This post originally appeared on my former website, Fighting for Wellness, in May 2016.
I’ve been a fan of tuna and tuna salad for as long as I can remember so experimenting with different combinations of ingredients is nothing new. What is new is finding a combination that’s so delicious I find myself gushing about it on social media and to anyone who will listen. This Cucumber Raisin Tuna Salad with almonds did just that and more, literally causing me to sing in the shower “Tomorrow is tuna salad day, tomorrow is tuna salad day!” on the night before I planned to bring my second serving this week.
Everything you want from tuna salad (lots of protein, healthy fats, people to leave you alone during lunch), with crispness from the cucumbers, sweetness from the raisins, and an added crunch from the almonds. Creamy, but not too wet to enjoy on a sandwich, this Cucumber Raisin Tuna Salad is best served after refrigerating for at least a few hours so the flavors can really meld together.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 cans Albacore Tuna In Water (No Salt Added)
2 small cucumbers, seeded and diced
1/4 c. seedless raisins, chopped
4 Tbsp. plain nonfat yogurt
3 Tbsp. sour cream
2 Tbsp. dried dill weed
Juice from 1/2 medium lemon
1/4 tsp. sea salt
4 Tbsp. chopped raw almonds
Directions:
Slice cucumbers lengthwise and remove seeds using a small spoon, then julienne cucumber halves and dice into small pieces. Measure raisins (unpacked) then give them a rough chop before adding to a large bowl along with the diced cucumber. Drain and add tuna, mixing with the cucumber and raisins. Add yogurt, sour cream, dill weed, lemon juice, and salt, mixing thoroughly. Chop almonds and add to tuna salad in the final step. Refrigerate for at least four hours.
I don’t mean to brag, but this is seriously the best tuna salad I’ve ever had. I’m a big fan of sweet and savory, so the combination of cucumber, dill, and raisins is perfect. Because the raisins are chopped, the sweetness has an opportunity to mix throughout the tuna salad. Combining nonfat Greek yogurt with full fat sour cream cuts down on fat without sacrificing it entirely.
The recipe is great for meal prep because it can be easily doubled or tripled and keeps well in the refrigerator. If you’re worried about mercury in tuna, the research I’ve found is a bit mixed. While I wouldn’t advise you to start eating tuna every day, it does appear that canned tuna is lower in mercury than tuna steaks and that if you aren’t pregnant or nursing, occasional consumption shouldn’t be that big of a deal.
For me it’s a really great, inexpensive way to get more protein in my diet and with combinations like this one, how can you go wrong?