Today I am sharing with you one of my new favourite healthy lunch recipes: Green Lentil Salad with Tuna Steak! This is a super filling and healthy lunch that is packed with protein and can last in the fridge for 3-4 days after you’ve made it. Perfect for lunch meal prep at the weekend if you are busy and at work during the week!
What goes into the Green Lentil Salad?
The base of this salad is obviously green lentils! I buy green lentils in a tin, which are already cooked and only require to be heated through briefly before eating! Once you’ve added the lentils, in go some finely chopped red onions, cucumber, tomatoes and some coriander if that is to your taste! If you don’t like coriander, feel free to swap it for parsley or any other herb of your choosing.
I keep the dressing for this salad very light, using a mix of lemon juice and white balsamic vinegar, as well as salt, pepper and some paprika powder. If you want to, you could also add some olive oil or Greek yoghurt to the dressing for a creamier version.
Have you tried a Tuna Steak before?
Have you ever tried tuna steak? If not I would highly recommend giving it a go! Served on top of this Green Lentil Salad makes it a very filling and protein-dense lunch! It doesn’t have as “strong” a flavour as tinned tuna so is a great alternative if you don’t like that!
I buy my tuna steaks frozen from the supermarket (e.g. Lidl). Once defrosted, cooking tuna steaks is similar to cooking a normal steak. For the best results, only cook it for about 2 minutes on either side, as you want it to still be a little bit “rare” in the middle.
If you don’t enjoy tuna steaks, you could use a chicken or turkey steak instead or leave out the meat completely. Or for a vegetarian/vegan alternative, why not add some falafel? I have a very easy to follow homemade falafel recipe here that you could try!
More Healthy Salad Recipes
I love making salads for my packed lunch at uni/work. They are great to prepare in advance as they keep well in the fridge for a few days! Plus packing them with plenty of protein and different ingredients makes the salads interesting and will keep you fuller for longer! I also love making salads for summer BBQs! Check out some of my other salad recipes below:
- Kidney Bean and Sweet Corn Salad
- Colourful Quinoa Salad
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Healthy Steak Salad
- 7 Ways to Spice Up Your Salad
- Quick Couscous Salad Recipe
- Homemade Falafel (perfect for adding to a green salad)
- Dad’s Hummus Dip
Green Lentil Salad with Tuna Steak
Recipe
Ingredients (serves 2):
- 1 tin (260g drained weight) green lentils
- 1 red onion
- 2 large salad tomatoes
- 100g (~1/3) cucumber
- Small bunch of fresh coriander
- Lettuce leaves, washed and torn into smaller pieces
- 2 yellow fin tuna steaks (fully defrosted if bought frozen)
- Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white (or brown) balsamic vinegar
Method:
- Start by pouring the tinned green lentils into a small saucepan. Heat over a medium heat for 4-5 mins (or follow the instructions on the tin) until warmed through, then drain and transfer to a bowl to cool.
- In the meantime, finely chop the red onions and cut the tomatoes and cucumbers into cubes. Then roughly chop the fresh coriander.
- Once the lentils have cooled slightly, add the onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and coriander to the bowl.
- For the dressing, season the salad generously with some freshly ground salt and pepper, then add in the lemon juice and vinegar. Toss to coat everything in the dressing, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- To make the tuna steaks, heat a little oil in a frying pan until hot. Add the tuna steaks to the frying pan and season with salt and pepper. Turn the steaks after 2 mins and fry for another 2 minutes on the other side (you want them to still be a little rare). Remove the tuna steaks from the heat.
- Serve the Green Lentil Salad on a bed of green lettuce and top with the tuna steak. Enjoy!
Respect to author, some great selective information.