This simple weekday salad brings together a pantry staple and fresh vegetables in one bowl. Olive-oil-packed tuna and a hard-boiled egg make it substantial, while romaine, tomatoes, carrot, cucumber and heart of palm add variety. Finish with your preferred amount of store-bought Italian dressing.
American
My Favorite Weekday Salad
On a busy weekday, I want lunch to taste good without turning it into another project. This salad is the kind of meal I’m happy to make just for myself, with good olive-oil-packed tuna, a hard-boiled egg and plenty of crisp vegetables. Hearts of palm add a tender little bite among the romaine, tomatoes, cucumber and carrots, and a drizzle of Italian dressing brings it all together. I like using Italian or Spanish tuna because it gives a simple salad such lovely flavor. Nothing fancy, just a satisfying bowl that makes taking a proper lunch break worthwhile.
Mary’s Introduction
THE RECIPE
My Favorite Weekday Salad
Prep 15 minCook 0 minTotal 15 min
Ingredients
Salad
Instructions
Chef Notes
- The 15-minute preparation time assumes the egg is already hard-boiled and cooled. Have it ready before assembling the salad.
- How do you know the protein is done? The seafood in this salad is fully cooked canned fish, and the egg is already hard-boiled, so no additional cooking temperature applies to this cold salad. Keep the tuna, egg and assembled salad refrigerated at 40°F or below until serving. A firm egg and fresh-looking ingredients are useful quality cues, but safe sourcing, handling and cold holding—not appearance or feel alone—determine safety.
Nutrition estimated per serving
402 Calories33.4 g Protein17.9 g Carbs22.2 g Fat4.4 g Sat. Fat4.8 g Fiber3.2 g Sugar693 mg Sodium
View Full Nutrition Label
Nutrition Per Serving
Calories402
Protein33.4 g
Carbs17.9 g
Fat22.2 g
Sat. Fat4.4 g
Fiber4.8 g
Sugar3.2 g
Sodium693 mg
Nutrition information is an estimate based on available ingredient data and can vary by brand, preparation and substitutions. It is provided for convenience and is not medical advice.
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How to Make My Favorite Weekday Salad
Prepare the lettuce
Chop the romaine and measure 2 cups.
Drain the tuna
Drain the olive oil from one 4 oz can of Italian or Spanish tuna.
Cut the vegetables
Halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the heart of palm, carrot and cucumber.
Quarter the egg
Cut the already hard-boiled egg into quarters.
Build the bowl
Add the romaine, place the tuna on top, then arrange the vegetables and egg in the bowl.
Dress and season
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of Italian dressing over the salad, then season with kosher salt and black pepper.
Recipe Guidance
Storage
For best texture, store the prepared vegetables, tuna, egg and dressing separately in covered containers at 40°F or below and assemble within 1 day. Refrigerate any assembled salad within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F, and use by the next day for quality. The age of the tuna and egg still limits storage; assembling the salad does not restart their storage time.
Reheating
Do not reheat. This is a cold salad. Keep it refrigerated until serving; if undressed components are stored separately, assemble them fresh and add dressing just before eating.
Make Ahead
Chop and dry the romaine and vegetables up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate separately. Use an already hard-boiled, cooled egg. Keep the tuna refrigerated after opening and hold the dressing separately until serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve as one generous portion in a large single-serving salad bowl, with the tuna on the romaine and the egg and vegetables arranged on top. Offer the dressing so the desired amount can be used.
