Italian Tuna Salad Recipe - Keto Lunch Idea

Italian Tuna Salad loaded with fresh vegetables, garlic, parsley and olives. The no mayo tuna salad is perfect for those who are not a fan of mayonnaise in their tuna salad. This low carb tuna recipe is not only delicious and nutritious, the delicious Mediterranean tuna is also Keto friendly.

Italian Tuna Salad

I had been planning to make an Italian Tuna Salad recipe for awhile, and knew Yellowfin Tuna would be a perfect choice. In case you are not familiar, Italian Tuna has no mayo, rather it is dressed in oil and and lemon. The tuna salad also features plenty of Italian vegetables and seasoning.

Italian Tuna: Origin

I was first introduced to Italian Tuna Salad many years ago. I was  working at a small Italian owned diner in Providence, RI at the time.  The area in general has a strong Italian culinary heritage, but this particular dish was new to me.  I am monumentally fussy about tuna and it's preparation. While the diner's was a little too fishy for my taste, I would eat it on occasion. This Mediterranean tuna salad was hugely popular with the local clientele.

The restaurant closed several years ago.  While I never did get his Italian tuna recipe, I started making my own "fussy-girl" version recently.  I like mine better 😉

Mediterranean Tuna a Low Carb Lunch

The tuna salad features fresh chopped vegetables, olives, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil. The salad can easily stand on it's own as a lunch. That is most often how I eat it.

The oil packed tuna has just the right amount of olive oil to dress the salad.  No mayonnaise is used and the vegetables used are not high in carbohydrates. Net carbs for a serving are just 4 grams.

Italian Tuna Sandwich

The recipe also makes a great Italian Tuna sandwich. Whether on crusty ciabatta or nice sliced multi-grain bread, it is a tasty and nutritious lunch.

The choice of  Yellowfin Tuna was terrific in this no mayo tuna salad.  While you could make it with Albacore tuna as well, this oil packed tuna is perfect for the Mediterranean salad.  It's a great way to boost Omega-3 oil and protein in your diet, without additives or preservatives. One of my very favorite tuna recipes.

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• Keto Chicken Salad
• Pesto Tortellini Salad
• Italian Seasoned Sauteed Vegetables
• Copycat Panera Tuna Salad
• Kielbasa Recipe with potatoes

Italian Tuna Salad Recipe

Great low carb lunch recipe. Italian tuna dressed in olive oil and lemon juice with fresh chopped vegetables is a delicious and healthy way to make a mayo tuna salad.  

4.83 from 40 votes

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 125kcal

Author: Robin Gagnon

Ingredients

• 2 cans of Yellowfin Tuna in Pure Olive Oil not drained (I used Genova brand)
• 1-1 ¼ cups diced tomato drained
• ½ cup chopped parsley leaves
• 3 ounces black olives sliced
• ½ of a large sweet yellow pepper diced
• ¼ cup red onion fine diced
• ¼ cup green olives without pimento, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Open cans into a large mixing bowl and gently break up the tuna a little.
• Add all the remaining ingredients. Do not mix until all are in thereto avoid breaking the tuna up too much.
• Serve immediately as a salad plate or on a sandwich, or refrigerate for up to two days.

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 557mg | Potassium: 289mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 780IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1.6mg