Asian Inspired Tuna Salad

A spin on traditional tuna salad with Asian infused flavors. Perfect for lunch time meal prep that can be served in various ways.

Totally Tuna

Isn’t that the name of the tuna sandwich at Jimmy Johns? I used to eat that once a week on my clinical rotations in PT school. Then it became my go to for lunch delivery to the NICU.

Canned tuna is probably the least attractive option in the pantry. Seriously, like the smell of it, the color, everything. I rarely make tuna salad for this reason. Also, I never wanted to be the one to blame for stinking up a lunchroom…

I have found a way to transform traditional tuna into something more inspiring. I have finally perfected a combination of Asian inspired ingredients to use in a variety of dishes. Today is your lucky day, because I am going to spill the beans

The Magic Ingredients

I have a few more Asian inspired dishes coming up, and you will see me use these same ingredients. They are staples for me. I haven’t ventured too far out into Asian territory, but I am just testing the waters.

The necessities are coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar (ACV), ginger, and garlic. Coconut aminos are the soy sauce alternative. It is the same flavor without the ridiculous level of sodium. In my opinion, Trader Joe’s has the best deal on coconut aminos. I unfortunately don’t live close to one, so I get a great brand from Whole Foods. The rest of the staples are pretty standard, and can be found almost anywhere.

For the rest of the salad, you will need obviously tuna. As I am writing this, I am remembering the pouches of Starkist Salmon I used to mix into a premade Asian salad for lunch. It sounds disgusting, but trust me on this one. They are very good! That would be a great substitute for this mixture if you can’t deal with the tuna.

You will also need to gather some cilantro, carrots, green onion, and coconut cream. The veggies add some seasoning and crunch. The coconut cream is a replacement for the mayo. I tried to think what was in the typical tuna salad, and replace it with cleaner ingredients. The one thing I do regret not adding to my Asian inspired salad is some sort of nut. Maybe some chopped almonds or peanuts would top it off.

Tuna Salad Serving Suggestions

I couldn’t fathom eating this salad on sliced bread. It definitely wasn’t the vibes. Also, I try to stay as gluten free as possible to avoid the bloat. Fortunately, I had some beautiful avocados staring me in the face the day I made this. I scooped out a little of the middle, and made room for a heaping scoop of tuna salad. I topped it with some sesame seeds and ate it with NutThins crackers. It was the perfect cold lunch combo.

The next day, I decided to mix it up a bit and spread the salad over a tortilla. My favorite are the Siete Casava Flour tortillas. You can find these at Walmart or Whole Foods. I rolled the tortilla up, stuck it in the freezer for a minute to harden, then cut into little spirals. It was the perfect bite size pieces.

You could easily just scoop it out of the bowl with some crackers or even throw it on a salad. Make it and keep in the fridge at work. Eat it a different way each time to make it less monotonous.

Be sure to check out my post on my favorite kitchen essentials to get the most out of your meal prep time.