and turn this salad into a fuller meal. You can substitute these with black beans or white beans if that’s what you have.

    This Mediterranean Tuna Salad has definitely made our favorites list. The flavors are amazing and so refreshing. Perfect quick summer salad. I like to make this for lunch or make it for quick family dinners.

    More Lunch Salad Recipes

    mediterranean tuna salad
    5 from 16 votes
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    Mediterranean Tuna Salad

    Mediterranean Tuna Salad – so much flavor and so easy to put together! This mayonnaise-free tuna salad is naturally gluten-free, paleo and low carb.
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    Servings 10 servings
    Calories 131kcal

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • Add red bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, albacore tuna fish, garlic, chickpeas, black olives and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl and mix.
    • Drizzle olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    • Garnish with fresh parsley and serve cold. Enjoy! 

    TIPS & NOTES

    • Cut the vegetables into small and evenly sized pieces. They will be easier to combine when you mix it and it will be easier to eat.
    • Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled. It has a much brighter and fresher flavor and makes all the difference!
    • Chickpeas provide a good amount of protein and fiber and turn this salad into a fuller meal. You can substitute these with black beans or white beans if that’s what you have.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.6g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Cholesterol: 15.3mg | Sodium: 156.4mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 2.4g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 34.7mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.8mg
    Course Main Course, Salad
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Keyword Easy, Gluten Free, Healthy, Mediterranean Tuna Salad, Quick

    This post was originally published in April of 2017. Recently, it was updated with new pictures but the recipe itself hasn’t been modified.

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    Comments

    Jane R

    5 stars
    So full of rich diverse flavors. This is a go-to favorite and so healthy. Thank you for an unusual combination of fresh foods and flavors! Yum!

    Donna

    5 stars
    Easy to prepare and it was very tasty using the olive oil and lemon instead of mayo.

    Camila Wilson

    5 stars
    This recipe is absolutely delicious and definitely one of my new favorite dishes! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe, I will definitely be making it again and again. Keep up the good work!

    Caren

    5 stars
    I’m trying to adopt a more vegetable forward diet and this was amazing!

    Dennis Saybe

    5 stars
    My wife prepared this meal for me yesterday. Loved it!!!

    Kristian

    Can I use avocado oil instead of olive oil?

    Carol Cuevas

    5 stars
    Wonderful! I needed to bring something to a brunch kind of last minute, and this salad was perfect! It wasn’t the main dish, but ended up served on toasted olive bread as an appetizer.
    It got great raves.

    My only issue was I didn’t have garbanzos. However, I did have a homemade batch of freshly sprouted beans, of which, garbanzo is prominent. The other beans were adzuka, mung and green pea, which dialed up the color a bit……it was so pretty, no one wanted to eat it. But they all got over that very quickly. Some added an anchovy filet on top, which the host (an uber foodie) provided. And I brought some fresh thyme and greek oregano leaves from my garden for those who would like to sprinkle those on top.

    It all seemed very fancy-schmancy for a really simple and inexpensive dish, and so easy to make . I was impressed. This costed maybe one dollar per serving including the bread.

    I completely agree with your suggestion of Bumble Bee Albacore in the can. It is by far the absolute best at its price point in my opinion. I always have it on hand.

    Thanks for this recipe. I will make it over and over again.

    Julie McLeod

    5 stars
    Beyond delish! I look forward to serving this to guests over the summer!

    Sue

    5 stars
    This is so fresh and delish! i eat it on its own, or on a green salad. I threw in the whole can of chickpeas, (cause what do you with 1/2 a can?!) and added feta. Doubled the dressing because I added those extras and it was PERFECT!!

      Thanks, Sue! Glad to hear you liked it! I just made it last night as well. 🙂
      I sometimes add the whole can of chickpeas as well (more protein makes the salad even more filling), or I refrigerate it in a small bowl and use it the next time or in another salad.

    Janice

    Hi!. I want to try this. But not eating fresh garlic and onion. Can i make even without the 2? And does it make the taste different if i dont put those 2? Thank you

      It will change the taste a little bit but it will still be delicious! If you prefer, you can use a little bit of onion & garlic powder.

        Janice

        This salad was superb!👍I just used the onion and garlic powder as you suggested and it was delicious!. My family really love it. This recipe is absolutely a keeper!

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