Step up your salad game by making this quick and easy Avocado Tuna Salad. Those who are lucky enough to enjoy this gem of a recipe will never know the mayonnaise has been replaced with an avocado! Subbing an avocado for mayonnaise is a healthier choice not only because it contributes to your healthy omega-3 fatty acid servings for the day, it also adds flavor and a creamy mayonnaise-like texture. The celery, apple, and pecan pieces provide a nice crunch. The Spicy Roasted Chickpeas and Dijon Mustard give it a little extra kick. While the fresh pomegranate seeds provide a refreshing fruitful taste. Mix them all together and you’ve got yourself one heck of a meal!
Just look at all of those delicious ingredients! YUM!
You can add normal chickpeas if you want, but I prefer to roast my chickpeas with spicy seasonings to add some extra kick when making this recipe. I suggest following my Spicy Roasted Chickpea recipe. It’s one of my favorites and only takes 15 minutes. When I make this recipe I season my chickpeas, throw them in the oven on broil for 15 minutes, and chop all of the veggies while they’re cooking. The timing really does work out nicely!
Once your chickpeas are done roasting (you can even roast them a few hours or a day before you’re ready to use them if you want to speed things up) the rest of this recipe is a piece of cake! All you have to do is combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Seriously… it’s that easy!
One tip: make sure you use a very ripe avocado. Reach for a softer avocado because it will be easier to mix in. The softer the avocado the creamier your tuna salad will taste. Just make sure your avocado isn’t so soft that it has become rotten. When picking your avocado look for a dark greenish brown fruit. Once you’ve found one remove the stem from the top. If the color beneath the stem is bright green you’re good to go. If you see a white-ish green or brown color put it back and try again.
Growing up, my mom always served tuna salad on bread or with crackers. Now that I am older and a little more health conscious, I prefer to enjoy my Avocado Tuna Salad with endive leaves. I love endives because they provide the same crunch like you would get from a chip and are packed full of nutrients, such as vitamins A and K, folate, and fiber. Forewarning, they are a tad bitter at first bite and might take a little getting used to. Just be sure to wash them before eating- this should help eliminate some of the bitterness.
If you elect to use endives, one or two endive stems should do the trick for this recipe. I usually buy mine at Trader Joe’s. They have a great 3-pack of “Red and White Belgian Endives” Stems, which are perfect for leftovers. They are usually located in the sam refrigerated area with all of the lettuce. If you’re not a loyal Trader Joe’s shopper like myself, you should be able to find these at your local grocery store in the same vicinity as the lettuce. You should store your endives in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them.
Before cutting your endives rinse them with lukewarm water, stem side down (the water will help the leafy tops spread apart) and pat dry with a paper towel. Place endive stems on a cutting board and slice through the thick end of the stem, as pictured below. Next, simply peel the leaves apart and voila! your endives are ready to be eaten!
Simply scoop, eat, and enjoy!
- • 1 (15 oz) can Albacore Tuna in water no salt, drained
- • 1 pink lady apple, chopped
- • 3 celery sticks, chopped
- • 1/4 cup of raw pecans, chopped
- • 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- • 1/4 cup spicy Dijon Mustard
- • 1 can chickpeas, spicy roasted
- • 1 ripe avocado, cubed.
- • Endive leaves for serving (optional)
- • Roast your chickpeas if you have not done so already. (I suggest using my Spicy Roasted Chickpea recipe- it only takes 15 minutes!)
- • While chickpeas are roasting chop apple, celery sticks, and pecans and set aside.
- • De-seed pomegranate and set seeds aside.
- • Open canned tuna, drain water, and scoop tuna into a large mixing bowl
- • Add chopped apples, celery, pecans and pomegranate seeds in mixing bowl with tuna and combine. Mix in spicy roasted chickpeas when done cooking.
- • Pour spicy Dijon Mustard over contents and mix until all ingredients well combined.
- • Cut avocado into small cubes. Add cubed avocado into tuna and mix until avocado cubes are squished and all ingredients are well combined.
- • Wash and cut endive leaves. Scoop Avocado Tuna Salad with endive leaves, eat, and enjoy!
- • If using Endive Leaves buy at least 2 Endive Stems. Store Endives in refrigerator until ready to use. Store left over endive leaves in an airtight container or zip lock baggie in the refridgerator.
- • Store left over Avocado Tuna Salad in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. Stir Avocado Tuna Salad with a spoon before re-serving.
