Avocado Pesto Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes comes together in a FLASH and is loaded with flavor and nutrients! Enjoy it as is or on top of a green salad for a light yet satiating meal.
Truth: I have always, always been a tuna salad sandwich kind of gal.
When my mom made school lunches for my siblings and I, I was always beyond excited each time I discovered she packed a tuna sandwich.
In fact – and buckle up, because I know this will be a shocker – when faced with the decision to enjoy a classic PB&J or tuna salad sandwich, I’d always select the latter.
And this is coming from a girl who has loathed mayonnaise since birth.
Tuna salad continues to be the ONE THING including mayo that I would happily, wholeheartedly consume.
Which brings me to my next point: mayo.
Still not a mega fan.
Whenever possible, I substitute mayonnaise for something else, such as avocado, plain yogurt, or hummus.
The sub-out sub-in always results in a fresher, healthier and – in my opinion – just as tasty result.
Instead of using mayonnaise for this tuna salad recipe, I used avocado. Avocado pesto to be exact!
Have you ever made avocado pesto?
The idea behind it is simple: use avocado in place of olive oil for a wicked creamy pesto sauce.
How to Make Avocado Pesto Tuna Salad:
In order to make the pesto, all you do is add avocado, basil (or parsley or herb of choice), pine nuts, lemon juice, and garlic to a food processor and process until it reaches your preferred consistency.
You can also add parmesan cheese, but I find I like the pesto better without.
Mix said avocado pesto in with your drained canned tuna, throw in a couple of other savagely flavorful ingredients, such as sun-dried tomatoes and red onion, and BOOM!: lunch of my dreams.
For serving, I ate the avocado pesto tuna salad in three ways: as is with a fork, as a sandwich between pieces of toasted gluten-free bread, and atop a green salad with feta cheese, dried cranberries, pistachios, and balsamic vinaigrette.
You can also serve this tuna salad up as a wrap with veggies and greens, or as a pita.
And that’s it! All you need is a few ingredients and less than 30 minutes of time to prepare this super scrumptious healthy high protein lunch recipe.
Also check out my Cucumber Dill Avocado Tuna Salad and my Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps.
Avocado Pesto Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
Avocado Pesto:
Tuna Salad:
- Avocado Pesto recipe above
- 2 5-ounce cans Genova Yellowfin Tuna, drained
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes drained and patted dry
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients for the avocado pesto to a food processor. Pulse until completely smooth. Taste for flavor and add more salt to taste.
- Add the tuna, red onion, and sun-dried tomatoes to a mixing bowl. Mix in the avocado pesto and stir until well-combined.
- Spread tuna salad on toasted bread to make a sandwich or add to your favorite green salad.
i like tuna salad too but for some reason, it never occurs to me to make it at home. i will have to remember it next time 🙂
Homemade’s soooo tasty! I think you’ll love this salad! Let me know if you try it!
That looks like a delicious summer lunch! I love tuna salad too, and your version sounds amazing!
Thanks, girl! It truly is an awesome lunch – so quick, easy, and I love that there’s no cooking involved.
Okay, you were definitely a child anomaly. I wouldn’t go near tuna or any fish for that matter as a child. But had you served me this version with that avocado pesto I might have changed my mind. It looks too freaking good!!
Right? I definitely was the ONE kid who was psyched over my tuna sammie and mleh over my PB&J. You’ll absolutely LOVE the avo pesto – so creamy and flavorful! xo
I don’t dig mayo either but I love pesto…this is the tuna salad for me! The addition of avocado makes it even more appealing so this I gotta try!
This sounds super yummy! Does the avocado pesto tend to brown similar to guacamole if made ahead of time or does it keep pretty well?
Hi Emily,
The avocado pesto keeps pretty well! I didn’t notice any brown spots and I had it in my refrigerator for 3 days. Hope you try it!