4.74 17 Published Jun 12, 2017, Updated Sep 20, 2022 One of my best tips for eating healthfully at summer cookouts is to bring a healthy dish to share. That way you know there’s at least one nutritious thing to enjoy and you get to introduce your friends and family to something healthy and delicious. That said, most of your standard bbq side dishes are pretty heavy on the carbs and fat without a ton of protein, but this one has the full package of carbs, healthy fats and protein from the tuna and lentils.
Ingredients in Lentil Tuna Salad
In general, the salad ingredients are pretty simple, so what really makes this salad is the apple cider vinegar turmeric dressing. Here’s what you need to make this delicious (and super easy) tuna salad:
canned tuna – I used Genova’s albacore tuna packed in olive oil. It’s wild-caught, delicious and comes in easy to open cans. No can opener needed!beluga lentils (black lentils) – I’m personally always happy when I find recipes that use lentils because you don’t have to soak them (although you certainly can) and they cook up quickly, in about 20-25 minutes or so.red onion, red bell pepper & cucumber – these fresh veggies add a nice crunch to the salad.golden raisins – I love the pop of sweetness from the golden raisins.cilantro – adding fresh cilantro to this salad gives it such great flavor.avocado – adds a nice creaminess to the salad and some healthy fat.sea salt – a must-have for a tasty tuna salad.apple cider vinegar turmeric dressing – a super simple dressing that has this sweet and spicy thing going on from the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, turmeric, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, and olive oil.
Notes & Substitutions
Lentils – I like to cook my own lentils, but to make this recipe come together even quicker you can totally use pre-cooked, steamed lentils. Stores like Kroger carry the Melissa’s steamed lentils and steamed lentils are one of my favorite items to buy from Trader Joe’s. Mix-ins – Feel free to switch up your mix-ins for this tuna salad… I often do! Sometimes I change up the veggies based on what I have on hand and add extra herbs like fresh dill (so good!). Feel free to get creative and make this your own! Red onion – Not a fan of red onion feel free to use yellow onion instead. Feta – Adding feta to this salad would be a great addition if you don’t need it to be dairy free.
Benefits of Lentils
Beluga lentils (black lentils) are high in anthocyanins, the same antioxidants found in deep purple fruits like blueberries and plums which are being studied for their memory-boosting and cancer-fighting properties.
How to Serve Lentil Tuna Salad
I love meal prepping protein-packed salads because there are so many different ways you can eat them. Serve it as a meal, side salad or just an afternoon snack… I’ve been known to do all three! Here’s how to enjoy it:
Eat as is – it’s definitely a complete meal on it’s own.Over a bed of greens – I am a volume eater so I love starting with a base of greens and topping it with this salad.Lettuce cups – scoop into a lettuce leaf for a crunchy and fresh wrap. Romaine, butter or iceberg lettuce works great for this.In a wrap – scoop into a whole grain wrap and add some greens for a little extra crunch and you have a satisfying wrap!On toast/as a sandwich – I love this as both an open faced sandwich on toasted bread or a more traditional sandwich with un-toasted bread. With crackers or tortilla chips – This is a great snack or appetizer when eaten like a dip with crackers or chips. It’s delicious when paired with my almond flour crackers.
Prepping and Storing Tuna Salad
This tuna lentil salad is the perfect meal prep recipe! One batch makes a big serving, so you’ll be set with lunches or dinners all week long. If you’re prepping this salad in advance, I would recommend leaving the avocado out and adding that in right before serving. After mixing all of the ingredients together, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The salad will keep for 3-4 days.
More Tuna Recipes to Try:
Tuna SaladSimple Lemon Tuna SaladTuna Salad with EggSpaghetti Squash Tuna Noodle Casserole BoatsBroccoli Avocado Tuna BowlBBQ Hummus Tuna SandwichSweet Potato Tuna Salad (No Mayo)Tuna Curry Bowl with Cauliflower RiceTuna, Broccoli and Kale Caesar Pasta Salad
Other Protein Salads to Try:
Tofu “Chicken” SaladGreek Yogurt Chicken SaladAlmond Butter Chicken SaladCurry Chicken SaladAvocado Egg Salad Turkey Salad
Be sure to check out all of the tuna recipes as well as the full collection of salad recipes on EBF! Inspired by My New Roots Best Lentil Salad.
