Homemade Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Making a satisfying lunch that’s both healthy and flavorful can feel like an uphill battle, especially when you’re trying to avoid the heavy mayo-based salads that leave you feeling sluggish by mid-afternoon. And if you’re anything like me, you want something that actually tastes good while still keeping things light and nutritious.

That’s where this Mediterranean tuna salad comes in. It skips the mayo entirely and relies on bright, fresh ingredients like crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and tangy feta cheese, all tossed together with a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing. It’s packed with protein, comes together in about 15 minutes, and tastes even better the next day—making it perfect for meal prep or a quick weeknight dinner.

What Kind of Tuna Should I Use?

For this Mediterranean tuna salad, you have a few options when it comes to choosing your tuna. Solid white albacore tuna packed in water is a popular choice and gives you nice, chunky pieces that hold up well in the salad. If you prefer a milder flavor and softer texture, chunk light tuna works great too and is usually more budget-friendly. You can also go for tuna packed in olive oil instead of water – it adds extra richness and flavor that fits perfectly with the Mediterranean vibe of this recipe. Just make sure to drain your tuna well before adding it to the salad, regardless of which type you choose.

Options for Substitutions

This fresh salad is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Tuna: You can swap canned tuna for canned salmon, cooked shrimp, or even canned chicken if you prefer. For a vegetarian option, try chickpeas or white beans instead.
• Red onion: If red onion is too strong for you, use green onions or shallots for a milder flavor. You can also soak the red onion in cold water for 10 minutes to mellow it out.
• Artichoke hearts: No artichokes? Try roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, or marinated mushrooms for that same Mediterranean feel.
• Feta cheese: Crumbled goat cheese or shaved parmesan work well here. For a dairy-free version, just leave it out – the salad still tastes great.
• Olives: Use whatever olives you like – kalamata, green, or black all work. If you’re not an olive fan, you can skip them or add capers for a similar briny taste.
• Vinegar: Red wine vinegar is traditional, but white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or fresh lemon juice all work perfectly in this salad.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making tuna salad is not draining the canned tuna thoroughly enough, which can leave your salad watery and dilute all those great Mediterranean flavors – press the tuna firmly with a fork or paper towel to get out every last bit of liquid.

Another common error is chopping your vegetables too large, especially the cucumber and tomatoes, which makes the salad harder to eat and prevents the flavors from mixing well – aim for bite-sized pieces that are roughly the same size as the tuna chunks.

Don’t add the salt until the very end since olives, feta, and canned tuna are already pretty salty, and taste as you go to avoid an overly salty dish.

For the best flavor, let your salad sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving so the olive oil and vinegar dressing can soak into the tuna and vegetables.

What to Serve With Mediterranean Tuna Salad?

This tuna salad is perfect stuffed into a pita pocket or wrapped up in a warm flatbread for an easy lunch. I love serving it alongside some crispy pita chips or crackers for scooping, which makes it great for a casual gathering or picnic. You can also pile it on top of mixed greens for a heartier salad, or serve it with some crusty bread on the side. For a complete Mediterranean spread, pair it with hummus, tzatziki, and some fresh veggies like bell peppers and carrots for dipping.

Storage Instructions

Store: This tuna salad keeps really well in the fridge since there’s no mayo to worry about. Just transfer it to an airtight container and it’ll stay fresh for up to 3 days. The flavors actually get better as they sit together, so it’s great for meal prep!

Prep Ahead: You can chop all your veggies and mix the dressing a day or two in advance to save time. Just keep them separate and toss everything together right before serving so the cucumbers and tomatoes don’t get too watery.

Serve: This salad is best enjoyed cold or at room temperature. If you’ve stored it in the fridge, give it a good stir before serving and maybe add a drizzle of fresh olive oil to brighten it up.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1000-1150
• Protein: 95-110 g
• Fat: 60-70 g
• Carbohydrates: 40-50 g

Ingredients

• 4 cans tuna, drained
• 1 large cucumber, diced
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved
• 1 large handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place

• 1 large cucumber, diced
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved
• 1 large handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cans tuna, drained

Dice the cucumber into bite-sized pieces, finely chop the red onion, chop the tomatoes, quarter the artichoke hearts, halve the Kalamata olives, mince the garlic, and chop the fresh parsley.

Having everything prepped and ready ensures the salad comes together quickly and the flavors meld evenly.

Drain the tuna thoroughly using a fine-mesh strainer or by pressing gently with paper towels to remove excess liquid—this prevents a watery dressing.

Step 2: Build the Dressing Base

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 tbsp Italian seasoning
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper.

Whisk together until the garlic is evenly distributed and the flavors begin to integrate.

I like to let this sit for a minute or two so the garlic releases its essential oils into the oil and vinegar—this creates a more flavorful dressing than if you mix everything at once.

Step 3: Combine and Dress the Salad

• prepared vegetables from Step 1
• 4 cans tuna, drained from Step 1
• dressing mixture from Step 2
• fresh parsley, chopped

In a large bowl, add the drained tuna from Step 1, then add the cucumber, tomato, red onion, artichoke hearts, olives, and most of the parsley (reserve a small handful for garnish).

Pour the dressing from Step 2 over the mixture and gently toss everything together until evenly coated.

Be careful not to break up the tuna too aggressively—you want to maintain some texture and chunky pieces.

Step 4: Finish and Serve

• 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• combined salad from Step 3
• fresh parsley

Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese, being careful not to break it into too-small pieces—you want distinct pockets of creamy, salty feta throughout.

Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper as needed.

Garnish with the reserved fresh parsley.

I find that letting the salad chill for at least 15-20 minutes before serving allows the flavors to meld beautifully, though it can be served immediately if you prefer.

Homemade Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Delicious Homemade Mediterranean Tuna Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 12 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 1075 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 4 cans tuna, drained
• 1 large cucumber, diced
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved
• 1 large handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Dice the cucumber into bite-sized pieces, finely chop the red onion, chop the tomatoes, quarter the artichoke hearts, halve the Kalamata olives, mince the garlic, and chop the fresh parsley. Having everything prepped and ready ensures the salad comes together quickly and the flavors meld evenly. Drain the tuna thoroughly using a fine-mesh strainer or by pressing gently with paper towels to remove excess liquid—this prevents a watery dressing.
• In a small bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Whisk together until the garlic is evenly distributed and the flavors begin to integrate. I like to let this sit for a minute or two so the garlic releases its essential oils into the oil and vinegar—this creates a more flavorful dressing than if you mix everything at once.
• In a large bowl, add the drained tuna from Step 1, then add the cucumber, tomato, red onion, artichoke hearts, olives, and most of the parsley (reserve a small handful for garnish). Pour the dressing from Step 2 over the mixture and gently toss everything together until evenly coated. Be careful not to break up the tuna too aggressively—you want to maintain some texture and chunky pieces.
• Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese, being careful not to break it into too-small pieces—you want distinct pockets of creamy, salty feta throughout. Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper as needed. Garnish with the reserved fresh parsley. I find that letting the salad chill for at least 15-20 minutes before serving allows the flavors to meld beautifully, though it can be served immediately if you prefer.