This is an idea for another salad, slightly different from my usual ones as it includes a specific variety of tuna, coming from the greek island of alonissos. If you can’t find Alonissos tuna you can skip the tuna, please don’t replace with canned tuna by no means, and stick to the salad with greens, tomatoes, lentils and the super delicious dressing made of mustard, fresh orange juice, honey, balsamic vinegar, garlic and tarragon. This salad makes for a balanced meal with the addition of tuna and lentils as it offers all the macronutrients we need: fibre (green, tomatoes, lentils), protein (lentils and tuna) and good fats thanks to the tuna and olive oil, so it can easily make for your make course. While the sweet sauce will make you lick your fingers, tarragon walks the extra mile and is finger licking delicious.

I was introduced to Alonissos tuna by my friend Kostas and I got impressed by its taste which reminds nothing of the canned tuna you know, and which is also packed with toxic levels of mercury and should be avoided. I ve written in the past  on the blog before about Ω3s and their essential role in our hormonal, cell and generally overall health. They are essential for many processes and unfortunately our body can’t make these so we have to obtain them through dietary sources and mainly through fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring, trout). You can also find Ω3s in limited quantities in some seeds like flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds and walnuts. The unfortunate fact is that some of these fish, esp the big ones like tuna and salmon, have toxic mercury levels, so Its best to chose wild Alaskan salmon  if you can find any, and if you are lucky enough to live in Greece fresh sardines (we have plenty) or alonissos tuna which have much lower mercury levels. Mercury is a poisonous metal which shouldn’t be circulating in our bodies. It has been linked to tumor genesis  and foetus abnormalities (hence should be avoided by pregnant women), therefore should be avoided and best kept it in our thermometers rather than our bodies. 

Alonissos tuna not only has no mercury but also is much tastier than the canned tuna. It is a white variety of tuna, much thicker in texture and is usually found in small jars into brim or in safflower oil (I prefer the first). Its much more expensive though and needs to be consumed within 3-5 days once opened (but that’s never an issue).

Ingredients for 1 person: 

• 1/2 a  bag of peppery greens (rocket, romain lettuce) 
• 1/2 of beluga lentils, pre soaked from the night before
• A handful of cherry tomatoes cut in halves
• 1 alonissos tuna chunk, broken in pieces

For the sauce: 

• 2tbs extra virgin olive oil 
• Juice from 1 orange
• 1tsp dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, crashed 
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1tsp honey 
• 1/2 tsp dry tarragon 

Preparation 

• Boil the lentils, throwing away the first boil water, rinse and let to cool 
• Place the leaves in a large plate or bowl together with the cherry tomatoes
• Cover with the cool lentils and some chunks of alonissos tuna 
• Mix the sauce ingredients and pour over the salad.