Name: Tuscan Tuna Salad Bowl for One
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 small shallot , sliced thin; 1 small garlic clove , minced; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice; 1/8 teaspoon table salt; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 1 tablespoon oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes , minced, plus 1½ tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil; 1 (5-ounce) can solid white tuna in water , drained and flaked; 1/4 head Bibb lettuce (2 ounces), torn into 1-inch pieces; 1/4 cup canned cannellini beans , rinsed; 1 celery rib , sliced thin on bias, plus 2 tablespoons celery leaves; 2 tablespoons thinly sliced pitted kalamata olives

Why This Recipe Works

Tuna salad is a good go-to for a quick pantry-friendly meal. But we don’t always want the traditional creamy deli-style version; this salad shows the versatility of tuna with fresh, bright flavors and a lemon vinaigrette. We bypassed the mayo and instead opened a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Their concentrated sweetness made the perfect enhancement to plain canned tuna, but we also used some of the oil from the jar to prepare the vinaigrette and imbue every bite of our salad with warm Mediterranean flavor. Meaty cannellini beans and briny olives over a bed of tender Bibb lettuce brought salty, savory balance to the tart dressing. And what is tuna salad without some crisp celery? For prominent celery avor we doubled up and used both the celery ribs and the leaves.

Before You Begin

This recipe is from Cooking for One, which includes more than 160 perfectly-portioned recipes for the solo diner.

Instructions

Whisk shallot, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together in bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in sun-dried tomato oil until combined; set aside for 5 minutes.

Toss sun-dried tomatoes and tuna with ½ tablespoon vinaigrette to coat. In separate bowl, toss lettuce with ½ tablespoon vinaigrette to coat, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with tuna mixture, beans, sliced celery, and olives. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon vinaigrette and sprinkle with celery leaves. Serve.