Add One Canned Ingredient To Your Greek Salad For A Flavorful, Satisfying Twist

A Greek salad is a Mediterranean medley featuring crunchy romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, spicy red onion, olives, and feta all tied together with a tangy vinaigrette. Commonly served as a side dish or an appetizer, you can turn this light dish into a proper meal by introducing an affordable, flavorful, and satiating ingredient that requires almost no extra work. Enter canned tuna.

Although it's occasionally touted as a lower quality version of its fresh-caught counterpart, canned tuna is just as nutritious, flaunting high levels of omega-3s, protein, and many other essential vitamins and minerals. In addition to its nourishing profile, canned tuna also boasts a delicate ocean flavor accented by satisfying savory notes and a fatty mouthfeel. Not only does introducing canned tuna to a Greek salad fill it out with a more satiating bravado, but the ingredients of the dish mingle harmoniously with the fish, making it a well-rounded and well-matched roster of provisions. 

To introduce canned tuna to your Greek salad, simply pop open a can, drain the liquid, and use a spoon or fork to scrape the fish onto your salad before tossing it. If it's an extra dense brick of tuna, consider shredding it with a fork before adding it to the salad. Opt for a high-quality can of tuna that's low in sodium to avoid an overly brackish taste. Choosing between canned tuna in oil or water can make a subtle difference, as the former has a fattier feel while the latter has a dryer one.

Adding canned tuna to a Greek salad is enough to transform it from an ordinary side dish to an extraordinarily satiating and filling lunch. But since we're already departing from traditions, why not take it one step further by introducing additional complementary ingredients to your canned tuna-topped salad?

Since the central theme of this salad is canned ingredients, consider adding canned or jarred marinated artichoke hearts. The edible thistle will bring an earthy richness to the salad that fits right into the lineup of tuna-crowned Mediterranean goods. For even more protein, add crispy, herb-roasted chickpeas to the salad that can double as faux croutons. Of course, you can't go wrong with real croutons made from pita bread. For a subtle yet present pop of briny goodness that complements the nautical taste of tuna, a garnish of capers can add to the brightness of the dish. To zhuzh it up without adding any new ingredients, simply swap the regular red onions for pickled red onions, giving the salad an extra zippy taste.

Whether you keep it simple or deck it out with extra embellishments, a canned tuna-topped Greek salad is a simple way to add protein heft without compromising its prototypical charm. Once you try it, you'll never look at a regular Greek salad the same.