A healthy and mayo-free Grilled Vegetable Tuna Salad Recipe made with sustainable albacore, char-grilled veggies, and Israeli couscous. All tossed together in a homemade lemon and fresh herb champagne vinaigrette.
Thank you Wild Selections® for sponsoring this tuna salad recipe post. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own For a more sustainable meal, be sure to check out Wild Selections® premium seafood.
When I was younger, one of my favorite foods in the whole world was a mayonnaise saturated tuna pasta salad.
Now that I'm older, I still like my tuna pasta salad, but with less pasta, more (grilled) veggies, and a tasty lemon herb dressing instead of mayo.
How to make the BEST tuna salad recipe
Since tuna is the most important ingredient in a tuna salad recipe, it must be of the highest quality. Obviously, the freshest, in-season veggies should be used for grilling too.
You all know I'm all about wild and sustainable when it comes to my seafood and canned tuna is no different.
Wild Selections proudly produces it’s wild-caught tuna from ocean sources that are certified sustainable to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Standard.
This standard ensures the fish stocks are healthy, well managed, and plentiful. Each product can be traced to where it was caught too.
I used Wild Selections Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water for this recipe and in each can was one perfectly packed, seasoned filet.
The tuna is also minimally processed, non-GMO project verified, and made with simple ingredients. Just white tuna, water, and salt.
It's seriously the cleanest tasting albacore tuna I’ve ever eaten right out of a can.
A great grilled vegetable salad for any occasion
Grilled vegetables are super delicious and super easy. Any chance I get to make char-grilled veggies, I do. So, it was a great excuse to put them in this salad.
This salad recipe is such a great make-ahead meal because the flavors actually get better as they sit for a few hours or even overnight.
It's an easy, tasteful side dish with the bright and boldness of the lemon vinaigrette marinating the grilled veggies, couscous, and tuna.
No mayo also means it's one of the best salad recipes to bring to a cookout, BBQ, or picnic too!
Additionally, Wild Selections pays it forward by donating 13 cents from the sale of each can! It all goes to the World Wildlife Fund's efforts on protecting marine life and expanding sustainable fishing practices. Eat your tuna and help give to a charity too!
So grab the grill and enjoy this Grilled Vegetable Tuna Salad Recipe all spring and summer long! Please let me know in the comments below how you liked it too!
RECIPE
Grilled Vegetable Tuna Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can (5 ounces) Wild Selections Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water
- 1 cup pearl couscous, uncooked (aka: Israeli couscous)
- 1 small eggplant, cut into 1 inch rounds
- 1 small zucchini, cut into 1 inch rounds
- 1 small yellow squash, cut into 1 inch rounds
- 1 small red pepper, seed and ribs removed and cut in half
- 10 asparagus spears, trim tough ends
- 3 green onions, chopped
FOR THE DRESSING:
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (plus a little extra for brushing the veggies to grill)
- 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons capers (start with 2 tbs and go up to 3 tbs if you want a lot of capers)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Prepare couscous according to package directions and set aside. Prepare the vinaigrette dressing and set aside.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat. Place the sliced veggies in a large bowl, coat each slice with a little olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables until all sides are charred and tender, about 5-10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board to cool slightly.
- Cut the vegetables into ½ inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Add the cooked couscous, the dressing, and the chopped green onions and stir well. Add the tuna and lightly toss. Serve immediately or cover and keep refrigerated until ready to eat (up to 2 days)
Bobbi
Delicious, fast and easy recipe to use the summer harvest with canned tuna for protein. Thank you!
Karrie
Welcome Bobbi! So happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Milena
Great recipe, Karrie! I can eat my weight in grilled veggies, weekly:) But especially love the tuna touch. This brand cans really good quality product actually, have had their tuna before. Yey to summer and outdoor grilling of veggies ( you cannot pay me enough to go outside and grill in winter).
GiGi Eats
OMG THIS DISH and those GRILLED VEGGIES bring me back to summer vacation during school! I'd go home and spend the months with my family/parents and my dad is the GRILL MASTER and would ALWAYS grill up the goods like what you have up there. UGH! Now I am yearning for a grill so bad!!!!
Karrie
I freaking love grilled veggies so much. If we were neighbors, you could use my grill and I could use your air fryer. lol!
GiGi Eats
OMG YES! I can see it - I walk over.... Could you spot ... YOUR GRILL!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
This ain't yo average tuna salad, that's for sure! Love this modified, healthier version with all those delicious, perfectly grilled veg. Roasted and grilling and my fave way to prepare them. We always stock cans of tuna for quick snacks and lunches (had some today, actually, on a salad). Definitely gotta add this salad to the list of things to try - perfect for lunch or (when the weather warms) bbqs. XOXO
Karrie
You would love this salad Dawn! I'm so ready for Spring to arrive and daily BBQing to commence.
Codrut Turcanu
I like tuna in salads, thanks for this cool recipe, it sounds like something we can prepare fast!
Karrie
Thanks so much! This salad is super fast to prepare too!
Nicoletta
Love love this salad, Karrie! I am not used to eating mayo, so this salad is right up my alley. Beautiful rosted veggies (my favorite and go-to side dish of choice), chunks of sustainable delightfully flavorful tuna, and a lemon and herb vinaigrette. Just perfect for spring and summer!
Karrie
Thanks Nicoletta! Mayo free salads are the only way to go!