Summer Tuna Salad

A few years ago I was spending about 3 days of every week doing business in NYC. I became very familiar with the local hot spots of mid-town Manhattan. Every time I had a meeting at Rockefeller Plaza around lunch-time I would try to sneak into Dean and Deluca. One summer I discovered their tuna salad sandwich and my life was changed (yes, I am that dramatic). It had a nice crunch with carrot and red onion and I became obsessed.

I set out to duplicate, and even hunted down the recipe from the Dean and Deluca Restaurant cookbook, but, quickly realized it need to be heathified...stat. My version is loaded with peppers, kale, celery, carrot, parsley, and much more. The base cuts out much of the heavy mayo (does anyone else hate mayo like I do??) and adds in pickle. It is delightful and much easier on the waistline.

Try it with fresh watercress, avocado, and extra sliced pickle. My favorite way to enjoy...on a bed of buttery Boston lettuce and sliced avocado.

To start, you will need to clean and chop a lot of veg. And I mean a lot. Honestly, this takes quite a bit of prep and work, but it is worth it (just double the recipe so you have more to show for your work).

1. Drain 4 (the small 6-ounce) cans of fresh, water-packed tuna in a fine mesh sieve. Rinse and drain again. Set aside (over a bowl) so it dries out while you prep the other ingredients. 

2. Gather and wash your veg. You will need 1/3 of an english (or hot house) cucumber, 1-2 stalks of celery, 1/3 of a yellow, orange, and red pepper, 2 large lactino kale leaves, 2 small (but long) carrots, or one medium-marge carrot, 3 scallions, and red onion (to taste), about 1/4 finely minced parsley.

Yes...all of that great veg and color goes into a TUNA salad. 

3. All of the veg needs to be chopped to the same size dice. This is where all of the work comes in. If things are uniform in size then the texture and consistency is much better. Finely slice, lengthwise, all of the veg and then cut it the opposite direction into a fine dice.

4. Flake the dried tuna into pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Finley dice 1/4-1/2 cup of dill pickles and add to the bowl.

The final product, all the veg prepped and ready to go. 

5. Add in all of the veg to the tuna/pickle mixture. Toss with a spatula and set aside.

6. Prep the wet ingredients. In a large sized mixing bowl, add in 1 cup of plain, fat-free Greek yogurt (or whatever % you'd like...2% Greek would be wonderfully delicious here), 1/3-1/2 cup Vegenaise or olive-oil based mayo. Note: if you reduce the mayo below 1/2 cup add the equivalent reduced in extra yogurt. Whisk in juice of 1/2-1 whole lemon (depending on taste). Add in pepper and salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) to taste, and 1-2 cloves of finely minced, fresh garlic.

7. Once the ingredients are combined, slowly start to mix in the tuna/veg mixture. Start with about 1/2 and add in a few spoonfuls at a time making sure to fully incorporate the wet with the dry. Once you've reached the desired consistency, serve right away or store in refrigerator for up to one week. 

NOTE: This slow, gradual incorporation is key to getting a mixture that is just to your liking (not too wet and not too dry). 

Add this salad to your favorite bread (or salad) and top with watercress, tomato, avocado, and enjoy. For an extra special treat, toast your bread with a bit of extra-sharp white cheddar until  bubbly and then add tuna and extras. 

Tips: Making the night before enhances the flavor and makes this ultra yummy. If an extra liquid forms at the bottom after refrigeration (which is normal due to all of the raw veg), then drain it off and re-mix. 

Collette's Veggie-Loaded Summer Tuna Salad

Adapted from Dean and Deluca's 

Serves 4-6

4 six-ounce cans chunk white tuna in water, drained
2 small (but long) carrots, finely chopped (about 6 tablespoons)
1-4 tablespoons finely diced red onion (adjust to taste)
¼ cup finely minced fresh, Italian, flat-leaf parsley
1/3 English cucumber, finely diced. 
2 large lactino kale leaves, deveined and finely chopped. 
1/3 yellow, red, and orange bell peppers, finely diced (about one quarter of each)
2 stalks celery, finely diced (5-6 tablespoons)
3 scallions, finely diced
¼ -1/2 cup (depending on taste) dill pickle, finely diced
1 cup of plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
½ cup of Vegenaise or other olive-oil based mayo
1-2 small garlic cloves, finely minced
Juice of 1 lemon (3-4 tablespoons)
Salt and pepper to taste
Avocado, watercress (or other favorite lettuce), tomato, and pickle as additions

1. Drain the tuna in a sieve and set aside to dry out. Prep and finely dice all veg and add to tuna mixture. 

2. Place the yogurt and mayo in a large bowl. Add the garlic and the lemon juice. Slowly add in the tuna/veg mixture to the wet mixture until desired consistency is met. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over bed of lettuce or favorite bread an top with extra pickle, avocado, and watercress (optional).