Light Tzatziki Tuna Salad

February 6, 2013

Light tzatziki tuna salad is the perfect, light, and easy way to use up some garden veggies and eat lunch at the same time. Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and olive oil make the base of this tuna salad. Serve it with pita bread or on a whole grain bread.

Light Tzatziki Tuna Salad | sarcastic Cooking

Post originally published in 2013.

I don’t exactly remember when I started liking tuna. It was a food that was always around during my childhood, but I never experienced until, well, I don’t remember.

My Dad was always the master tuna salad maker in the house. That is what he would eat on weekends in between mowing the lawn and complaining about how he had to mow the lawn.

He would sit at the kitchen table and eat his lunch with some baseball game on the tiny kitchen TV and talk to himself about how he had so much stuff to do around the house or how the White Sox were a bunch of idiots.

Light Tzatziki Tuna Salad with Pita Bread | Sarcastic Cooking

Then after he had his moment of solitude to regroup, he would make us lunch and then hustle us on to cleaning and chore time.

So, that is really my only memory of tuna from a can in my life.

Lately, I have loved how easy it is to open a can of good tuna and make a quick tasty lunch. Normally, I am not a lunch kinda girl.

Sometimes I skip lunch all together. Quick snacky bites are more my jam.

I have learned that if I take the time to make some light tzatziki tuna salad at the start of the week, I can eat it on crackers or pita bread for the next few days if I have time.

I am not a big fan of mayo in tuna salad. It overpowers the whole salad, so I have found other ways to make a creamy salad. Try some white beans or chick peas added instead. My go-to is a little smidge of this tzatziki sauce.

It is made with Greek yogurt, olive oil, and lemon juice. It is light on calories, but still satisfying.

Try this recipe out next time you need a quick lunch time bite or two. It will allow you time to umm, let’s say dictate cleaning orders to your children or do chores, while still eating a healthy meal.

I mean if that’s your thing…

Light Tzatziki Tuna Salad

Course Salad
Servings 2 -3
Author Sarcastic Cooking

Ingredients

  • Salad:
  • 5 Ounces Canned Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water drained
  • 1 Persian Cucumber sliced
  • 10 Cherry/Grape Tomatoes halved
  • 2 Tablespoons Diced Red Onion
  • Pita Bread/Crackers/Pita Chips
  • Sauce:
  • 2 Tablespoons Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Pinch of Salt & Pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
  • 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Dill
  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Parsley
  • 3 Pepperoncini Peppers stems removed and minced

Instructions

  1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest. Then mix in the herbs and minced pepperoncini peppers. Set off to the side.
  2. Add tuna, cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion to a medium mixing bowl. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the sauce to the salad and mix to combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Serve salad on crackers, pita bread, or pita chips. Store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

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  • joy clark
    June 17, 2015 at 2:19 pm

    I love mayo, but not the fat grams! This was so delicious, and I will use the tzatziki sauce on many other things!

  • Sadye
    April 9, 2013 at 8:45 am

    Just as good as mayo tuna salad, and definitely lighter-tasting. If you’re lazy like me and buy Trader Joe’s tzatziki instead of making your own, you might want to cut back on how much fresh cucumber you put in.

  • Laura
    February 12, 2013 at 9:51 pm

    I usually avoid tuna salads because I don’t want the mayo. I LOVE the idea of these flavors!

  • Jennie @themessybakerblog
    February 7, 2013 at 4:58 pm

    You are my hero! I adore tzatziki (so fun to say, so hard to spell). This looks absolutely delicious. It’s going on the list of things to make next week. Yum!

  • Anita at Hungry Couple
    February 7, 2013 at 8:13 am

    I am, unfortunately, allergic to seafood. But, I’m all over that tzatziki sauce! Goes great with chicken salad, as well. 🙂

  • Caylean
    February 7, 2013 at 12:19 am

    What a great idea for a light lunch. I love the tzatziki rather than the mayo, I agree it over powers the tuna. I will defiantly be putting this recipe in the lunch time file 🙂

  • Carol Ann
    February 6, 2013 at 4:49 pm

    I love tuna and love tzatziki….never thought of putting them together! This sounds so tasty and I might lighten it up even more by making it into a tuna lettuce wrap! I know what we’re having for lunch tomorrow!

    • Stefanie
      February 6, 2013 at 5:06 pm

      Oooo! This would be great ina lettuce wrap! Brilliant!

  • AshleyD
    February 6, 2013 at 4:31 pm

    I just tried this Tzatziki dressing on falafel and it was super yummy!

  • Momma Mary
    February 6, 2013 at 11:03 am

    Can’t wait to try this! On a side note, we just descoverd Persian cucumbers last month and we’re in love with them! Yum!!

  • Susan
    February 6, 2013 at 10:30 am

    I love tuna salad and I do eat it the same way or just buy the “veggie” version from the deli down my office. I absolutely love the idea of mixing it with tzatziki. Most definitely giving this a try some weekend afternoon.

  • Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out
    February 6, 2013 at 10:15 am

    “That is what he would eat on weekends in between mowing the lawn and complaining about how he had to mow the lawn.”

    Bahaha, this that some sort of requirement for being a dad? I don’t even know your dad, but I can totally picture this whole situation.

    Love this tuna salad. Yummy!!

  • cheerful Terri
    February 6, 2013 at 9:19 am

    OMG cant wait to try this I have become a snacker rather than a BIG mEal esp lunchtime-ish ! Love tuna!!! my family eats creamed Tuna on toast with peas as a dinner option every couple of weeks and its everyone’s favorite go figure!

  • Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen
    February 6, 2013 at 9:12 am

    I definitely need to try my tuna this way. I put sooo much mayo in my tuna salad, basically ruining what should be a healthy lunch. This looks delicious!

  • windykitchen
    February 6, 2013 at 8:15 am

    I’m with you on the not loving mayo thing, and I had honestly never thought of doing pureed white beans or chickpeas — what a great idea! I’ve tried tzatziki before (but never this fancily!) and love the dill flavor it gives the tuna salad. Yum!