No-Cook Whole30 Antipasto Salad with Tuna

I’m going to be gut-level honest here: for most of my life, tuna has been a most unappetizing food to me.  There was once a tragic occurrence where I, at several months pregnant, made a giant bowl of tuna pasta salad, ate one forkful, and promptly pitched the whole thing.  But (wild caught, low-mercury) tuna has such an incredible nutrient profile and it’s so budget-friendly and convenient for the pantry, that I wanted to like it.  So when  Safe Catch reached out to ask if I’d be interested in developing a recipe to incorporate their tuna, I decided to take the challenge.  I created this Whole30 antipasto salad with tuna specifically for the clean canned tuna, and I can honestly say, my palate has been refined.  I loved it!

Sometimes it’s a hard sell with my guys to offer salad for dinner; they have it in their heads that “salad isn’t filling enough.”  But with 10-16 grams of protein per serving, the tuna makes this salad a perfect no-cook dinner.  And because the ingredients are all literally straight from their packaging, this no-cook meal couldn’t be easier for advance meal prep.  (If you’re not doing Whole30, I highly recommend Simple Mills crackers or their amazing artisan bread mix to create a warm side for your main-dish salad.  Even though my family doesn’t all eat grain-free, they ate the whole batch the first time I made muffins with that artisan bread mix.  And it was super-simple to make.)

One of my favorite discoveries, as I work on my own health, is the variety of dairy-free cheese now available with clean ingredients.

The Violife dairy-free feta is delicious on everything from salad to grain-free pasta (try it with my Quinoa Salad!).

If you’re doing Whole30 and have questions about cheese, be sure to check the official website.  Caroline at Olive You Whole has an excellent article on Whole30 and cheese and its relationship to our emotional connection with food, which is totally worth reading.  Not into cheese on your tuna salad?  Leave it out; this meal is packed with flavor!

Love the idea of a non-dairy feta?  I’m going to try this vegan baked feta made with almonds and this vegan whipped feta next; I’ve been craving whipped feta since my sweet friend and neighbor brought me the most delicious gift of it at Christmas!

The magic of salad and soups… well really with any recipe… is that you can make it your own.  Swap the protein for grilled salmon or chicken, try a different dressing, or add/omit any ingredients you choose!  This salad would be amazing with fresh dill and a mustard-dill dressing and salmon, or taken in a more southwest direction with cilantro and a fresh lemon garlic and avocado dressing.

Here are some other favorite salad recipes (and several of these would be great with the tuna or salmon and/or vegan feta, too!):

• Autumn Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Cherries and Walnuts
• Easy Mason Jar Salads
• Strawberry Poppyseed Kale Mason Jar Salads
• Spiralized Apple Salad with Chicken and Berries

Print

Antipasto Salad with Tuna

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: gluten-free, grain-free, Mediterranean, paleo

Keyword: easy lunch recipes, grain-free, Keto, meal prep, Paleo

Author: Angela Sackett | Everyday Welcome

Ingredients

• 1 head iceberg lettuce chopped
• 1 head green leaf or Romaine lettuce chopped
• 1 4 ounce package thinly sliced prosciutto*
• ¼ cup pepperoncini or sliced banana peppers*
• 1 jar marinated artichokes*
• ½ red onion thinly sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives pitted
• ½ cup roasted red pepper thinly sliced
• ¼ cup fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon olive-oil packed capers
• 1 5 ounce can wild caught tuna packed in water
• Optional: ½ cup vegan feta* see notes
• To serve: fresh lemon sliced

Creamy Lemon Dijon Dressing:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 date
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard*
• 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence or Italian herb blend
• 1 clove garlic
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions

1. In a large serving bowl or platter, combine iceberg and Romaine lettuce.
2. Layer remaining ingredients on top, finishing with fresh basil.
3. For dressing, combine all ingredients in high-speed blender; process for 30 seconds on high speed.
4. Just before serving, toss with dressing (or serve on the side). Serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe Notes

Be sure to choose ingredients that work best for you. “Cheese,” even with compatible ingredients, may trigger cravings for some.
*Check all ingredients for Whole30 compatibility.

Other Safe Catch products I’ve tried and can personally recommend are the yellowfin tuna steak, the pink salmon, and my very favorite, the wild catch tuna in olive oil.  It’s rich and not at all fishy, and the olive oil gives it such depth of flavor.  The Safe Catch products are all tested to have the lowest mercury content so they’re a great choice for kiddos and pregnant women.

What’s your favorite fast, high-protein meal?  How will you make this recipe your own?  Please leave a comment or a rating to help others find this Whole30 Antipasto Salad with Tuna recipe.  🙂

Inspiring (nutrient-dense, simple-to-prepare) welcome,

Angela