Garden Cucumber Salad Recipe with Tuna and Sweet Basil
Why I Love This Recipe
Ingredients You'll Need
1 can (7 oz.) tuna packed in olive oil
3 small, crisp garden cucumbers
1/2 cup chiffonaded basil (about 20 large basil leaves, sliced)
2 T mayo or light mayo (do not use fat free)
2 T your favorite commercial vinaigrette dressing
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Drain olive oil from tuna and flake apart with a fork. Put tuna into bowl. Peel cucumbers lengthwise in strips (or peel completely if you prefer.) Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise into three pieces and slice to make bite-sized pieces. Add cucumbers to tuna.
Wash and dry basil leaves. Make a pile of half the basil leaves, then starting at the pointed end, thinly slice, discarding the stem ends when you get to them. Cut all basil into ribbons using this method, then add to tuna and cucumbers, and mix together.
Whisk vinaigrette dressing into mayo, then gently stir dressing into salad. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve immediately. This is best freshly made, but will keep in the refrigerator for about one day, although you probably won't have any leftovers.
South Beach Suggestions:
If you're making this salad for the South Beach Diet, be sure to choose a vinaigrette dressing with 2 grams of sugar per serving or less. As long as that caution is followed, this salad is great for South Beach or any other type of low-glycemic eating plan.
