Fresh and Delicious Avocado Tuna Salad

This amazing avocado tuna salad is perfect for anyone who wants a healthy, filling meal that tastes absolutely incredible! Your family will love how creamy and fresh it tastes, plus it gives you tons of protein and healthy fats to keep you satisfied all afternoon.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Active Time: 15 minutes, Total Time: 15 minutes, Serves: 6 people.

Nutrition Profile: Soy-Free, High-Fiber, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Calorie.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 338 Calories, 27g Fat, 10g Carbs, 17g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Extra-virgin olive oil: You’ll need 3 tablespoons of the good stuff. This creates the base of our tasty dressing and adds healthy fats that make everything taste amazing.

Fresh lemon juice: Just 2 tablespoons will brighten up the whole salad. The acidity keeps your avocados looking fresh and green too!

Salt: A simple ¼ teaspoon brings out all the flavors. Don’t skip this little bit – it makes such a difference.

Ripe avocados: You’ll want 2 medium ones, chopped up into bite-sized pieces (about 2½ cups total). Make sure they’re perfectly ripe but not mushy.

Solid white tuna in oil: Two 5-ounce cans, drained and flaked with a fork. The oil-packed tuna tastes so much better than water-packed for this recipe.

Romaine hearts: You need 4 cups of these crispy leaves. They add the perfect crunch and make this salad really filling.

English cucumber: One cup chopped up gives you refreshing bites throughout. I love how cool and crisp it tastes with the creamy avocado.

Feta cheese: ⅓ cup crumbled adds a wonderful salty, tangy flavor that pairs beautifully with everything else.

Sliced almonds: ¼ cup toasted almonds give you amazing crunch and nutty flavor. You can buy them already toasted to save time!

Kalamata olives: ¼ cup chopped and pitted brings that perfect briny taste. These Greek olives are so flavorful and rich.

Fresh flat-leaf parsley: 3 tablespoons chopped adds beautiful color and fresh herb flavor to finish everything off.

How to Make Avocado Tuna Salad

Step 1: Grab a large mixing bowl and whisk together your olive oil, lemon juice, and salt until smooth. Add your chopped avocados right away and gently toss them around to coat completely. This lemon mixture keeps them from turning brown!

Step 2: Now add your flaked tuna, romaine hearts, chopped cucumber, crumbled feta, toasted almonds, olives, and fresh parsley to the bowl. Use a big spoon or your hands to gently toss everything together until it’s all mixed up nicely.

Step 3: Serve this beauty right away for the best taste and texture. If you need to wait, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 1 hour, but it’s really best fresh!

Easy and Quick Avocado Tuna Salad Version

Want to make this even faster? You can buy pre-chopped romaine lettuce and skip the toasting step for the almonds! Just use ¼ cup of already-toasted sliced almonds from the store. You can also use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh – just use the same 2 tablespoons. This saves you about 5 minutes and still tastes fantastic!

Serving Ideas

This avocado tuna salad is already a complete meal all by itself! It’s packed with protein, healthy fats, and fresh vegetables. If you want to make it even more filling, try serving it with some warm pita bread or crispy whole grain crackers on the side. A simple slice of crusty sourdough toast makes it feel like a fancy lunch too!

Storage

This salad is best eaten fresh, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 24 hours in an airtight container. The avocados might brown a little bit, but it will still taste great. Give it a gentle stir before eating and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten it back up!

Substitutions

No feta cheese? You can swap in goat cheese or even skip the cheese completely. If you don’t have Kalamata olives, regular black olives work fine too. You can use any type of lettuce you like instead of romaine – butter lettuce or mixed greens are both delicious. Don’t have almonds? Try chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds instead!

Pro Tips

• Perfect avocados: Choose avocados that give slightly when you press them but aren’t mushy. They should feel like a ripe peach.
• Toast your own almonds: If you have time, toast raw sliced almonds in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes. They smell amazing and taste so much better!
• Drain tuna well: Press the tuna with paper towels after draining to remove extra oil. This keeps your salad from getting too oily.
• Gentle mixing: Don’t over-mix or your avocados will get mushy. Just fold everything together carefully.

FAQs

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

You can prep most ingredients ahead, but I’d wait to add the avocados until right before serving. The lemon juice helps, but avocados always taste best when they’re freshly cut. You can make the dressing and prep all the other ingredients up to a day ahead though!

What if I don’t like feta cheese?

Sure! You can leave it out completely or try fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, or even shredded cheddar. The salad is still delicious without any cheese at all if you prefer.

Can I use water-packed tuna instead?

You bet! Water-packed tuna works fine, but the oil-packed version adds more flavor and richness to the salad. If you use water-packed, you might want to add an extra tablespoon of olive oil to the dressing.

How do I know if my avocados are ripe enough?

Gently press the avocado near the stem end. It should give slightly but not feel mushy. The skin might be dark green to almost black, depending on the variety. If it’s too hard, let it sit on your counter for a day or two!

I hope you love this fresh and healthy avocado tuna salad as much as my family does! Let me know how it turns out for you and if you try any fun variations. Happy cooking, friend!