Tomato, Cucumber & Tuna Ventresca Salad Recipe

Prepare tomatoes

Core the tomatoes and cut into 1/2-inch wedges (or thick slices). If using very juicy tomatoes, seed briefly by cutting out the core sections to avoid excess liquid in the salad.

Slice cucumber

Peel a strip of skin from the cucumber if desired, then cut lengthwise and slice into 1/4-inch half-moons. If cucumber is large or seedy, scoop out seeds before slicing.

Thinly slice onion

Peel and cut the red onion in half; slice very thinly into half-moons. If you want milder onion, soak the slices in cold water for 5 minutes then drain and pat dry.

Flake tuna

Open the ventresca (oil-packed tuna), drain most of the oil (reserve a tablespoon for the dressing if you like), and gently flake the tuna into large chunks with a fork so it holds some texture.

Assemble greens and veggies

In a large bowl, combine the mixed salad greens (if using), tomato wedges, cucumber slices and drained red onion. Toss gently to combine so tomatoes don’t break up.

Add tuna, capers and basil

Top the vegetable mixture with flaked tuna, sprinkle the rinsed capers evenly and scatter torn basil leaves over the salad.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and honey (if using) until emulsified. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust acidity or salt to preference. If you reserved a tablespoon of tuna oil, whisk it in now to deepen the flavor.

Dress the salad: Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the assembled salad and gently toss with two large spoons or salad tongs so the tuna stays in chunks and the tomatoes aren’t overly crushed. Add more dressing as needed, serving the rest on the side.

Plate and serve: Divide the salad among 2–3 plates or a family-style bowl. Finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil or reserved tuna oil, a final crack of black pepper and small basil leaves for garnish. Serve immediately.