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Easy Spanish Tuna Salad Recipe

Are you a fan of Spanish salads? Are you looking for a way to incorporate more vegetables or seafood into your diet? Do you want to learn a new delicious Spanish recipe? Then you are in the right place.

In this article, we will show you how you can make the Spanish tuna salad, also known as one of the best salads of all time.

It’s easy to make, it’s cheaper (and tastier) than other salads, and you most likely already have all the ingredients at home, so you have to give this recipe a try.

Spanish tuna salad in a wooden bowl with potatoes, olives and olive oil in the background. Easy Spanish Tuna Salad Recipe

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Background of the Dish

Spanish tuna salad on a white plate.

The main ingredients of the Spanish tuna salad are (as you can imagine) tuna and egg, and then there are variants with more or fewer ingredients.

The other ingredients that you can find in the classic versions of this salad are potatoes, bell peppers, onions, tomato, and lettuce.

It is a recipe that, together with the Spanish potato salad and the Spanish mixed green salad have a boom in summer, but it is also served on some holidays at seasons, such as Christmas or Easter.

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Things You’ll Need for Spanish Tuna Salad

To make this tuna egg salad recipe you need potatoes, some bell peppers, onion, eggs (I used quail eggs), and tuna for the main ingredients.

spanish tuna salad next to potatoes, olives and quail eggs

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs (6 if you are using quail eggs)
  • 3 potatoes
  • 1 can of tuna (drained)
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 green bell pepper (you can use a whole one too)
  • 1 onion
  • A few lettuce leaves (optional)
  • 8 pitted olives
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Spanish Tuna Salad – Step by Step Guide

potatoes boiling in water for the Spanish tuna salad.
  1. To start making this tuna salad recipe with egg, you have to peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
  1. In the meantime, bring a pot with enough water to cover the potatoes to a boil. Then add a pinch of salt to the water.
  1. After that, bring the potato pieces to a boil and cook until soft (pinch them with a knife or fork), it should take from 25 to 40 minutes depending on the size of the potato.
  1. In a smaller saucepan, boil the eggs for 15 minutes. After that time, drain them from the hot water and place them in a bowl with cold water to cool.
  1. Next, cut the onion and bell peppers into thin strips. If you want them to have a softer texture and taste, put them in a strainer and let hot water run by.
  1. Then, slice the tomatoes, and peel the cool eggs and potatoes (or leave the skin).
  1. Now put everything in a large bowl, add the olives (cut in half), clean lettuce leaves (optional), and the drained tuna. You can take it to the fridge to cool for 20 minutes before serving the salad with tuna.
  1. Then add the oil and vinegar for the dressing of the salad, and if you find it dry you can add more oil or a few tablespoons of mayonnaise.
  1. Try the tuna and egg salad to see if it needs more seasoning or dressing, and serve it right away. If you don’t plan to eat it right away, then don’t put the dressing on it and keep it in the fridge (you can’t store salads that have already added vinegar).

Substitution of Ingredients

closeup with spanish tuna salad

There are several changes that you can make in this tuna salad with eggs, although we can assure you that with the listed ingredients it is delicious.

As for the potato, you can use a smaller amount, or replace it with sweet potato or pumpkin.

You can remove the egg if you were looking for a vegan version, although it would no longer be a tuna salad with egg.

Despite what you may believe, canned tuna in a salad is perfect, but of course, you could go for a fresher version and cook your tuna.

The lettuce leaves are optional for this tuna fish salad recipe with egg, but they give it a lot of freshness and you can see its positive impact.

Like other Spanish salads, the typical dressing is vinegar and olive oil, but you can use others such as ranch dressing, lemon vinaigrette, greek yogurt ranch, or whatever you like.

Try the Ensalada de mango, the tasty and easy-to-make Spanish mango salad with cucumbers, and the easy Spanish seafood salad.

The ensalada de cangrejo, known as the Spanish crab salad is a refreshing and light salad, just perfect as a lunch during summertime.

Tips on Serving Spanish Tuna Salad

Spanish tuna salad in a wooden bowl.

To serve this egg tuna salad it is recommended that it be cold, so it is better if you can leave it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before adding the dressing.

It is important that you only add the dressing when you are going to eat the salad since you cannot save a salad already dressed with vinegar.

You can eat this Ensalada de tuna for lunch or dinner, as a main or side dish (depending on the size of the serving).

Although tuna and eggs are the ingredients that shine, when serving you can add toppings to give it more texture, such as croutons, toasted nuts, etc.

When you finish making this best tuna salad recipe with the egg you can also grate some cheese and put it on top.

Try other recipes with fish, like the marmitako recipe, aka Spanish tuna stew, or the ensalada de salmon with avocado and fresh vegetables.

How to Store Spanish Tuna Salad

How to Store Spanish Tuna Salad. A photo with different products in a fridge

Although it is the best tuna recipe, one disadvantage it has is that you can’t store it for long.

When you finish making the tuna and egg recipe you can store it in the fridge for up to 1 day in a bowl covered with a plastic bag or plastic wrap.

Remember that you should not store the Spanish tuna salad if you already put the dressing on it.

Some Spanish salad recipes that can be stored for longer are the Spanish grilled octopus salad and the Spanish Bean Salad, so you could give them a try.

Recipe Card: Spanish Tuna Salad

Yield: 4

Spanish Tuna Salad Recipe

spanish salad bowl in a wooden bowl with potatoes, olives and olive oil in the background

Are you a fan of salads? Are you looking for a way to incorporate more vegetables or seafood into your diet?

Do you want to learn a new delicious Spanish recipe? Then you are in the right place.

We will show you how you can make the Spanish tuna salad, also known as one of the best salads of all time.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs ( 6 quail eggs)
  • 3 potatoes
  • 1 can of tuna (drained)
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 green bell pepper (you can use a whole one too)
  • 1 onion
  • A few lettuce leaves (optional)
  • 8 pitted olives
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash the potatoes carefully, since to cook them the ideal is to do it with the skin. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
  2. In the meantime, bring a pot with enough water to cover the potatoes to a boil. Add a pinch of salt to the water.
  3. Bring the potato pieces to a boil and cook until soft (pinch them with a knife or fork), it should take from 25 to 40 minutes depending on the size of the potato.
  4. In a smaller saucepan, boil the eggs for 15 minutes. After that time, drain them from the hot water and place them in a bowl with cold water to cool.
  5. Cut the onion and bell peppers into thin strips. If you want them to have a softer texture and taste, put them in a strainer and let hot water run by.
  6. Slice the tomatoes, and peel the cool eggs and potatoes (or leave the skin).
  7. Put everything in a bowl, add the olives (cut in half), clean lettuce leaves (optional), and the drained tuna. You can take it to the fridge to cool for 20 minutes before serving the salad with tuna.
  8. Add the oil and vinegar for the dressing of the Spanish tuna salad, and if you find it dry you can add more oil or a few tablespoons of mayonnaise.
  9. Try the Spanish tuna salad to see if it needs more seasoning or dressing, and serve it right away. If you don't plan to eat it right away, then don't put the dressing on it and keep it in the fridge (you can't store salads that have already added vinegar).

Notes

If you can get organic or good-quality potatoes then we encourage you to keep the skin on for this Spanish salad because it adds a large number of vitamins and nutrients.

It is very important that you only add the Spanish salad dressing when you are ready to eat the salad, otherwise, it will go bad.

The lettuce leaves are optional for this tuna egg salad, but it gives it extra freshness and also make it more colorful.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 224Total Fat 15.0gSaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0.1mgSodium 286.2mgCarbohydrates 6.9gFiber 2.1gSugar 3.7gProtein 17.5g

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