Elevate your next tuna salad with avocado, cucumber, fresh herbs, and citrus juice. This simple and quick recipe takes the tried and true flavor combination of lime, cilantro, and avocado and pairs it with canned tuna and cucumber to create a hearty dish that can stand alone on the lunch counter or be scooped onto bread, a bed of lettuce, or stuffed into a tomato.
Avocado tuna salad holds up well for later use too, and, thanks to the acid in the lime juice, the avocado doesn’t brown. In fact, the avocado tuna salad maintains a vibrant green color even after it’s been in the refrigerator for a day, but is best eaten as fresh as possible.
This recipe is sugar, gluten, grain, dairy, legume, and nut-free, so it’s a safe bet for most diets including the Whole30 and ketogenic diet. Avocado tuna salad can also be enhanced with whatever ingredients you like, such as chopped cherry tomatoes, capers, extra lime juice, pickles, sliced jalapeños, and so on. Sub out the tuna for another easy-to-use cooked seafood such as lump crab, shrimp, flaked salmon, or chopped scallop.
Ingredients
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2 medium avocados, peeled and cut into chunks
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1 1/2 cups English cucumber, sliced into half circles
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1/2 cup chopped red onion
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1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
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3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
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1 teaspoon or more to taste sea salt
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1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
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15 ounces-can drained and broken apart tuna in water
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lime wedges for serving
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Linnea Covington
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Mix the avocado, cucumber, onion, and cilantro together in a bowl.
The Spruce / Linnea Covington
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Add the olive oil and lime juice and toss. Season with the salt, pepper, and celery seeds. Stir to combine.
The Spruce / Linnea Covington
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Add the tuna and mix well. Try a small bite and adjust seasoning as desired.
The Spruce / Linnea Covington
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Serve and enjoy!
The Spruce / Linnea Covington
How to Store
While this salad doesn't have to be eaten right away, it must be kept refrigerated and should be consumed within a few days. For the greenest avocado, eat within a day.
Recipe Variations
- Elevate this dish even more by using lump crab meat or chopped, cooked shrimp instead of canned tuna. The flavors work well with these foods and the preparation stays that same.
- Add a little heat with chopped fresh jalapeño.
- Add more color with halved or chopped cherry tomatoes.
- Give the salad a briny, salty kick with capers or sliced olives.
- For a creamier tuna salad, add a couple of tablespoons of mayo.
- Skip adding the avocado and cucumber and instead serve the mixture inside an avocado with a fan of cucumbers on the side. It looks pretty and is the perfect meal to serve at a luncheon.
