Mediterranean tuna salad with creamy feta dressing

4.85 from 20 votes

Mediterranean tuna salad with creamy feta dressing

Recipe video above. A tuna salad unlike any other you've had before! Tabbouleh vibes with a creamy feta dressing, loaded with bright Mediterranean favourites like lemon, olives, tomato, cucumber and red radish. Eat in a bowl with a spoon. Or stuff into pita bread. SO GOOD!

Low cal, nutritious, low carb, economical, filling and outstandingly delicious. It's a home run!

Course: Lunch, Main, Side

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: canned tuna recipe, mediterranean salad, Tuna Salad

Servings: - 4

Calories: 421cal

Author: Nagi

Ingredients

Salad:

3 tightly packed cups finely chopped curly kale (~6 - 7 kale stems, yes really!) (Note 1)
2 tomatoes , chopped into 1 cm / 1/3" squares (use the juices too!)
1 red capsicum / bell pepper , chopped into 8mm / 1/3" squares
1 cucumber , cut lengthwise into 6 or 8 wedges, the chopped into 8mm/1/3" pieces
1 cup roughly chopped parsley leaves
8 red radish , chopped into 8mm / 1/3" squares (sub 1 small red onion or 2 green onion stems)
1/2 cup whole pitted kalamata olives , cut into quarters
50g/ 1.5 oz Danish feta (the creamy sort, not crumbly Greek feta) (Note 2)
425g/ 15 oz canned tuna in oil , drained (Note 3, choose responsibly)

Dressing:

100g/ 3.5 oz Danish feta (Note 2)
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small garlic clove
1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp water , if needed

Serving option:

Pita bread pockets , warmed, cut in half
Also see Dressing extra flavour options (Note 4)

Instructions

Dressing - Put all the ingredients EXCEPT the water in a jug just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz until smooth. Add water 1 tsp at a time until it's a thick drizzle-able consistency (don't dilute flavour too much). Then taste and add more salt if needed (feta saltiness varies by brand).
Salad - Place all the salad ingredients EXCEPT the feta and tuna in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing, toss. Crumble feta in, toss (it will smear - we like!). Add the tuna and gently toss, trying to keep some chunks rather than it all crumbling into tiny pieces.
Taste and add more lemon if desired (I enjoy this on the tart side - tuna can take it!).
Serve in bowls with spoons for digging in! Tuck warm pita pockets on the side, or use the tuna salad to stuff inside the pita (it's sooooo good!).

Notes

1. Kale - Goal here is to chop it up like you would parsley for tabbouleh or garnishing! Curly kale is easier to chop because the shape of leaf lends itself to "crumbling" (as long as it's fresh and perky, not old and floppy). However, tuscan kale (aka cavolo nero/black or lacinato kale - photo here) can be used in a pinch.

Finely chopped kale (watch video) - Grab the base of the kale stem and run your hand up the stem to strip the leaves off. Discard tough stem (or add to vegetable stock). Bundle the kale leaves tightly then finely chop like you would parsley leaves! I run my knife through to cut finely into strips, then I chop 90° the other way. Or - use your food processor :) (Though the pieces will get a little smaller). To measure, pack tightly into cups. You really will need 5 large or 6 to 7 medium stems!

Substitute - baby spinach, cabbage or other greens sturdy enough to finely chop.

2. Danish feta - the creamy type, blends effortlessly into a creamy dressing. If using Greek feta, the dressing will take a little more blitzing effort to make it smooth and a dollop of yogurt to help make it creamy wouldn't go astray either.

3. Tuna in oil is tastier than tuna in brine / spring water!

Sustainable choices - read the can label and opt for: skipjack tuna that is pole and line caught ie no nets (best) or FAD-free (next best). Avoid: Bluefin and bigeye tuna. Eat less: Yellowfin and albacore. See Choosing Sustainable Canned Tuna for my guide.

4. Extra flavouring options - This salad gets flavour and salt from tuna so the dressing doesn't need wild flavours. If you want to use this dressing on a side salad, suggest adding one or all these options to give it a flavour boost (else you might find it a little plain):

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
1/8 - 1/4 tsp finely chopped garlic (use with caution, raw garlic flavour can be harsh)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Extra salt

Leftovers holds up well for 2 days because kale doesn't turn into a soggy mess even once dressed. It does get a little watery though (from tomato and cucumber juices) so if you intend to make ahead or keep leftovers, I would add a little extra feta in the dressing and skip the water to make it thicker (like mayo consistency) to anticipate the dilution.

Nutrition per serving for 4 people.

Nutrition