Orange Onion Tuna Salad
This makes a quick, easy and elegant starter or just a quick everyday salad. It’s deelicious and lovely to look at too! I served it in some lovely big shells our mate Micha collected for me in Pedras del Rei in Portugal, but you obviously aren't going to be able to do the same unless you too befriend Micha!
Tuna: I use the better quality chunk tuna that isn’t as crumbly as cheaper tuna. You can use which ever kind you like, but the crumbly one makes the salad a little untidy, so not ideal if you want to impress guests. I actually forgot to add the tuna in the salad photographed and it tasted great anyway. So if you’re vegetarian, just leave it out.
Oil: I buy tuna in olive oil and use the oil from the tin in my dressing, but this is entirely up to you. Some people tend to think that they use lesser quality oil and tip it away, but I am happy to use it. You decide.
Lemon juice and onion: I learnt this trick yonks ago and it really works. When you marinade sliced onion in lemon juice, it takes away the bitterness but not the flavour. It takes only a few minutes and you use the lot (lemon juice included) in the sauce. Great!
Bread: I served the salad with a triangle of whole wheat bread spread with an olive and mushroom pate topped with a splash of my chilli jam (recipe to follow soon), but this is optional.
Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a light lunch
INGREDIENTS
1 onion, finely sliced in half moons
Juice of ½ lemon
2 – 4 oranges, peeled
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
Handful of olives
1 tin tuna (see note above), optional
DRESSING:
2 tbsp olive oil (or from the tin, see note above)
1 tbsp vinegar, cider or white balsamic
Salt and pepper
Splash of maggi, optional
TO SERVE
Lettuce leaves as cups, preferably Belgium endive leaves
Bread, optional (see note above)
METHOD:
1. Squeeze the lemon juice over the sliced the sliced onions and leave to rest while you continue.
2. Slice the oranges in segments, leaving the inner skin on if you like or carefully remove it if you don’t. Catch the juices as you cut up the orange and add to the dressing.
3. Break the tuna up into chunks, but not too fine that it completely crumbles (unless you want this).
4. Mix all the dressing ingredients together (including the juice from the oranges) and adjust according to your taste.
5. Mix all the salad ingredients together and pour the dressing over. Mix carefully.
6. Serve in the lettuce cups or endive leaves.
Easy and deeelicious!