Lentil and Tuna Salad
Updated Oct. 17, 2023
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 1cup green or brown lentils, washed and picked over
- 1bay leaf
- ½medium onion
- Salt to taste
- 1can water-packed tuna, drained
- ¼cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1tablespoon chopped chives
- 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼cup extra virgin olive oil
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
336 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 306 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place the lentils, half the garlic, the bay leaf and the onion in a medium-size saucepan or soup pot. Add 1 quart water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and add salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon). Cover and simmer 30 minutes until the lentils are just tender. Remove the onion and bay leaf, and discard. Drain the lentils through a strainer set over a bowl.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, combine the tuna, parsley, chives and drained lentils.
- Step 3
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, remaining garlic clove and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the broth from the lentils. Toss with the tuna and lentils, and serve.
- Advance preparation: This will keep for four or five days in the refrigerator.
Private Notes
Comments
I love this, as I do all of Martha Rose Shulman's recipes! My lentils were ready after 25 minutes and would have been overdone had I cooked them 30 minutes, so I recommend checking periodically at the 20 minute mark. The flavor of the dressing is perfect. This recipe worked well as part of a modified Salade Nicoise, with tomatoes, olives, hard boiled eggs, green beans, avocado and lettuce. Thank you, Martha Rose S!
Canned salmon is delicious, too.
Throw some feta in this and it becomes unbelievably good
2 cans oil packed tuna 2 stalks finely chopped celery Whole lemon Cup coarse chopped geeen olives Great for a picnic! (No mayo)
An excellent twist on tuna salad … and lentils! A few notes: (1) the recipe doesn’t specify what size can of tuna, but 5oz seems to be the right ratio (2) do not dice or cut up the onion — boil the whole half, otherwise you’ll never be able to separate them out as called for in the recipe (3) reserve some of the broth — you’ll need about two TBSP at the end, (4) serve with sliced, toasted bread slices for dipping, like ciabatta or French bread, or pita or crackers. Other commenters also dressed it up with things such as capers, feta and cherry tomatoes, all of which sound like great additions. I’m going to try some of those in the future.
Followed the recipe closely, with two changes: 1) Used Kippered Herring (in oil, 190g / 6.7oz) in place of the can of tuna. Yummy! 2) Used red lentils (all we had). These were overcooked at 20 minutes; still tasted fine, but texture was unappealing. Next time, we'll look up the proper cooking time for red lentils. :) Added chopped celery and shredded carrots to the leftovers, and sprinkled on some feta for extra deliciousness. Remarkably tasty, and will definitely make again soon!