Mayo free Mediterranean tuna salad packed with tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, artichokes, and a two-ingredient dressing. It’s so refreshing and just delicious all around!

close up mediterranean tuna salad recipe this recipe

This mayo-free tuna salad just might be my new favorite salad for a quick lunch or snack. While I always loved the idea of tuna salad, I found that the standard recipe left me wanting more:

  • More texture!
  • More flavor!
  • More color!

This Mediterranean tuna salad delivers on all of these. It’s jam-packed with veggies such as cucumbers, artichokes, tomatoes, bell peppers and so much more!

Just like our avocado tuna salad, instead of mayo, this salad is tossed in olive oil and red wine vinegar and finished off with plenty of fresh herbs.

It’s so fresh, light, and very filling. I absolutely love to prep it over the weekend to enjoy throughout the week with a side of crackers. You can serve it with pita chips, naan bread, or simply enjoy it as is.

The Secret to This No Mayo Tuna Salad

The secret to this tasty mayo-free tuna salad lies in the actual tuna. Simple as that.

When buying tuna, look for wild or pole-and-line-caught, olive oil-packed tuna. I love the Wild Planet brand. I get mine at Costco or Amazon. It’s flavorful and tastes really good.

Oil-packed tuna seals in flavor and gives you some tender chunks of tuna to work with. Just make sure the ingredients list says “olive oil” and not “soybean” or any other variety.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad Bowl Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make tuna salad.

  • Canned tuna in olive oil
  • Grape tomatoes
  • Red onions
  • Orange bell pepper
  • Cucumbers
  • Marinated artichokes
  • Olive oil
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Fresh parsley and dill
  • Lemon
ingredients for mediterranean tuna salad

How to Make Mediterranean Tuna Salad (No Mayo)

  • Step 1: Flake the tuna – open the tuna and dump it into a bowl with all of its juices and oil. Using a fork, flake the tuna into smaller chunks.
canned tuna in a bowl
  • Step 2: Add the veggies – stir in tomatoes, red onions, bell pepper, cucumbers, artichokes, parsley, and lemon zest.
chopped up mediterranean tuna salad with artichokes
  • Step 3: Combine with dressing – pour the olive oil and red wine vinegar over the salad and toss thoroughly to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad Recipe Adaptations

This tuna salad is very easy to customize to better fit your diet or to simply use what you have on hand. Feel free to swap out any ingredients to your liking or add in anything extra that you like.

  • Olives, either black or kalamata are really delicious.
  • For creaminess, add an avocado. I would start off with half of the avocado first. Mash it up a little then stir it in. Or chop it up to keep it chunky.
  • Toss in banana peppers, roasted red peppers, or chickpeas for added flavor.
  • You can even add some feta cheese. It’s very salty so watch any additional salt.
  • Dried spices, such as oregano would be a great addition too.

What to Serve with Mediterranean Tuna Salad

  • Serve this tuna salad plated next to a simple green salad, on top of a bed of greens, or tucked inside Bibb lettuce cups.
  • Scoop up the salad with bread crisps or pita chips.
  • For a fun lunchbox option, pack up the Mediterranean tuna salad with Greek salad skewers and triangles of pita bread.

Storing and Make Ahead Tips

This salad is excellent for making ahead since it lasts about 3 days in the refrigerator. While you can prepare the entire salad in advance, another option is to prepare the entire salad except the cucumbers and add those in just before serving. This will keep the cucumbers from watering down the salad and help them stay crisp and crunchy!

mayo free tuna salad

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overhead greek tuna salad in bowl

Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Bell Pepper

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Chop
  • Cuisine: Greek
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Description

Mayo free Mediterranean tuna salad packed with tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, artichokes, and a two ingredient dressing. It’s so refreshing and just delicious all around!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 (5 oz.) cans olive oil-packed tuna, do not drain
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped orange bell pepper
  • 2 mini cucumbers, diced (or 1/2 English cucumber)
  • 1/2 cup jarred marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley and dill
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Add the tuna and the oil from the cans to a large salad bowl. Using a fork, gently break the tuna into bite-size chunks.
  2. Add the tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, cucumbers, artichokes, parsley, dill, and lemon zest. Drizzle with the olive oil and red wine vinegar, and season with salt and black pepper. Gently toss until everything is evenly combined, taking care not to break up the tuna too much.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Toss gently once more before serving and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

  • Adjust the acidity: Taste the salad before serving and add an extra splash of red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice if you prefer a brighter, tangier flavor.
  • Tuna: I love Wild Planet tuna in extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe.
  • Leftovers: Tuna salad will last up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It tends to “water out” if stored for a longer period of time.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 204
  • Sugar: 2.5 g
  • Sodium: 392 mg
  • Fat: 9.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 7.4 g
  • Protein: 21.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 36.1 mg