Gelatin Free Basil-Avocado Tuna Slaw
This vibrant slaw is a serious crowd-pleaser — crunchy shredded cabbage and sweet carrot tossed with flaked tuna and buttery avocado cubes, all tied together by a blender-free basil dressing that comes together in about a minute. The dressing is where the magic happens: fresh basil leaves are mashed with olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, turmeric, and ginger until the whole thing turns a stunning, fragrant green. Many store-bought dressings and flavored tuna products sneak in gelatin-based stabilizers or additives, so making everything from scratch here keeps things completely clean and worry-free. Every ingredient on this list is whole and straightforward — nothing processed, nothing hidden. The technique of folding the avocado in last and drizzling it with the remaining dressing is a small but smart move that keeps those cubes intact and glossy rather than turning into mush. It's the kind of dish that looks impressive in a bowl but genuinely takes almost no effort to pull off. Bright, herbaceous, and satisfying, this one is equally at home as a quick weeknight dinner or something you'd proudly set out for guests.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the slaw
- 3 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (green tops only)
- 2 cans (5 oz each) tuna packed in water, drained and flaked
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes
For the basil dressing
- 1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a small mixing bowl, combine the basil, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, turmeric, and ginger. Using a fork or the back of a spoon, mash and stir vigorously until the basil is bruised and the dressing is cohesive and bright green, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the green cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, and scallion greens. Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the vegetables and toss until every strand is evenly coated.
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