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This Mediterranean tuna salad is fresh, flavorful, and healthy lunch or dinner! This mayonnaise-free tuna salad is fast and easy to make and the leftovers are delicious too!
Looking for another tuna salad recipe? Try this avocado chickpea tuna salad.
Why I love it
No mayo tuna salad – As much as I love classic tuna salad, I love an alternative that doesn’t use mayonnaise. Instead of mayo, this tuna salad uses a red wine vinaigrette.
Fresh and flavorful – Tuna salad can sometimes be a little one note in the flavor department. This Mediterranean version is packed full of fresh, briny, salty flavors and has lots of texture.
Meal prep – If you like to have lunches or dinners ready to go at the beginning of the week, this tuna salad is a great option. It holds up well for several days in the fridge.
The ingredients
- Tuna – You can use canned tuna in water or olive oil. I find that tuna packed in olive oil is more flavorful.
- Cucumber – English or Persian cucumbers work best. If using English, use a spoon to scrape out the seeds so the salad doesn’t get watery.
- Red onion – They have a sharper taste than yellow onions and work well raw in salads.
- Roasted red peppers – Naturally sweet, tender, and full of flavor.
- Kalamata olives – Deep brown in color and almond shaped. They’re grown in Greece and have briny, salty flavor and meaty texture.
- Chickpeas – Chickpeas are a great way to bulk up tuna salad with extra protein and fiber.
- Flat leaf parsley – Fresh herbs always brighten up the flavor of salads.
- Red wine vinegar – The acidic component of the vinaigrette.
- Dijon mustard – The emulsifier in the vinaigrette.
- Olive oil – Another emulsifier for the vinaigrette.
- Garlic powder and dried oregano
How to make Mediterranean tuna salad
Prep the vegetables – Start by chopping the cucumber, onion, roasted red peppers, olives, and parsley. I like to keep the cucumbers, red peppers, and olives fairly similar in size so that you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
Make the vinaigrette – In a jar with a lid or bowl, add all of the ingredients including salt and pepper. Whisk or shake until well combined.
Combine Ingredients – Add all of the ingredients for the salad into a bowl. Pour on the vinaigrette and toss everything together until combined. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
Make ahead tips and storage
Make ahead – To save time, the vegetables can be chopped a day in advance. You can also make the vinaigrette 2-3 days in advance. Wait to combine everything on the day you plan to serve it.
Storage – The Mediterranean tuna salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Ways to serve it
This salad is hearty enough that you can eat it as is, but if you’re looking for ways to change up the leftover, here’s a few ideas.
- Serve on top of romaine lettuce or make lettuce wraps with it.
- Make a wrap out of it with tortillas.
- Stuff it inside of pita bread or wrap it up in a piece of naan.
- Add a grain to it such as farro, Israeli cous cous, or quinoa.
Variations and substitutions
- Instead of tuna use canned salmon.
- Roasted red peppers can be replaced with a regular red bell pepper.
- Switch up some of the vegetables. Try using cherry tomatoes and/or celery.
- Add additional fresh herbs. I love using fresh dill.
- Instead of red wine vinaigrette make a lemon vinaigrette like I used in this strawberry spinach quinoa salad.
More Mediterranean recipes
Did you make this Mediterranean tuna salad? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Ingredients
Tuna Salad
- 5 ounce can tuna drained and flaked apart
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped English or Persian cucumbers
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette to a jar with a lid or a bowl. Shake or whisk until well combined.
- Add all of the ingredients for the tuna salad to a serving bowl. Pour on the vinaigrette and toss together. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love this mediterranean tuna salad recipe, it’s so delicious and makes me happy.
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for making it.
I absolutely love this recipe, it’s so delicious! It includes my favorite ingredients, red onion and flat leaf parsley. perfect quick dinner!