Mediterranean Quinoa Tuna Salad

This fresh and delicious Mediterranean Quinoa Tuna Salad is a simple recipe that takes minutes to make and offers a solid dose of protein.

The flavors of the Mediterranean are something I grew up with and are very near to my heart. Romania after all pulls some culinary influences from Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and so many others.

So in exploring a hearty recipe that would utilize some delicious St. Jude tuna straight from my favorite fishing vessel, I settled on a Mediterranean quinoa tuna salad that's packed with chickpeas, roasted red pepper, capers, kalamata olives, cucumbers and herbs, tossed with a tangy oregano dressing. This filling protein-packed salad offers an explosion of salty flavors with creamy and crunchy textures. It is my absolute favorite summer salad that's perfect for any picnic or as a meal on a hot day.

Crave some more protein-rich salads? Here is an easy cannellini bean salad with tuna and artichoke hearts, black bean and tomato jalapeno tuna salad, or this healthy and nourishing Salad Nicoise!

Jump To

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Variations And Substitutions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tips
• FAQ
• Related
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

• St. Jude canned tuna
• Roasted red pepper - You can make your own but storebought is super convenient.
• Capers
• English cucumber - I highly recommend using English cucumber as opposed to regular as it doesn't have large seeds.
• Kalamata olives - I prefer these but any olives you like will do.
• Cooked chickpeas - canned, rinsed, and drained or home-cooked works.
• Fresh dill
• Fresh parsley
• Dried oregano
• Cooked quinoa - cooking the quinoa in chicken broth or bone broth will give the quinoa tuna salad extra flavor.
• Lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

This salad is straightforward as all you're doing is assembling ingredients and tossing them with an easy dressing.

Cooking Quinoa Instructions

1. Add 1 cup dried quinoa to a fine mesh strainer and rinse the quinoa well under running water for about 30 seconds until you stop seeing bubbles forming.
2. Pour the quinoa in a medium pot and add 2 cups water or broth.
3. Bring the quinoa to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes until all liquid has evaoprated.
4. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa stand untouched for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
5. Use the quinoa right away for this Mediterranean salad and store the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Hint: If you're able, cook your quinoa with chicken or vegetable broth as it will add additional flavor to your Mediterranean quinoa salad.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It's gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo
• Protein-rich and filling
• A perfect side dish or a meal in itself
• It takes just a few minutes to make
• Great to have on hand for a protein lunch

Variations And Substitutions

You can customize this recipe and make it work for you. If there is anything you don't like, feel free to switch it out.

• Chickpeas - you can use any beans you want, white beans or great northern beans
• Olives - while kalamata work very well in this Mediterranean tuna salad, any olives that you like will work.
• Capers - as a substitution for capers, you can use green olives that have a similar briny taste.
• Red wine vinegar - the vinegar is quite mild but you can use white wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar.
• Baby tomatoes - for another fresh tang, add baby tomatoes to the salad.
• Marinated artichoke hearts - if you want to add some additional fiber to your plate, toss in some artichoke hearts.

Equipment

• Large bowl
• Small mixing bowl

Storage

You can store this Mediterranean quinoa tuna salad in the refrigerator for several days. It actually will be better the next day once the flavors have been incorporated.

FAQ

Related

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