Citric Acid Free Lemon Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Fresh lemon juice and zest do the heavy lifting here, replacing any processed citric acid additives you'd find lurking in bottled dressings or packaged seasoning blends. The bright, clean acidity comes entirely from whole fruit, so you know exactly what's going into every bite. Flaked tuna gets tossed with crisp English cucumber, briny Kalamata olives, capers, and a handful of fresh herbs — parsley, mint, and optional basil — for a salad that tastes genuinely vibrant and Mediterranean. A whisked dressing of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon, turmeric, and ginger ties everything together with warmth and a subtle golden hue. The technique matters too: keeping the tuna in large flakes rather than a fine mash gives the salad real texture and makes it feel more like a proper meal than a sandwich filling. It comes together quickly with no cooking required, and it holds up well in the fridge for a day, making it an easy prep-ahead lunch option.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 3 cans (5 oz each) tuna packed in water, drained
- 1 english cucumber, diced small
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced (green tops only)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, turmeric, ginger, and salt until combined.
- 2
Add the drained tuna to a large mixing bowl and break it apart with a fork into large flakes — not a fine mash.
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