This Carrot and Tuna Salad combines pantry staples with a number of contemporary substances for a lightweight, satisfying, and protein-packed dish! Serve this scrumptious recipe as a facet dish, sandwich filling, bento facet, or low-carb predominant course. {Vegan/Vegetarian Adaptable}
If you happen to’re on the lookout for a easy, pantry-friendly salad with minimal prep, this Carrot and Tuna Salad is the proper selection. Full of well-balanced, nutritious substances, it’s a win-win for a fast and wholesome predominant dish or facet salad!
On the lookout for extra wholesome salad recipes like this? Strive my Japanese Potato Salad, Japanese Cucumber Salad, and Japanese Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing recipes!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy substances. It requires solely a handful of contemporary substances and pantry staples.
- Tremendous wholesome! It’s wealthy in fiber, minerals, and vitamins—due to the carrots and heart-healthy tuna.
- Straightforward to customise. You’ll be able to add, swap, or substitute nearly each ingredient to avoid wasting time or spare you a visit to the shop.
- Could be a hearty meal, facet dish, or snack. The addition of tuna makes the salad hearty sufficient to face alone. You’ll be able to benefit from the salad as is or serve it over toast, in onigirazu (rice sandwich), or on whole-grain crackers. Yum!
- Wonderful for meal prep! Carrot salad is among the hottest Japanese meal-prep dishes, generally known as jobisai (常備菜). Because it shops effectively within the fridge, you can also make a big batch and luxuriate in it all through the week.
Substances for Carrot and Tuna Salad
- Carrots
- Pink onion or shallot
- Canned tuna
- Toasted black sesame seeds
- Dressing:
- Further virgin olive oil
- Rice vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.
How To Make Carrot and Tuna Salad
Preparation
Step 1 – Minimize substances. Julienne the carrots, place them in a bowl, cowl with a humid paper towel, and and microwave for a minute. Microwaving evenly softens them whereas nonetheless preserving a few of their crunch. Subsequent, thinly slice the pink onion (or shallots) and soak in a bowl of chilly water to take away the bitterness. Squeeze out the water and put aside.
Step 2 – Make the dressing. Whisk all of the dressing substances in a big mixing bowl.
Assemble
Step 3 – Toss to mix. Add the drained tuna to the bowl, break it into items, and coat with the dressing. Then, add the carrots, onions, and a lot of the black sesame seeds. Give every little thing one other toss.
Step 4 – Refrigerate and serve. Let the salad marinate within the fridge for no less than 1 hour earlier than serving. When able to serve, sprinkle with the remainder of black sesame seeds for a nutty crunch and a pop of colour. For non-compulsory garnishes, you can too add parsley sprigs and a lemon wedge.
Nami’s Recipe Suggestions
- Use a julienne peeler – To create julienned strips, first peel the carrot. I exploit my Y-shaped Japanese peeler from our on-line store, JOC Items. Then, slice the carrot into lengthy, skinny strips; I exploit my favourite Japanese julienne peeler, additionally from JOC Items.
- Microwave to rapidly tenderize the carrot – The temporary cooking time helps keep their vibrant colour, pure sweetness, and crispness, providing a pleasant stability between uncooked and tender textures with out making them mushy. I cowl it with a humid paper towel and zap for 1 minute (1000W). Alternatively, you’ll be able to sprinkle the carrot strips with a tiny little bit of salt, let it sit for 3 minutes, and rinse underneath chilly water so it wilts barely.
- Versatile dressing – This vibrant, zippy French dressing fantastically enhances the important thing elements of the salad. It’s so versatile—I like to recommend making a giant jar! You need to use the dressing for different salads or roasted greens.
Variations and Customizations
- Strive completely different greens. Strive utilizing cucumbers, zucchini, and daikon radish. These are comparatively simpler to julienne than carrots.
- On the lookout for an improve from canned tuna? I extremely advocate this model of jarred tuna. The big chunks are spectacular, and the standard is noticeably superior.
- Vegan/vegetarian? Skip the tuna and add chickpeas! You may as well add grilled tofu, edamame, avocado, or different greens.
How To Serve Carrot and Tuna Salad
- As a facet dish – This salad goes effectively with any meal!
- In a sandwich – It’s fabulous as a sandwich filling! I add it to my Wanpaku Sandwich.
- As a snack – Put it on crackers as a topping and luxuriate in it as a snack.
- Packed in a bento lunch field – This salad provides a pop of vibrant colour to your lunch field.
- As a predominant course – I take pleasure in this salad by itself after I wish to go low-carb.
Storage Suggestions
To retailer: Retailer the salad in an hermetic container. It is going to hold effectively for 3–4 days within the fridge.
To freeze: Place the salad in an hermetic container or resealable freezer bag. Freeze for as much as a month. Thaw within the fridge in a single day. Serve chilled.
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To Put together the Substances
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Peel 2 carrots with a vegetable peeler. Then, lower the carrots into skinny, lengthy strips with a julienne peeler. You may as well julienne along with your knife utilizing the hosogiri chopping method.
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Save any leftover items of carrot which you could’t peel to make use of in one other dish later. Place the julienned carrots in a microwave-safe bowl and canopy with a humid paper towel.
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Prepare dinner the carrots within the microwave for 1 minute (1000W) to evenly soften them. Take away the paper towel and let cool.
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Thinly slice ½ pink onion. Soak the sliced onion in a bowl of chilly water to take away the bitterness.
To Make the Dressing
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In the meantime, make the dressing. To a big mixing bowl, add 1 Tbsp further virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp soy sauce, ⅛ tsp freshly floor black pepper, and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
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Mix with a whisk. Minimize the lemon in half (reserve the additional lemon for garnish). Squeeze 2 tsp lemon juice into the dressing and whisk once more.
To Toss the Salad
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Drain 1 can albacore tuna (ideally packed in olive oil) and add the tuna to the bowl. Break it into small items and coat with the dressing.
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Then, add the cooled carrots and toss with the tuna.
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Squeeze the water from the onion slices and add them to the bowl.
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Add a lot of the ½ Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds to the bowl (reserving some for garnish) and provides every little thing one other toss.
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Cowl the bowl and marinate the salad within the fridge for no less than 1 hour. Switch the Carrot and Tuna Salad to a serving plate.
