This spring salad with tuna and lemon vinaigrette makes a great lunch or light dinner. It is an easy and healthy meal high in protein, low in fat, and packed full of flavor. Tuna is one of my go to proteins when we need a fast and tasty meal.
Spring salad with tuna and lemon vinaigrette
I always choose a solid white albacore tuna packed in water for the most flavor and texture for my salads. Do you like lemons? Then you’ll love this zesty lemon vinaigrette I recommend. The lemon vinaigrette for this salad is super easy and it’s fresh lemony flavors pair perfectly with the fresh spring vegetables and tuna.
Ingredients for a fresh salad
This fresh spring salad is far from boring. It features a spring lettuce mix, radishes (for crunch and bite), cherry tomatoes, snap peas, English cucumber, chick peas (also known as garbanzo beans), chives and canned albacore tuna.
I love lemons! Lemon gives a fresh and invigorating flavor to fresh vegetables. The vinaigrette recipe makes enough dressing for two people. You can double the recipe and store any unused dressing in a jar in the fridge for 3-4 days. Allow the dressing to come to room temperature and whisk it to re-emulsify before using.
Use fresh lemons in this vinaigrette
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In this lemon vinaigrette, I use a mix of high quality extra virgin olive oil and Central Market Lemon Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You can purchase lemon infused extra virgin olive oil at most major grocery stores. Brands do vary a little in potency. So, feel free to substitute a tablespoon more of the infused oil for regular oil if you find your infused oil to be quite mild. Lemon infused oils are also great drizzled on fish, seafood and chicken dishes.
You’ll love this healthy, lean salad
If you don’t have lemon infused olive oil, you can also introduce a teaspoon of lemon zest in the vinaigrette to boost the lemon flavor further. Experiment until you find the right combination of zing and lemon flavor you like.
I used chives as the fresh herb in this salad. Chives are one of the first herbs to spring up in the garden in the spring. They add a slight onion and garlic flavor and are delicious in this combination.
Spring salad with tuna and lemon vinaigrette
Fresh spring vegetables, tuna and a zingy lemon vinaigrette are featured in this tasty, high protein, low-fat salad.
2.5 oz spring lettuce mix (mixed lettuce greens, your choice)
1 handful radishes (sliced, (amount to taste)
3-4 oz cherry tomatoes (amount to taste)
1 handful snap peas (amount to taste)
1/2 cup chick peas (garbanzo beans) (rinsed)
1/2 of a long English cucumber (sliced, (amount to taste)
1 can solid white albacore tuna packed in water
1 tbsp fresh chives (chopped)
pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon wedge (for garnish)
lemon vinaigrette below (to taste on salad)
Lemon vinaigrette
2 tbsp high quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon infused extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
pinch salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest (optional)
Wash and prepare the vegetables for the salad and set aside in a large salad bowl. Season the tuna with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside. Prepare the lemon vinaigrette. Drizzle desired amount of lemon vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss. Plate the two salads and add half of the tuna on top of each salad. Add a little more salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon all over each salad just before serving.
Lemon vinaigrette
Combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well blended.
This makes a small amount of vinaigrette, enough for two people. If you double the recipe to make more vinaigrette, store any left over dressing in a jar in the fridge for 3-4 days. Bring the dressing to room temperature and whisk again prior to use.
Source: northwestspoon.com
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