Mediterranean Tuna Salad

http://www.MelJoulwan.com/2011/05/19/mediterranean-tuna-salad/?replytocom=5223

One of the things I love about spices and other seasonings is that, like a good book, they can take you somewhere else in the world.

When I mixed up a batch of tuna with lemon, black olives, mint, and piquant peppers, I was no longer in hot-and-humid Austin. For just a little while, I was on holiday, along the sunny coast of the Mediterranean, enjoying a light lunch before a jaunt along the coast on a scooter (wearing a really cute sundress, giant sunglasses, and a scarf on my hair).

Take your tastebuds on a tour!

mediterraneantuna

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Serves 2 | Prep 10 minutes |Whole30 compliant

Ingredients:
  • 1 can tuna, preferably packed in olive oil (my favorite brand)

  • a few black olives (I used 5 or so)

  • 1-2 banana peppers, sliced into rings

  • 5 fresh mint leaves or 1/4 tsp dried mint (or both!)

  • 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

  • salt & pepper to taste

  • 1-2 tablespoons homemade mayo

Directions:
1

Place tuna in a small bowl and break up with fork.

2

Add everything except the mayo and mix ’til well-blended. Taste to see if you need to adjust the seasonings.

3

Add the mayo and gently stir ’til just combined.

Print this recipe
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Comments

  • Brittany says:

    Yummmm. I just made your other delicious tuna salad for lunch today (green onions, apples, mustard), but this is definitely next on the list.

    Sounds like the perfect lunch for a hot spring day!

    Thanks, as always!
    B.

  • Tracey says:

    Yum! What do you like to eat with it..carrots?? Or do you just serve it in lettuce leaves?

    • Mel says:

      I usually pile it on a plate in the middle of a bunch of raw veggies. My favorites are snap peas, jicama, cucumber slices, and red pepper strips. And, yes, carrots are good, too!

  • sarena says:

    Love me some jicama too. I have been mashing avocado into my tuna, add some Himalayan sea salt, a bit of fresh parsley, chopped scallion or chives and Lemon juice. And we are good to go!

  • GiGi says:

    This is down right delicious looking! I’d probably eat about 2 pounds of it in a sitting – ha ha, hello fish overload, eh what the heck! LOL

  • Patricia says:

    Can not wait to try. I think Friday.

  • Ludona H. Smith says:

    I’ve never tried jicama. Would love to.
    Sarena, I’ve been doing the avocado mash, etc into my tuna lately. Lovin’it!

    Great new mediterranean slant. Can’t wait.

  • Sharon Prassa says:

    What makes this salad great is the Italian tuna you use. Any time one is going to use tuna as a feature in a cold dish, it has to be Italian tuna.

  • Charlene says:

    Just found your site today. Tried both this tuna salad and your Lebanese Onion and Parsley Salad. Both were great! I sliced a good baguette in half, toasted it a little and had a great tuna salad sandwich. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you!

  • Erin says:

    I am sitting at my desk at work so sad because I just finished eating this for lunch… It was so good I’m sad it’s over! I subbed oil cured black olives, they were so good. I put it all in butter lettuce leaves (which I had left over from my spring salad this past weekend from the farmer’s market) and it was delicious! I could seriously eat this every day. Thank you!!!!!

    • Mel says:

      I’m sorry you’re sad, but I’m happy you like it that much. YAY!

      I made tuna with jalapenos, fresh blackberries, and scallions yesterday… then stuffed it into bell pepper halves. I was really sad when it was over, too — and now I’m out of mayo!!! (!!!). That is a major kitchen fail, but we’re going on vacation for a week on Saturday. Would it be wrong to make mayo, then try to eat all of it between now and Saturday?!

  • Sam says:

    I just made this for lunch and it’s delicious!! We didn’t have any mint so I used basil instead. I love the heat of the banana peppers and the saltiness of the olives. Thanks for the recipe!

    • Mel says:

      Thanks for letting me know you liked it! I bet the basil tasted really good — an I agree: the salty olives make it YUMMO.

  • Maggie says:

    Sorry to be off-topic, but where was that gorgeous seaside photo taken?

    • Mel says:

      I wish I could tell you! It’s just a photo I grabbed online somewhere before I really knew what I was doing. (Now I know to credit sources, etc 😉

  • Maggie says:

    Silly me. I just discovered that if you hover your mouse over the picture it tells you where it is…Atrani, Amalfi Coast, Italy!

  • Holly says:

    I just made this today. It was delicious and so unexpected!. So long traditional tuna salad! I am very new to the paleo way (one week in on first Whole30). This was my first recipe from Well Fed and I am hooked. Think I will have to go buy your cookbooks. Can’t wait to make more….Good job!

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