Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing Recipe
A refreshing and healthy Mediterranean tuna salad featuring finely chopped kale, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, radish, olives, and parsley, all tossed in a creamy, tangy Danish feta dressing. This salad is perfect for a light lunch or dinner and pairs wonderfully with warm pita bread pockets for a satisfying Mediterranean-inspired meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Salad:
- 3 tightly packed cups finely chopped curly kale (~6–7 kale stems)
- 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, then chopped into 8mm / 1/3″ pieces
- 1 cup roughly chopped parsley leaves
- 8 red radish, chopped into 8mm / 1/3″ squares (or substitute 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 (creamy sort, not crumbly Greek feta)
- 425g / 15 oz canned tuna in oil, drained (choose responsibly)
Dressing:
- 100g / 3.5 oz Danish feta
- 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 and cut in half
- See Dressing extra flavour options (not specified)
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: Place all dressing ingredients except the water into a jug just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blend until smooth, then add water one teaspoon at a time to reach a thick drizzle-able consistency. Be careful not to dilute the flavor too much. Taste the dressing and adjust salt if necessary, considering the saltiness of your feta.
- Prepare the salad base: In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients except the feta and tuna. These include the finely chopped kale, tomatoes, red capsicum, cucumber, parsley, radish, and quartered kalamata olives.
- Toss with dressing: Pour the prepared feta dressing over the salad mixture and toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly.
- Add feta to salad: Crumble the 50g creamy Danish feta into the salad and toss gently. The feta will smear slightly, adding to the creamy texture and flavor.
- Add tuna: Gently add the drained canned tuna in oil to the salad, folding it in carefully to keep some chunks intact rather than breaking it into very small pieces.
- Adjust seasoning: Taste the salad and add extra lemon juice if desired for a more tart flavor, which complements the tuna well.
- Serve: Serve the salad in bowls with spoons for easy eating. Optionally, add warmed pita bread pockets on the side or stuff the salad inside for a delicious handheld meal.
Notes
- Note 1: Use tightly packed curly kale for a good texture and volume; stems included.
- Note 2: Danish feta should be the creamy kind for dressing and salad, not the crumbly Greek style for best flavor and texture.
- Note 3: Choose canned tuna in oil responsibly, considering sustainable sources.
- Note 4: Dressing can be enhanced with extra flavors (not specified in detail in the recipe).
Keywords: Mediterranean tuna salad, kale salad, feta dressing, healthy salad, no-cook salad, summer salad, tuna recipes, Mediterranean diet
