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Avocado Tuna Salad

Avocado tuna salad with red onion, celery, and carrots.

This creamy Tuna Avocado Salad is a healthier take on the classic tuna salad we all grew up eating. Using healthy avocados instead of mayonnaise, this tuna salad not only tastes incredible, but it is also really good for you. Add it to your lunchtime list along with this Cranberry Tuna Salad and Blackened Chickened Salad.

Before we talk about how amazing this Avocado Tuna Salad is, let's talk about tuna salad for a minute. It's funny how something like a simple tuna salad can be so polarizing.  Literally, the mention of it brings scowls, scrunched up noses, and eye rolling.  Personally, I blame this on people who decide to eat tuna in small spaces with no ventilation, like an airplane or waiting room or an interview.  Yes, that really happened.  I used to do a lot of recruiting and interviewing for my previous job and one person casually brought his lunch to the interview, mentioning he had a busy day.  Understanding the need to eat, I decided to go with it, until he opened what had to be the smelliest tuna sandwich of all time, and proceeded to not only eat it but spill it everywhere.  I thought I was being punked.  Needless to say, that interview didn't end well. 

But anyway, back to this Avocado Tuna Salad recipe.  As a lover of all things tuna fish, I am always looking for ways to step up my tuna sandwich game.  Lately, my favorite way to do that is by switching out my mayo for creamy delicious avocado. Not only is it so much healthier, the taste is out of this world. Then to make things even more delicious, I like it to add some crunch from celery, carrots, and red onion. It's a killer tuna salad and one I guarantee you will start making again and again.

Tuna avocado salad in a bowl with an avocado and lettuce on the side.

Recipe Ideas for Avocado Tuna Salad

  • Make it Paleo: For a Whole30 or Paleo Avocado Tuna Salad, just leave out the yogurt that is included in the recipe below. Mash the avocado, mix in the tuna so it gets nice and creamy. Fold in the remaining vegetables, lemon juice, and mustard. Just make sure to choose a mustard that is Whole30/Paleo friendly since not all Dijon mustard follows the diets.
  • Make it Mexican: If you want to make a Mexican Avocado Tuna salad, you can add in fresh cilantro and diced jalapeno. I also like to swap lime juice for the lemon juice and will leave out the mustard. Sometimes I throw in a few diced tomatoes or pico de gallo as well.
  • Make Tuna Avocado Boats: Instead of serving it the traditional ways on a salad, in a sandwich, or in a wrap  - instead make it into an avocado boat. Simply save the avocado shells after scooping out the avocado. Once you have made the tuna salad, stuff it pack into the shells and top with some chopped parsley, basil, chives, or cilantro.
  • Make it with Eggs:  If you are someone who loves eggs in your tuna salad, don't hesitate to add it to your avocado and tuna salad as well. Just chop a few hard boiled eggs and fold them into the mix. This adds richness and also packs in extra protein.
  • Make Avocado Tuna Pasta Salad: Believe it or not, this makes a pretty amazing pasta salad. However, you will need to use extra avocado and thin it out into more of a dressing with some olive oil. To make this I like to blend the avocado with olive oil, yogurt, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until it forms a smooth and creamy dressing. Then toss this with the pasta, tuna, and veggies.
  • Chickpeas, Avocado, and Tuna Salad: To make this more of a well-rounded meal with fiber, you can add some canned chickpeas to the salad as well. Then serve everything over a big bed of greens.
  • Add cucumbers: If you like some extra crunch in the salad, add some cucumbers as well. I like to use Persian cucumbers since they have less seeds and moisture and tend to retain their crunch and firm texture.
Avocado and tuna salad with carrot and celery in a bowl with avocado on the side.

How long will Tuna Avocado Salad last in the fridge?

We all know that avocados quickly turn brown, so you may be wondering if you can meal prep this dish and keep it in the fridge a few days. I have found that when you store the dish correctly, it will last from 2-4 days in the fridge. You will want to place it in a container and then squeeze some extra lemon or lime juice over the top. Then press a piece of plastic wrap over the salad so that the plastic wrap is touching the salad. This helps keep out any oxygen, which is what causes the avocado to brown. Then cover it with the lid and keep it cold in the fridge.

Calories 187, Total Fat 9g, Total Carbohydrate 7g, Protein 18g, Serving Size 3/4 cup


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