This tuna Caesar salad with escarole is flavor-packed thanks to a bright, garlicky Caesar dressing, briny capers, and crunchy homemade croutons.
Last year, Daniel and I spent countless hours tweaking our kale Caesar salad recipe until we felt it was perfect. And don't get me wrong; it's a wonderful side salad.
There's just one issue: as a mostly pescatarian eater, I struggle to incorporate enough protein into my diet. So I'm always looking for ways to add protein, especially during lunch.
We 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. I wondered if I could combine my classic Caesar salad with a tin of tuna -- I tested the recipe, and it worked even better than expected! It's now one of my favorite tuna recipes.
The punchy, garlicky dressing brings life to the fish, and crunchy croutons offer lots of texture.
Why You'll Love This Salad
If you're a fan of tuna, and you're a fan of 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: Tuna packed in olive oil is moist, flaky, and a wonderful source of protein. Celery and croutons provide a nice crunch, while escarole forms the base of the salad. The dressing is bright, flavorful, and lemony.
- Make-ahead friendly: When it comes to lunch, I understand how busy we can all be, so I ensured the various components could be prepped ahead 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.
This recipe is great for a weekday lunch, as well as a side dish for a weeknight meal. Looking for more fun salad recipes? Try my green goddess butter lettuce salad or my watermelon and corn salad.
Ingredient Notes
For the salad
- Greens: I like the mild bitterness of escarole here, but you can use any combination of greens you like. If you want something sharper, try radicchio and kale. You can use a standard romaine lettuce, but it won't have as much flavor.
- Crusty Bread: We're going to cut the bread into bite-size pieces and bake them until crispy, so I recommend a french baguette, crusty focaccia, or ciabatta loaf.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese: A classic ingredient in a Caesar, shaved parmesan cheese adds umami and saltiness to the salad.
- Capers: Briny capers offer a pop of salinity in every bite.
- Celery: I love the added crunch of celery in this salad. Plus, it feels like a bit of an ode to a traditional tuna salad.
- Parsley: Parsley adds lots of brightness to the dish. I don't recommend substituting this for another herb, as I think it'll change the flavor too drastically.
- Canned Tuna: If you're going to splurge on anything, I recommend splurging on a high-quality canned tuna product. I recommend purchasing tuna in olive oil, and I like Tonnino and Ortiz brands. I would avoid Wild Planet as I find it a bit pasty. Skipjack tuna is the lowest in mercury, but albacore tuna is good too, if that's what you have.
- Caesar Dressing: I really love my homemade dressing, but you can use a store-bought variation as well.
For the dressing
The dressing uses pretty traditional Caesar ingredients.
- Mayonnaise: I absolutely love the creaminess of kewpie mayo in my Caesar, but Hellman's is totally fine too!
- Anchovy: I call for 1 anchovy for a bit of umami. It doesn't make it taste "fishy", but you can omit this if you don't like anchovy.
- Lemon juice: Fresh squeezed lemon juice cuts the fattiness of the fish.
How to Make Tuna Caesar Salad
Make the croutons:
Steps 1-2: Cut the bread into ½-inch cubes and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. Bake until nicely toasted and crispy, 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.
Make the dressing:
Steps 3-5: 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, then mix in the rest of the dressing ingredients until nice and creamy.
Alternatively, mince the anchovies with a knife then use the back of the knife to scrape them into a paste. Transfer to a small bowl, and whisk in the remaining ingredients.
TIP: You can also prepare the dressing in a small food processor.
Prepare the salad:
Steps 6-7: In a large bowl, season the salad greens with a bit of olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Add the remaining salad ingredients, and toss with the dressing.
Change it Up
For a fun twist, here are some of my favorite ways to change up the recipe!
- Make it a wrap: Use just ¼ of the greens and roll up the tuna caesar in a wrap.
- 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!
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.
FAQ
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.
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Happy eating! Love, KarishmaTuna Caesar Salad
Ingredients
For the homemade croutons:
- 1 cup loosely packed cubed crusty bread, ½ ounce | cubed into ½ inch pieces
- 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, such as Kewpie or Hellman's
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 - 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper
For the salad:
- ½ stalk celery, 1 ½ ounces | cut on a bias into ½-inch pieces to yield ½ cup
- 4 cups loosely packed chopped escarole, 3.5 ounces | cut into 2-inch pieces
- 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 to 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 the bread cubes with olive oil, salt, and black pepper to taste.1 cup loosely packed cubed crusty bread, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, Salt and black pepper
- 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.
- While the croutons cool, prepare the dressing. Mash the anchovy until it forms a paste with a mortar and pestle or a knife; to help 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.1 anchovy filet
- Transfer paste to a small bowl, and 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.Note: Too strong or thick? Dilute the mixture with some olive oil (or water if you don't want to add more 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.1 small garlic clove, Salt and black pepper, 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
- 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.
- Meanwhile, prepare the greens. In a medium salad bowl, toss celery, 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.½ stalk celery, 4 cups loosely packed chopped escarole, Extra-virgin olive oil, Salt and black pepper
- Toss the salad: To the greens, add the shaved cheese, capers, parsley, croutons, and tuna.Toss with the dressing (to taste), then evenly layer the tuna on top of the salad. Enjoy!1 ½ tablespoons shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese, 1 tablespoon capers, 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, 2 to 3 tablespoons Caesar dressing, 1 cup croutons, 4 ounces canned tuna packed in oil
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.
