Paleo Basil-Avocado Tuna Slaw
This slaw is a serious crowd-pleaser — crunchy, creamy, herbaceous, and satisfying all at once. Two kinds of cabbage and grated carrot form the crisp base, while cubed avocado adds richness and flaked tuna brings in plenty of lean protein. The real star is the hand-mashed basil dressing, where fresh basil leaves get bruised into extra-virgin olive oil with lemon juice, garlic, turmeric, and ginger until the whole thing turns a vivid, fragrant green. Every ingredient here is whole and unprocessed, so there's no need to scan labels for sneaky grains, legumes, or industrial seed oils — it's naturally clean eating without any substitutions required. Folding the avocado in last and coating it with the reserved dressing keeps the cubes intact and glossy rather than turning the whole bowl into mush. A squeeze of fresh lemon right before serving brightens everything up and makes the flavors pop. It comes together in one large bowl with minimal fuss, making it an ideal weeknight dinner or a meal-prep lunch that actually holds up.
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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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