Make Ahead

Fresh from the Garden Tuna Salad

by:
June 23, 2011
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Fresh from the Garden Tuna Salad
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

I created this recipe after enjoying a similar dish at one of my favorite cafes. The best thing about this tuna salad is that unlike many traditional tuna salads, it requires no mayo! Instead, I make a "cashew mayo" dressing that serves as the binder for the tuna salad. Because the salad is dairy and egg-free, you don't have to worry about keeping it cold in your picnic basket. Not only is this tuna salad easy to transport, but it is extremely tasty and might I add, healthy, including just about anything that you could find in a garden in it! For your next picnic I would serve this tuna salad in some butter lettuce cups or with some whole-grain crackers! MANGIA! —misschels

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Tuna Salad
  • 24 ounces canned tuna in water, drained
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 small-medium Gala apple, finely diced
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup celery, finely diced
  • 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • Cashew Mayo
  • 1/4 cup raw unsalted cashew pieces
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
Directions
  1. Tuna Salad
  2. Drain and place the tuna in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Use a fork to shred the tuna into small pieces (to me, this makes more tuna salad...you don't want a bunch of large chunks).
  4. Prepare the vegetables and apple accordingly and place them in a separate large bowl.
  5. Mix the vegetables and apple together using a spatula until well combined.
  6. Add the tuna to the vegetable and apple mixture and combine thoroughly.
  7. Add the parsley and stone ground mustard, mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
  1. Cashew Mayo
  2. Add all of the cashew mayo ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend into a mayo-like consistency (the dressing should be smooth and have a partially thick consistency).
  3. Pour the cashew mayo over the tuna salad and combine until fully incorporated.
  4. Place the tuna salad in the fridge and allow the salad to marinate for at least one hour.
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4 Reviews

AllyK
AllyK September 13, 2015
Delicious! I made it with light mayo because I wasn't sure I could trick my dad into liking the vegan dressing. LOL!
 
Adelucchi
Adelucchi September 26, 2011
My bootcamp group loved it!! I am sending them the recipe to them right now. Thanks
Oh yes, one of the things they liked was the crunchiness. Even though it does take patience, hand chopping is preferred over food processing. Thanks again for sharing.

Bootcamp Alma
 
misschels
misschels September 22, 2011
Wow! I am sooooo glad you enjoyed it. Occasionally, I do squeeze a bit of lemon juice on mine for added flavor and zest. Let me know how boot camp turns out!
 
Adelucchi
Adelucchi September 22, 2011
I made this salad on a hot day for members of our band. It was a great hit and didn't weigh us down for practice. All the veggies took a lot of time to chop and dice but were delicious. I worried that the cashew mayo was not enough but after it marinated for an hour or more it was just fine. One person asked for lemon. When I make it again I may make some extra mayo for those who might like the salad more creamy and I'll serve lemon wedges with it. . I'm making it for my bootcamp friends this weekend. We'll see how they like it.

Bootcamp Alma