This tuna Caesar salad is delicious and filling thanks to protein-rich tuna, creamy Caesar dressing, briny capers, and crunchy homemade croutons. It's an easy 30-minute recipe you can make ahead for a light lunch or enjoy as a quick weeknight meal.
I always keep a variety of tinned fish in our pantry, a saving grace when I'm in a work frenzy and need a quick bite. One day, around lunchtime, I wondered if I could combine my classic kale Caesar salad with a tin of tuna.
I tested the recipe, and it worked even better than expected! It's now one of my go-to tuna recipes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you're a fan of tuna, and you're a fan of a traditional Caesar salad, you're gonna love this! Even my husband, who is a little hesitant around canned tuna, really enjoyed this.
- The salad is well-balanced: Oil-packed tuna is moist, flaky, and a wonderful source of protein. The punchy, garlicky dressing brings life to the fish, and crunchy croutons offer lots of texture. It's fresh and filling!
- Make-ahead friendly: I understand how busy we can all be when it comes to lunch, so I ensured the various components could be prepped and stored in the fridge.
- It's easy: You don't need any special equipment to make this salad. Just a trusty cutting board, a knife, and a salad bowl.
Looking for more pescatarian recipes? Try my mussels marinara, salmon meunière, or crab stew.
Ingredient Notes
- Greens: I like the mild bitterness of escarole here, but you can use any combination of greens with a crisp texture. If you want something sharper, try radicchio and kale. For a milder flavor, try romaine lettuce.
- Croutons: A classic Caesar salad must have a little crunch, and croutons are a great way to use leftover bread. Don't have time to make your own croutons? Use your favorite store-bought brand.
- Canned Tuna: If you're going to splurge on anything, I recommend splurging on a high-quality canned tuna product. Look for tuna packed in olive oil, like Tonnino and Ortiz brands. I would avoid Wild Planet as I find it a bit pasty. Skipjack tuna has the lowest mercury, but albacore tuna is a suitable substitute.
- Homemade Caesar Dressing: I love making my own dressing (recipe follows), but you can easily use a store-bought version.
Looking for more tips? Check out this guide to purchasing sustainable tuna from Seafood Watch.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card.
Variations
For a fun twist, here are some great ways to change up this tuna salad!
- Change up the grains: Don't have any crusty bread? Substitute the croutons with 1 cup of cooked farro or barley.
- Pack in more flavor: Add some pickled red onion or pickled shallots to the salad!
- Sub fresh tuna: Sub in seared ahi tuna instead of canned tuna.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1 - Make the croutons: Cut the bread into ½-inch cubes and toss with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet.
Step 2: Bake until nicely toasted, crispy, and golden brown, then cool to room temperature.
TIP: The croutons will continue to firm up and cook as they cool, so you'll want to take them out while they still have a bit of give.
Step 3 - Prep the dressing: You can either make the dressing in a mortar and pestle or just use a knife and cutting board. With a mortar and pestle, you'll want to smash the anchovies and crush them into a paste.
Alternatively, mince the anchovies with a knife then use the back of the knife to scrape them into a paste. Transfer the paste to a small bowl.
Step 4: Whisk in garlic, dijon mustard, cheese, and mayonnaise. The dressing should now be a thick paste. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and lemon juice, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
TIP: You can also prepare the dressing in a small food processor.
Step 5 - Season: In a large bowl, season the salad greens with a bit of olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Step 6 - Toss and serve: Add the remaining salad ingredients, and toss with the dressing. Evenly layer bite-sized chunks of tuna on top of the salad. Serve, and enjoy!
TIP: Avoid overmixing the tuna to prevent it from flaking too much and getting pasty.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
This salad can get a bit soggy, so you'll want to toss it right before serving. That said, you can make the different components in advance:
- Leftover dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 - 4 days.
- Croutons can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, but they're usually freshest within the first couple of days. I prefer to freeze them in a Ziploc bag, then reheat them in the oven for 5 - 10 minutes at 250°F/121°C.
- Salad ingredients, like escarole, capers, and cheese can be stored in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. I just make sure to store them separately. For the escarole, store in a tupperware lined with a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture.
Recipe FAQs
First, make sure you *thoroughly* dry the escarole in a salad spinner (or lay it on a paper towel). Second, toss the dressing just before serving!
Yes, absolutely! Feel free to double the recipe as needed and enjoy throughout the week.
You definitely can, just note that my homemade recipe is a bit more lemony and garlicky than a traditional dressing, so you may want to add some lemon juice to the store-bought version.
Absolutely! Greek yogurt is a great substitute for mayonnaise in this dressing.
Other salad recipes you might like:
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Tuna Caesar Salad
Ingredients
For the homemade croutons:
- 1 cup loosely packed, cubed crusty bread, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
For the homemade Caesar dressing:
- 1 anchovy filet
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- 2 tablespoons full-fat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 - 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper
For the salad:
- ½ celery stalk, cut on a bias into ½-inch pieces
- 4 cups loosely packed chopped escarole, cut into 2-inch pieces | or romaine
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup croutons, homemade (see above) or store-bought*
- 4 ounces canned tuna packed in oil, such as Tonino or Ortiz | drained and flaked into bite-sized pieces
- 2 - 3 tablespoons Caesar dressing, homemade (see above) or store-bought*
Instructions
- Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F/204°C.
- Bake the croutons: On a baking sheet, coat 1 cup loosely packed, cubed crusty bread with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper to taste.Bake for 6 minutes, flipping the croutons in between until they are golden-brown in color. When done, croutons should be crunchy around the edges but still slightly soft in the center. Note: Croutons will continue to cook slightly after removing from the oven, so err on the slightly softer side.
- Remove from the baking sheet and transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.
- Make the dressing: While the croutons cool, prepare the dressing. Mash 1 anchovy filet until it forms a paste with a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, use your knife to create a paste. Tilt your knife at a 30 degree angle and scrape the knife across the anchovy mixture. Next, mince the mixture with your knife for a few seconds, then repeat, scraping with a knife then mincing until it forms a paste.
- Transfer paste to a small bowl, and whisk in 1 small garlic clove, finely grated, ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and 2 tablespoons full-fat mayonnaise. The dressing should now be a thick paste. Slowly drizzle in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 - 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, then season to taste with Salt and black pepper.Note: Too strong or thick? Dilute the mixture with some oil. Too subtle? For additional zinginess, add more garlic or mustard; for additional saltiness, add more salt or anchovy; for additional acidity, add more lemon juice.
- Test the dressing: To test if the dressing suits your preferences, dip a piece of escarole into the mixture and taste it. The bite should taste garlicky, with a slight bit of acidity and saltiness. You want it to taste slightly less “zingy” than you want it, because when you eat the salad, you'll be eating many bites, so the punchy flavors and zinginess will build up over time.
- Prepare the greens: In a medium salad bowl, toss ½ celery stalk, sliced, 4 cups loosely packed chopped escarole, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Note: Remember you'll be adding the caesar dressing later, so err on the side of less salt for now.
- Toss the salad: To the greens, add 1 ½ tablespoons shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese, 1 tablespoon capers, 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 cup croutons, and 4 ounces canned tuna packed in oil.Toss with the dressing (to taste), then evenly layer the tuna on top of the salad. Enjoy!
Notes
- Leftover dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Croutons can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, but they're usually freshest within the first couple of days. I prefer to freeze them in a Ziploc bag, then reheat them in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 250°F/121°C.
- Salad ingredients, like escarole, capers, and cheese can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. I just make sure to store them separately. For the escarole, store in a tupperware lined with a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
