Broccoli Tuna Salad

Broccoli tuna salad is a fresh variation of a lunchtime favorite. It’s a simple blend of tuna, broccoli rice, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, green onions, and sunflower seeds. It’s a great way to sneak more greens into your tuna salad!

While a classic tuna salad is great, this version might be even better. It’s undeniably delicious, filled with crispy and creamy textures, along with bright flavors. It’s easy to make, and most importantly 100% pantry-friendly – just like a tuna salad should be.

But the best part? It’s got sneaky broccoli inside! You’ve seen me do this before, sneaking greens like spinach into tuna meatballs, or my chicken and rice, and of course I loaded greens into my green shakshuka. And because the broccoli rice is so small, most won’t even know it’s there! That makes it perfect for the kiddos.

Broccoli Tuna Salad Ingredients

Thanks to easy pantry staples, this tuna salad is a speedy recipe to make.

• Canned Tuna: I love to use wild albacore tuna in water, but the choice is yours.
• Broccoli Rice: The small size of broccoli rice is perfect for “hiding” in this recipe.
• Mayonnaise: While you can use a store-bought version, my homemade mayonnaise is super easy to whip up with an immersion blender.
• Dijon Mustard: A hint of spice complements the mayonnaise and tuna well.
• Green Onion: Adds a crisp and refreshing flavor.
• Sunflower Seeds: For little bits of crunchiness in every bite.
• Herbs: I’m using chopped parsley, but feel free to use whichever herbs you like.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below

Let’s Make A Broccoli Tuna Salad

• Make the broccoli rice. Place broccoli florets into a food processor and pulse until it becomes grainy like rice.
• Mix it all together. In a large bowl, stir together the canned tuna, mayonnaise, green onion, sunflower seeds, herbs, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of broccoli rice.
• Enjoy in various ways! While you can eat the salad straight out of the bowl, see below for more ways to enjoy it.

Ways To Serve Tuna Salad

Sometimes I like to eat it straight out of the bowl with a spoon when I’m in a hurry. But if you have a few extra minutes to spare, here’s a few creative ideas!

• Add to a grain bowl. Layer a large spoonful of tuna salad onto a bed of quinoa and leafy greens. Then add some avocado slices and sliced red onions.
• Wrap it up. Use large butter lettuce leaves or my cassava flour tortillas.
• Make it a sandwich. Layer it in between sliced bread with spinach, sprouts, and cucumber slices.
• Serve as an appetizer or snack. Slab it onto seed crackers for a quick and easy bite.

The Perfect Make-Ahead Recipe

The great thing about tuna salad is that it can last for 3-4 days in the fridge. Which makes it a wonderful meal prep option. Just make sure to not let it sit at room temperature for too long since it has fish and mayonnaise in it.

If You Have Leftover Broccoli Rice…

Don’t toss it away! With how light and mild it is, you can add it to just about any meal for an extra dose of greens.

• Make a macro bowl with your choice of protein and roasted vegetables.
• Toss into fried rice with diced up carrots, peas, green onions, and eggs.
• Add more greens to your breakfast by sprinkling some into your breakfast egg muffin mixture or breakfast casserole.
• Freeze it for later and store in Stasher Bags for up to 3 months.

More Easy Salad Recipes

Here are a few of my favorite salads recipes, which I know you’ll love! And if you need more inspiration, check out my official list of 40+ easy and healthy salad recipes.

• Egg Salad
• Ultimate Chicken Salad
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• Curried Egg Salad
• Broccoli Salad

If you make this recipe, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Broccoli Tuna Salad

5 from 13 votes

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 15 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Lisa Bryan

Print Pin Review

Broccoli tuna salad is a flavorful variation of a classic. It's a blend of fresh and easy ingredients, with an extra dose of broccoli greens!

Ingredients

1x2x3x

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 2 5-ounce cans tuna, drained
• ▢ 1 cup broccoli rice
• ▢ 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 green onions, sliced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley, chives or other herbs
• ▢ salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions 

• Remove the florets from a head of broccoli, place in a food processor, and pulse until the texture resembles rice.
  
• Add the drained canned tuna, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, broccoli rice, sunflower seeds, green onion, and chopped parsley to a bowl.
  
• Stir everything together until it's well combined.
  
• Enjoy the broccoli tuna salad straight out of the bowl, turned into a sandwich, or wrapped in lettuce leaves.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 332mg, Potassium: 331mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 484IU, Vitamin C: 43mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 2mg

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Broccoli Tuna Salad, tuna salad, tuna salad recipe

©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Tag @downshiftology and hashtag it #downshiftology.