Name: Mediterranean Tuna Salad from the Pot
Yield: 6

Mediterranean Tuna Salad is fresh, filling, and flavorful, with crisp veggies, olive-oil-packed tuna, and tender orzo tossed in a bright lemon dressing.

Family Favorite

A Lighter Tuna Salad: The Mediterranean Way!

As much as It is satisfying to a creamy, mayo-filled tuna salad, there’s nothing like the bright, fresh taste of one with vinaigrette!

This Mediterranean Tuna Salad hits the spot—it’s fresh, bright, and so satisfying! You might recognize the lemon dressing—it’s adapted from my popular sweet potato quinoa salad.

One day, I had a little dressing leftover and mixed it with canned tuna and veggies for a quick lunch. After one bite, I knew it needed to become a full recipe. I think you’re going to love this one!

All the dressing ingredients prepped for straightforward assembly, including garlic, olive oil, lemon, oregano, honey, vinegar, and Dijon.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad Ingredients

The full recipe is below, but here are a few quick tips:

Pasta: Only cook 1 cup of pasta, not the whole box. Any small pasta will work.
Veggies: Drain the olives well and chop all the veggies into even pieces.
Cucumbers: Use English cucumbers for better flavor, and no peeling needed!
Onion: If you’re sensitive to raw onion, soak the diced onion in salted ice water first.
Parsley: Choose flat-leaf parsley over curly parsley for better flavor.

What Kind Of Tuna To Use

It is worth tuna packed in olive oil — it’s richer and adds more flavor to the salad. Drain it well before using!

All the ingredients for Mediterranean Tuna Salad prepped for straightforward assembly, including feta, red pepper, red onion, parsley, orzo, olives, tuna, and cucumber.

How To Make Mediterranean Tuna Salad (Tips)

Salt the Pasta Water: Don’t skip it — it’s the easiest way to boost the salad’s flavor.
Toss Pasta with Dressing: Add dressing to warm pasta so it soaks up more flavor.
Make It How You Like It: Swap or skip ingredients, keeping amounts the same.

Quick Tip

Serve this salad as a main dish straight from the bowl, stuffed in pitas, or spooned into lettuce wraps. You can also leave out the tuna and enjoy it as a side with grilled chicken or burgers. It is satisfying to it with crackers for a quick lunch!

Storage

Storing Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Dressed Salad: Doesn’t store well. Veggies soften and orzo bloats from the dressing.
Make Ahead: Keep all parts separate. Toss together and dress right before eating.
Meal Prep: Store the salad without dressing. Keep onions, olives, and feta separate and add fresh so the flavors don’t take over.
Leftover Dressing: It may harden or separate in the fridge. Let it sit out for 20 minutes, then shake well.