Go-To Tuna Salad

Go-To Tuna Salad

This was a standby recipe for me during the soft stage after surgery. The only bad memory I have of this salad was when I put it in the food processor thinking that processing it would make it even easier to digest. For the record, processed tuna is incredibly nasty and grainy. If you have lots of chunks, just mash it really well with a fork to break it up. Making drained yogurt is really easy. Just put yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or paper towels and place on top of a bowl or plate to catch the juices. I usually will set it up the night before and the next day you will have “yogurt cheese” - a thicker, more flavorful yogurt with the consistency of cream cheese. When making salads like this using the drained yogurt gives you a texture that is more like a traditional mayonnaise-based salad. You do not have to use the yogurt cheese, it will be good right out of the container – just use a little bit less yogurt so the salad is not too loose. You can of course still use mayonnaise, but do try the yogurt first. Packed full of protein it does make for a healthier alternative – and the flavor is great when you make it this way. You can store the salad in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week, but it does not freeze well. I always was looking for recipes that would allow me to sneak in some extra protein with unflavored protein powder, and this salad works perfectly since it has a flavor strong enough to completely hide the taste of the protein powder. I still enjoy this salad regularly, but now I eat it on cucumber or tomato slices.

¼ cup yogurt cheese made from fat free Greek yogurt (see above) (75 calories, 13.75 grams protein)
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (or to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 6-ounce can drained tuna in water (198 calories, 43.4 grams protein)
2 finely sliced scallions (10 calories, .6 grams protein)

In a small bowl whisk together the yogurt cheese, mustard, lemon juice, and seasonings. Mix in the tuna and scallions and mix well to combine. Serve immediately, or for best flavor, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 5 2-ounce servings.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

283 calories, 57.75 grams protein total
56.6 calories, 11.6 grams protein per serving