Quinoa Tuna Alfalfa Salad – High-Protein No-Cook Lunch
This quinoa tuna alfalfa salad is a very new recipe I have been making recently. It's filled with veggies that I love so I'm devouring it guiltlessly.
Equipment
- Medium saucepan with lid
- Sheet pan or wide plate (for cooling quinoa)
- Large mixing bowl
- Small jar or bowl (for dressing)
- Fork (for flaking tuna)
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa 170g
- 2 stalks celery chopped, about 1 cup / 100g
- 1 medium avocado chopped, about 150g
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced or finely chopped, about 60g
- 1 cup alfalfa sprouts 30g
- 1 can tuna in water 5 oz / 142g, drained and pressed dry
Salad Dressing Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 60ml
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice juice of 1 medium lemon, about 30ml
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Rinse 1 cup (170g) quinoa under cold running water in a fine-mesh sieve for 30 seconds to remove bitterness. Combine with 2 cups (480ml) water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the tails have unfurled. Spread cooked quinoa on a sheet pan or wide plate and let cool completely, about 15 minutes. (Do not skip cooling — warm quinoa wilts the sprouts and turns the avocado mushy.)1 cup quinoa
- In a small jar or bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons / 30ml), 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until emulsified. Set aside.1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Combine the chopped avocado, celery and onion with the alfalfa sprouts. Use a fork to flake the tuna fish on top. Mix well, but be careful not to mush up the avocado.2 stalks celery, 1 medium avocado, 1/2 medium red onion, 1 cup alfalfa sprouts, 1 can tuna in water
- Once cool, add the quinoa and combine. Drizzle the lemon-garlic dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. Serve immediately.1 cup quinoa, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Notes
Storage: Undressed salad keeps in the fridge for up to 1 day with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to slow avocado browning. Once dressed, eat within 2 hours — the quinoa absorbs the vinaigrette and the sprouts go limp.
Make-Ahead: Cook and cool quinoa up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container. Chop celery and onion the night before. Cut avocado and add sprouts only on the day you serve.
Substitutions: Swap tuna for canned salmon or chickpeas (for a vegan version). Replace alfalfa sprouts with microgreens or pea shoots. Use lime juice in place of lemon for a slightly different citrus note.
Pro Tip: Spread cooked quinoa on a sheet pan or wide plate to cool — it drops to room temperature in about 15 minutes versus 45+ minutes left in the pot.
Freezer: This salad does not freeze well due to the avocado and alfalfa sprouts. Freeze only cooked quinoa (up to 2 months) and assemble fresh.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 408kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 16gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 262mgPotassium: 649mgFiber: 7gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 208IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 3mg
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