Creamy Pesto Tuna Salad

I love making a slight tweak to a recipe that really transforms it. Growing up, my go-to salad was a simple garden salad with a can of tuna tossed through.

Recently, I wanted a similar keto-friendly salad but I was craving creaminess. I didn’t want to go all out and something with a rich, creamy dressing — I like my salads quite light and wanted to keep this element. So I decided to make a creamy tuna topping for the salad. Mayonnaise and pesto add flavour, while Greek yoghurt and lemon juice add a little freshness and keep it from feeling too heavy.

Despite the extra effort in preparing the creamy tuna topping, this low-carb salad still comes together in under ten minutes making it a quick and delicious meal for those warmer months.

This keto salad is ideal for lunch boxes and those who practice intermittent fasting. It's high in potassium, magnesium, protein and healthy fats. Just one serving will keep you full until dinner!

Step-by-step

1. Make the creamy tuna by mixing all the ingredients in a small bowl, and mashing together with a fork until combined. Add salt to taste.

   

2. To make dressing, add ingredients to a small jar and shake to combine.

   

3. Layer the lettuce, cucumber and tomato in a shallow bowl.

   

4. Top with the tuna mix and the avocado. Drizzle over the dressing.

   Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for a day. The creamy tuna can be made in advance and stored in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.

   

Recipe

Creamy Pesto Tuna Salad

★★★★★4.5 (65 ratings)

Quick and easy low-carb salad made with crispy vegetables, creamy pesto tuna topping, avocado and zingy olive ...

Hands on

10m

Overall

10m

Servings

1

7.8 g

Net carbs

31.3 g

Protein

58.9 g

Fat

698

kcal

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Ingredients makes 1 serving

• Creamy tuna:
• 1 small tin tuna in oil, drained (95 g/ 3.4 oz)
• 1 ¹/₂ tbsp paleo mayonnaise (23 g/ 0.8 oz) - you can make your own mayo
• 1 heaped tbsp full-fat Greek yoghurt, coconut yogurt or more mayo (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
• 1 tbsp pesto (15 g/ 0.5 oz) - you can make your own pesto
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• ¹/₈ tsp sea salt, or to taste
• Dressing:
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (15 ml)
• ¹/₂ tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• ¹/₈ tsp sea salt
• ¹/₈ tsp black pepper
• Salad:
• 4 leaves iceberg lettuce, torn (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
• 1 small tomato, sliced (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
• ¹/₂ small cucumber, sliced diagonally (80 g/ 2.8 oz)
• ¹/₄ avocado, thinly sliced (50 g/ 1.8 oz)

Instructions

1. Make the creamy tuna by mixing all the ingredients in a small bowl, and mashing together with a fork until combined. Add salt to taste.

2. To make dressing, add ingredients to a small jar and shake to combine.

3. Layer the lettuce, cucumber and tomato in a shallow bowl.

4. Top with the tuna mix and the avocado. Drizzle over the dressing.

   Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for a day. The creamy tuna can be made in advance and stored in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Nutrition per serving

Carbs 5%Protein 18%Fat 77% of calories

Net carbs

7.8 g

Total carbs

13.5 g

Fiber

5.7 g

Sugars

5.8 g

Protein

31.3 g

Fat

58.9 g

Saturated fat

9.1 g

Calories

698 kcal

Sodium

1,085 mg · 47.2% RDA

Magnesium

82 mg · 20.6% RDA

Potassium

1,039 mg · 51.9% EMR

Nutrition by ingredient

Per serving	Net carbs	Protein	Fat	kcal
Tuna, tinned (in oil), drained	0 g	25.2 g	7.7 g	177
Mayonnaise	0.1 g	0.2 g	18.7 g	167
Yogurt, plain (full-fat, Greek style, 5% fat)	1.1 g	2.7 g	1.5 g	29
Basil pesto	1 g	0.6 g	9.8 g	93
Lemon juice, fresh	0.5 g	0 g	0 g	2
Salt, sea salt	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Olive oil, extra virgin	0 g	0 g	13.5 g	119
Apple cider vinegar	0.1 g	0 g	0 g	2
Pepper, black, spices	0.1 g	0 g	0 g	1
Iceberg lettuce, fresh	1.1 g	0.5 g	0.1 g	8
Tomatoes, fresh	1.6 g	0.5 g	0.1 g	11
Cucumber, fresh	1.2 g	0.5 g	0.1 g	10
Avocado, fresh	0.9 g	1 g	7.4 g	80
Total	7.8 g	31.3 g	58.9 g	698

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Nut free
• Pork free
• Coconut free
• Shellfish free
• Beef free
• Pescatarian