Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Jeff the Chef

This Martha-Stewart-inspired Mediterranean Tuna Salad is a salad with tuna in it, yes, but it’s hardly “tuna salad.” It’s a veg explosion that’s so fresh, so light, and so flavorful. It’s mayoless … but it takes well to a bit of creaminess, which why I think the cheese – which is optional – just perfectly caps it off.

"Mediterranean Tuna Salad," from Make It Like a Man!
Mediterranean Tuna Salad
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Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Servings

6

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 red new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges

  • 3 Tbs olive oil, or to taste

  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, plus more for roasting

  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for roasting

  • 1 lb. green beans, trimmed

  • 1-1/2 cups (3/4 oz.) loosely packed fresh basil

  • 2-1/2 Tbs white-wine vinegar

  • 1 bunch fresh spinach leaves, chopped (5 cups)

  • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

  • 1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

  • 2 scallions, white and pale green parts, thinly sliced

  • 1 roasted red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 2 cans (6 oz. each) water–packed, solid white tuna, drained

  • 6 Kalamata olives, or more to taste, pitted and chopped

  • 6 half-inch slices of herbed goat cheese

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon oil, more or less to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss, then roast until browned, about 30 minutes.
  • Steam the green beans and plunge them into an ice bath. Drain and set aside.
  • Place the basil, vinegar, 1/2-teaspoon salt, 1/2-teaspoon pepper, and 2 Tablespoons warm water in a blender, and puree until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add 2 Tablespoons olive oil, and puree until combined.
  • In a large bowl, combine the spinach, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, scallions, roasted potatoes, roasted pepper, reserved basil puree, and tuna; toss. Divide the green beans among six plates; top with the tuna salad. Garnish with the chopped kalamata olives and goat cheese, and serve.
"Mediterranean Tuna Salad," from Make It Like a Man!

Social Learning

It hardly seems worth it to roast six new potatoes, but their texture and heft lends something very necessary to this salad. I suggest you roast a moderate panful, and nosh on the extras straight from the oven, make a small potato salad with them the next day, or reheat them later.

I could imagine adding something like cooked orzo, penne, or bowtie pasta to this salad, but my husband was against it. He said what he loved most about this salad was its freshness and veg whallop, which he didn’t want to diminish by adding more carbs. I’m something of a carboholic, though. Anyway, if you did add something, you’d need to double the dressing, probably.

A beautiful accompaniment to this salad: pita chips (or a stellar Syrian bread) and hummus.

"Mediterranean Tuna Salad," from Make It Like a Man!
Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man!, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you, Kesor and Proper Circle. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. References: The Editors of Martha Stewart Living, “Mediterranean Tuna Salad.” In Martha Stewart’s Cooking School: The Original Classics. (New York, NY: Clarkson Potter, 2007), 159.

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46 thoughts on “Mediterranean Tuna Salad”

  9. I love tuna salads with a vinaigrette dressing! And loaded with veggies??? Sounds like a lunch I could eat day after day!

    Reply

  10. Looks lovely Jeff! Kind of reminds me a bit of a Tuna Nicoise Salad. But not quite. I’ll park this on my list of “must makes” as tuna + salad is definitely my kind of thing!
    Neil recently posted…Sausage And Lentil Stew

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  15. I agree with Mimi, but it’s like a Niçoise salad but so much more! I’m not sure I would add pasta, but I’m sure I would have a piece of bread on the side. Like you, I’m a carboholic. And proud of it. Thanks for the nice recipe… When it warms up a little, we will give it a shot!

    Reply

  19. It’s a fresh and enticing salad. I try to eat a lot of foods from the Mediterranean diet and this recipe fits the bill nicely. I’d totally eat some pita chips and hummus as a side to this. As much as I’m a carboholic too, I agree with your husband and say leave the pasta out. I think it would detract from the veggies a bit too much.
    Theresa recently posted…Linguine Gorgonzola with a Medley of Nuts

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  22. Jeff,
    My husband has lived in France and this looks like a salad that his family makes that they learned in France. The addition of a pasta sounds good too.

    Reply

  23. Wow, I can’t believe I missed this, I had thought I was subscribed! We eat a lot of tuna salad, mostly the Spanish version with avocado, celery and greens. I can certainly see why the creamy roast potatoes would be the star of this dish. Nicely done.
    Eva Taylor recently posted…No Knead Olive Oil Focaccia

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    • Thank you! I liked it. My husband loved it. I wish it were a bit more diverse in color, but it was very tasty.

      Reply

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