Tuna Salad

By Julia · 1 commentsUpdated Apr 15, 2020 · Published Feb 18, 2020

Looking for a simple low carb salad? This tuna salad has refreshing Mediterranean and Italian inspired flavors, tossed with a light dressing without mayo. It’s great for keto and paleo diets, and easily customizable to suit a variety of tastes.

Tuna Salad

5.00 from 1 ratings

Prep: 15 mins
Total: 15 mins
Makes: 3 servings

Ingredients

2 (5-ounce) cans solid albacore tuna in water
1 large rib celery, minced (1/2 cup)
1 (6-ounce) package grape tomatoes, quartered (1 cup) (Note 1)
4 scallions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup) (Note 2)
1/4 cup drained capers (Note 3)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Drain Tuna: Open cans of tuna and overturn them into fine-mesh strainer or colander over sink. Firmly press down with paper towels to squeeze out water (Note 4).
Mix Together: Mash now-dry tuna with fork in mixing bowl until finely flaked. Add all other ingredients to mixing bowl and stir until well-mixed.
Adjust & Serve: Taste, adjusting salt and pepper as desired. For stronger lemon flavor, stir in another tablespoon of lemon juice. Serve (Note 5) and store any leftovers (Note 6).

Nutrition

Makes 3 Servings

Amount Per Serving (1 cup):

Calories 220 (62% from fat)
Total Fat 15g	23%
Saturated Fat 2g	10%
Cholesterol 23mg	8%
Sodium 880mg	37%
Net Carb 5g
Total Carb 6.5g	2%
Dietary Fiber 1.5g	6%
Sugars 2.5g
Protein 14g

Vitamin A 11% · Vitamin C 30% · Calcium 2% · Iron 4%

Photos

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Grape Tomatoes. You can also use cherry tomatoes. I like using multi-color varieties.

(2) Scallions. They're also known as green onions. I use both green and white parts.

(3) Capers. They're usually packaged in jars, and found in U.S. grocery store aisles alongside jarred and canned vegetables. You can use them to add a pop of flavor in a variety of savory dishes, like Lemon Chicken Piccata. They can be substituted with diced olives.

(4) Pressing Tuna. This step is important; by squeezing out the liquid, you'll avoid a watery tuna salad.

(5) Serving. Serve this tuna salad by itself or wrapped. You can wrap it in lettuce cups or low carb tortillas. For the latter, I use store-bought ones by Mission that range from 3g to 6g net carbs apiece. You can also use this tuna salad as filling for a bagel sandwich (see Keto Bagels Recipe).

(6) Leftovers. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 day. For longer storage periods, keep the more delicate ingredients (tomatoes and scallions) uncut and separate from other ingredients until ready to serve. Before serving, toss the salad to re-incorporate any separated dressing.

(7) Salad Variations. Customize this salad to your preferences by adding in extra ingredients such as chopped avocado, hard-boiled eggs, olives, or cucumbers.