If you want to learn how to make a really tasty tuna salad quickly and easily, read this recipe. We give you a detailed guide for making the salad and answer any questions you might have.
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Why is tuna salad good for you?
This salad is full of vitamins and protein and tastes fabulous. The protein in tuna is very good for our bodies, especially for people who exercise and lead an active lifestyle. Protein is essential for the growth of muscle mass and is a necessary substance to maintain proper body function.
The vitamins and fibre in other tuna salad ingredients improve the human immune system and speed up the body's metabolism. This makes the human body stronger and more resilient.
A brief history of tuna salad
Tuna salad is believed to have been invented and started to be made and eaten in Italy. It is not known exactly who came up with the recipe, but it was first mentioned in America between 1900 and 1910. The recipe was referred to as 'fancy' because tuna was not readily available anywhere and, as a result, all dishes made with tuna, including tuna salad, were considered to be dishes for the privileged.
Over time, as entrepreneurs noticed the growing demand for tuna in society, more and more shops began to sell tuna. Tuna became popular not only in America, but all over the world, and this tuna salad recipe became one of the most popular and is still one of the favourites today.
Cookestro's tuna salad video recipe
How to make tuna salad?
In this tuna salad recipe we will use lettuce leaves, which we think are the most suitable alongside tuna.
So, we will need 3 medium-sized lettuce leaves.
Separate the lettuce leaves and wash them well. How to wash the lettuce leaves properly? Wash the lettuce leaves separately, one by one. First wash the lettuce leaf in hot water, then rinse in cold water. After rinsing the leaves in cold water, try to shake off as much water as possible from the leaves to make them as dry as possible.
When you have 3 well rinsed lettuce leaves, place them on the cutting board and start cutting them into small slices. Place the sliced lettuce leaves in the large bowl in which this dish will be prepared. Choose a salad bowl of sufficient size. The dish should be large enough for you to comfortably mix the lettuce leaves with the other ingredients.
When you put the lettuce leaves in the salad bowl, take a clean washed medium sized cucumber (we will use ½ cucumber). First cut the cucumber into slices. Cut the slices into small cubes. Place the cucumber cubes in the same salad bowl.
Take a small red onion and peel it (we will use ½ of a red onion), cut the onion in half. Cut the red onion into narrow slices at the beginning, then cut the slices into small cubes. Try to chop the onion as finely as possible. Red onions have a pungent spice, so we want that spice to be evenly distributed throughout the salad.
Do you need to rinse the red onion when you peel it? If you bought the onions from a grocery store and you don't grow your own onions, the onions were probably grown using pesticides, chips or other chemicals. So we recommend that you wash onions before cutting.
Place the diced red onion cubes in a salad bowl.
Take a medium-sized sprig of parsley and wash it well. Place the sprig on a chopping board and chop it very well. Add the chopped parsley to the salad bowl.
In this recipe you will learn how to make tuna salad from canned tuna. So, open one small can of canned tuna (80 grams / 3.5 ounces). Pour the tuna into a salad bowl. Don't forget to add the oil in which the tuna was canned.
Which tuna is best for tuna salad?
For this dish we use tuna in oil. Tuna preserved in oil is slightly moister than tuna preserved in its own juices. And as we know, what is oily is tastier. However, if you are watching your diet and want a salad with less fat and fewer calories, choose tuna preserved in its own juices.
When you add the tuna, add ¼ teaspoon black pepper and 1/3 teaspoon salt to the salad bowl.
What dressing is best for this tuna salad?
Add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise to the tuna and salad. If you don't like mayonnaise, or if you want a non-fatty, even healthier salad, use Greek yoghurt instead of mayonnaise. Greek yoghurt is low in sugar and fat and will be healthier. In our recipe we will use mayonnaise, which we think is the most delicious dressing.
When you put the mayonnaise in the salad bowl, mix everything very well.
There you have it, tuna salad.
How to eat tuna salad? What to eat tuna salad with?
We recommend that you take your time to eat the tuna salad and go through one more process that will make this dish even tastier!
We recommend that you spread this salad on toasted sandwich bread and eat it as a tuna salad toast. This is the tastiest way to prepare this type of salad.
How to make tuna salad toasts properly?
Heat a frying pan over medium heat.
Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Scatter the olive oil over the pan.
When the oil is evenly distributed in the pan, add 2 slices of sandwich bread, which you cut in half before putting them in the pan. The finely sliced bread will be tastier and more comfortable to eat. Fry the bread slices on each side on a medium heat for about 5 minutes (about 10 minutes in total for both sides).
When the bread is toasted and browned, remove the pan and place it on a heatproof tray.
Take a salad bowl and with a tablespoon, start placing the salad on each toast.
Enjoy!
Shortened tuna salad process:
- Cut the lettuce leaves into slices, place in a bowl.
- Cut ½ small cucumber into cubes, place in salad bowl.
- Cut ½ red onion into slices, place in salad bowl.
- Chop a sprig of parsley, add to the salad bowl.
- Place the tuna canned in oil in the salad bowl.
- Add 1/3 teaspoon salt to the salad bowl.
- Add ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the salad bowl.
- Add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise to the salad bowl.
- Mix everything well.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan over medium heat.
- Toast 2 slices of sandwich bread in the pan (5 min each side).
- Place the tuna salad on the toast.
- Enjoy!
Tuna Salad Ingredients (1-2 persons):
- 3 lettuce leaves
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 small can of tuna
- 1/2 red onion
- a pinch of parsley
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 tbsp of mayonnaise
- baking bread
- 2 tbsp olive oil
How long can tuna salad be refrigerated? / How long is tuna salad good for?
If you keep the tuna salad in the fridge, it has a shelf life of about 3-4 days. The temperature in the fridge should be below 40°F. After this time limit (3-4 days) it is not recommended to eat the tuna salad.
Can tuna salad be frozen?
Yes, tuna salad can be frozen. However, if you decide to freeze tuna salad, do not add mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt or any other dressing. Only put the dressing on the salad when it is chilled, before eating.
Why does tuna salad get watery?
Some of the water in the salad comes from the tuna and some from the lettuce leaves, which are mostly composed of water. This makes the tuna salad slightly watery.
Is tuna salad keto?
Whether tuna salad can be classed as keto depends on the ingredients you choose to use in this dish. If you want your tuna salad to be made according to KETO, you should use unmarinated tuna, no mayonnaise and no white bread toast. You can substitute whole-grain toast for the white bread toast.
