Asian Tuna Salad

We went to an Indian Heritage Festival during the day, and ate a lot of heavy food. I had this salad on the agenda to make during the week, and thought that this was the perfect night for it. I loved how light it was, and it was really easy to put together once everything was chopped. Soba noodles cook really quickly, and tossed in this light vinaigrette, it’s a great alternative to the typical mayonnaise-laden tuna salad. I really liked the bit of kick that the chile added, and the radishes were great for a little bit of crunch. I’m curious to see how this would be over lettuce, too!

Asian Tuna Salad
Simply Recipes

Prep time: 20 minutes

10-12 ounces of canned white albacore tuna packed in water, drained
8-10 small radishes, cut into wedges
1 large carrot, shredded
1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 to 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced (taste for heat and adjust, can also sub some chili pepper flakes)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (or plain rice vinegar with a teaspoon of sugar)
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 whole green onion, chopped
Optional: 8 ounces (dry) soba noodles* or fresh lettuce
*If mixing in with soba noodles, cook soba noodles according to package directions, and rinse with cold water.

1 Place the drained tuna, radishes, shredded carrot, garlic, ginger, chile, vegetable oil, dark sesame oil, and rice vinegar in a large bowl. Gently toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2 When ready to serve, stir in the chopped cilantro and green onion.

Serve with lettuce, or mixed in with cold, cooked soba noodles.

Yield: Serves 2-4.