The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
This Healthy Tuna Salad Without Mayo is made with a delicious lemon dressing filled with flavorful veggies and chickpeas. Serve it on its own, over lettuce, or in sandwiches.
It costs about $6.65 to make this recipe. The recipe makes six servings for $1.10 per serving.
We love making healthy and satisfying meals for our family. Recipes like this Chicken and Pepper Stir Fry, Healthy Chicken Vegetable Soup, Zucchini Taco Boats, and of course, this Tuna Salad are just a few of our favorites.
Healthy Tuna Salad
Are you tired of plain salad, again and again for lunch? Try this Healthy Tuna Salad recipe for a nice change to your routine.
It can be served as a light lunch or a cold summer dinner. Either way, it is filling and satisfying.
This Tuna Salad is healthy, full of flavor, simple to make, light, and fresh. The creamy texture, along with the crunchy bites of celery and bell pepper throughout, makes for the perfect combination. With a bit of zest from the lemon dressing, you will not even miss the mayo!
Tuna Salad is a great healthy meal option because it is high in protein but low in calories. We love serving it over a bed of lettuce, in a pita pocket, with crackers, or in a croissant.
This Tuna Salad is so delicious, any way you eat it, it is just a bonus that it happens to be healthy too!
Ingredients & Cost:
- 5-ounce can of tuna packed in olive oil – $2.36
- 15.5-ounce can chickpeas – $0.86
- ¼ cup capers – $1.20
- 2 large garlic cloves – $0.10
- 2 large celery stalks – $0.18
- 1 medium red bell pepper – $1.38
- 1 small shallot – $0.07
- ¼ cup lemon juice – $0.25
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil – $0.16
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard – $0.04
- 1 teaspoon salt – $0.01
- ¼ teaspoon pepper – $0.03
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes – $0.01
To learn more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
INSTRUCTIONS
- First, using a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to make the lemon dressing.
- Next, chop all the veggies for the tuna salad.
- Then add the tuna, chickpeas, capers, garlic, and veggies to a large bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the tuna salad and mix. Let the salad sit for five minutes to marinate.
- Finally, serve over lettuce or in pita pockets or croissants.
***See full recipe instructions in the recipe card below.
RECIPE VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
If you are not a huge fan of lemon, you can reduce the amount of lemon to 3 tablespoons. It will still taste great!!
STORAGE TIPS
SERVE: You shouldn’t leave this Tuna Salad out for longer than two hours.
STORE: This will stay fresh in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to five days.
FREEZE: This recipe does not freeze and thaw well so we do not recommend freezing it.
COOK’S TOOLS
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
- Whisk
- Measuring cups
- Mixing spoon
RECIPE FAQs
Some recipes call for Greek Yogurt as a substitute for mayo. So we enjoy the flavor combo of lemon and tuna. We opted to leave the mayo out altogether and not substitute Greek Yogurt to get the full impact of the lemon flavor in the lemon dressing we mix in with the tuna mixture.
Tuna fish is an excellent source of protein. Tuna also holds a high level of omega-3 fatty acids, which studies have shown help reduce heart attack and cardiovascular disease rates. If you are looking for another tuna fish recipe, try our classic Tuna Noodle Casserole.
GET KIDS INVOLVED
Ages 2-3: Practice counting skills with your toddler as they help you pour the ingredients into the mixing bowls. Ask them to count the number of ingredients for the dressing and the tuna mixture.
Ages 4-5: Guide your child’s hands as you teach them how to whisk the dressing. Once they know how to whisk properly, they can do this independently.
Ages 6-8: Ask your child to measure the ingredients for the dressing and the tuna mixture.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
BUDGET TIPS
Eating healthy can be expensive, making it difficult to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Tuna is a great option to eat healthy on a budget. A can of tuna is an affordable choice and easy to stock up on to keep your pantry filled with a healthy option.
MORE HEALTHY RECIPES
- Instant Pot Quinoa
- Easy Hummus
- Instant Pot Lentil Bolognese
- Quinoa Buddha Bowls
- Asparagus in the Oven
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Oven Baked Salmon
- Italian Zucchini Boats
- 15-Minute Skillet Tilapia
- BBQ Chicken Salad
Healthy Tuna Salad Without Mayo
Equipment
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
- whisk
- measuring cups
- mixing spoon
Ingredients
LEMON DRESSING:
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
TUNA SALAD:
- 6 ounce can tuna packed in olive oil drained and separated into large pieces
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup capers drained of liquid
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 large celery stalks chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
GARNISH:
- Chopped parsley optional
Instructions
MAKE LEMON DRESSING:
- In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Whisk well to combine.
PREP SALAD:
- Chop all the veggies for the tuna salad.
- In a large bowl add the tuna pieces, chickpeas, capers, garlic, celery, red bell pepper, and shallot.
MIX SALAD:
- Pour the lemon dressing over the tuna salad and mix gently.
- Let the salad sit for 5 minutes to marinate.
- Serve or cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
love how simple and healthy this is! The addition of the garbanzo beans adds nice crunch and texture.
Mirlene says
Such a flavorful tuna salad that tastes just right! I try to avoid using mayo in my salads and keep it light and healthy.
kushigalu@gmail.com says
How colorful and flavorful is this salad recipe. Thanks for sharing. Pinned to make this soon.
Ieva says
Yum! Had this salad for lunch yesterday, and stuffed the leftovers in a pitta bread for today! Wonderful recipe!
Dannii says
I love a good tuna salad for something filling and nutritious. This looks amazing.
Samantha says
This is really good!
Jess Jankowski says
Samantha, so glad you love it as much as we do!