Tuna meets toasted bread cubes in an elegant twist on your favorite lunchtime salad. Tuna panzanella salad is also a great light supper!
My favorite thing about this fabulous, delicious, nutritious, handsome dish is how scrumptious it tastes.
My second favorite thing is that you can throw it together in about 20 minutes.
This is pretty much your standard, wonderful panzanella salad…but with tuna. Panzanella salad is basically a mixture of toasted bread cubes, tomato, and a mix of herbs and a few spices. In this recipe, you toss in some cucumber and a little red onion, and (of course) some tuna.
Tuna meets toasted bread cubes in an elegant twist on your favorite lunchtime salad. Tuna panzanella salad is also a great light supper! You can use the water-packed version if you really have to, but I think that tuna packed in oil is just SO much better. Drain off as much of the oil as you want to, and go for it…it’s worth it.
My other words of tuna wisdom are these: don’t bother “flaking the tuna with a fork” or using some other dainty method to break it up. The only way to deal with tuna is with your hands.
Dump it in a bowl, wash your hands, and then break it up with your fingers until it is all nice and shredded. It’s easy and efficient, and if you use the oil-packed tuna your hands will get all moisturized in the process.
After that, it’s just a matter of tossing everything else together in a bowl and digging in…it honestly could not be easier, or more delicious.
PrintTuna Panzanella Salad
Tuna meets toasted bread cubes in an elegant twist on your favorite lunchtime salad. Tuna panzanella salad is also a great light supper!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cans of tuna (12 oz each)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 loaf (4-5 cups) Italian bread, cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large tomato, cubed
- 1 medium cucumber, cubed
- 1 red onion, diced
- 15 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup light balsamic vinaigrette
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300° F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Toss bread cubes with olive oil, garlic and salt. Spread on the baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes until toasted.
- In another large bowl, mix tuna, peppers, tomato, cucumber onion, and oregano together to blend well.
- Add bread cubes, basil, and vinaigrette and toss well. Let it all sit for a half hour or so, so that all the great flavors can sink into each other.
- Garnish with fresh basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Keywords: dairy-free tuna panzanella, tuna panzanella salad
Melissa @IWasBornToCook says
Looks great…and LOL at the website. I'll have to check it out.
Joanne says
Tuna really IS a wonderfish, at least in this salad! I love finding nice things in the darndest of places.
Barbara says
Never thought to make a panzanella salad with tuna! Great idea!
aBroad says
Making this tomorrow ! Thanks ! I love it when I don't have to Think about what is for dinner … actually, I love it when I don't have to think .. period :)
besos, C
FramedCooks says
Hurray for tuna! It's just so…dependable. :)
SKR says
Looks perfectly refreshing & yummy :]
Jennifer says
Making this tonight and the directions say peppers..but no peppers in the ingredients list…just regular green peppers? Thank you!
Whoops! That should have been pepper (as in ground black pepper) and I will go back and add it to the ingredient list! 1/4 teaspoon. Thanks for the catch!