Lentil Tuna Salad

4.74 from 15 votes

This lentil tuna salad combines beluga lentils with canned tuna, fresh veggies and a turmeric dressing. It's absolutely delicious and perfect for summer cookouts and parties.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Servings:

Author: Brittany Mullins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups black beluga lentils sifted and rinsed
3 cups water
pinch of sea salt
2 Genova Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil in Easy-Open Can drained
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado chopped

Apple Cider Vinegar Turmeric Dressing:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/3 cup olive oil

Instructions

Cook lentils: Add lentils, 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover and simmer until lentils are soft, about 25 minutes. Drain through a fine strainer and rinse quickly with cold water to cool. Drain again, set lentils aside and allow to cool. This step can be done ahead of time. Just cook your lentils, cool and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to make the salad.
Combine ingredients: In a large bowl, add the cooled lentils, tuna, red onion, bell pepper, cucumber, raisins and cilantro into a large bowl and toss to combine.
Make dressing: In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, turmeric salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk in olive oil and toss over the lentil tuna mixture.
Serve: Refrigerate until ready to eat. Add the chopped avocado just before serving. Serve with crackers for a snack or appetizer, on bread or a wrap for a sandwich or over a bed of greens. Salad should last 3-4 days in the fridge.

Notes

Lentils – I like to cook my own lentils, but to make this recipe come together even quicker you can totally use pre-cooked, steamed lentils. Stores like Kroger carry the Melissa’s steamed lentils and steamed lentils are one of my favorite items to buy from Trader Joe’s.
Mix-ins – Feel free to switch up your mix-ins for this tuna salad... I often do! Sometimes I change up the veggies based on what I have on hand and add extra herbs like fresh dill (so good!). Feel free to get creative and make this your own!
Red onion – Not a fan of red onion feel free to use yellow onion instead.
Feta – Adding feta to this salad would be a great addition if you don't need it to be dairy free.

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