Description
This Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad is a creamy, protein-packed twist on classic tuna salad, featuring smooth blended cottage cheese and fresh herbs. It’s easy to prepare, versatile, and perfect for sandwiches, crackers, or lettuce wraps, providing a healthier and lower-fat alternative to traditional mayo-based tuna salads.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 cans (5 oz each) white albacore tuna, drained well
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup cottage cheese (start with 1/3 cup for a drier salad)
- 1 stalk celery, minced
- 3 tbsp red onion, minced
- 2 to 3 tbsp dill pickles or sweet pickles, minced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice (adjust to taste)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced or microplaned
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, parsley, or dill, chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste)
- Hot sauce, optional, to taste
Instructions
- Blend Cottage Cheese: Using a blender or immersion blender in a small container, blend the cottage cheese until it is smooth and creamy. This step helps create a velvety texture for the tuna salad, but if you prefer some curds for texture, you can skip blending.
- Combine Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the drained tuna, blended cottage cheese, minced celery, red onion, pickles, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, finely minced garlic, fresh herbs, salt, and black pepper. Stir gently to evenly mix all the ingredients. Add hot sauce to taste if you want an extra kick.
- Serve: Enjoy the tuna salad as a sandwich filling, scoop it onto crackers, serve it in lettuce wraps, or use it in any other preferred way. It’s a delicious and customizable protein-packed option perfect for lunch or snacks.
Notes
- Adjust cottage cheese quantity to control the moisture level of the salad.
- If you prefer a chunkier texture, avoid blending the cottage cheese.
- Pickles can be substituted with capers or olives for variation.
- Fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or chives can be mixed or matched depending on preference.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- This salad pairs well with whole grain bread or crunchy veggies.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: tuna salad, cottage cheese tuna salad, healthy tuna salad, protein packed tuna salad, low fat tuna salad, no mayo tuna salad
