If you're looking for a flavorful, mayonnaise-free, potato salad recipe, this potato salad recipe with tuna will not disappoint! A couple of spices add depth, and a simple dressing brings it all together. Gluten Free.
The world loves potato salad, and among Mediterranean kitchens alone, the variations are plenty!
At first glance, this potato salad with tuna looks a whole lot like Nicoise Salad. Yes, the resemblance is there, although a classic Salade Nicoise, as I learned, would not include potatoes nor green beans. It's also similar to Greek (mayo-less) Potato Salad, which swaps the lettuce, green beans, and tomatoes for briny olives and sweet green onions.
A similar potato salad is known in parts of Spain as Ensaladilla Rusa, meaning Russian Salad or little Russian Salad. It is known to have been invented by the Russians in the 19th century, but the Spanish had since made several variations of this dish making it a popular tapa, often with the addition of tuna and sometimes chorizo, and homemade garlic mayo for dressing.
This no-mayo potato salad recipe is neither Nicoise nor quite the classic Ensaladilla Rus, but it may borrow hints of both. And it is truly a meal in its own right with tons of color, texture, and flavor--thanks to a light and bright dressing and warm spices including smoked paprika and cumin.
Why this potato salad recipe works?
Cooked fingerling potatoes are combined with green beans, tomatoes and pearl onions (or shallots.) The draw for me are the flavor makers--canned tuna crumbled in, earthy spices like smoked paprika and cumin for smokiness and depth, a nod to Spain. Fresh garlic, which, in my opinion, makes everything better. And a simple, bright dressing excellent extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar.
Shameless plug here, in a dish like this, I would recommend a bold extra virgin olive oil such as our Spanish Hojiblanca EVOO or Early Harvest EVOO.
How to serve this Spanish-Style Potato Salad
You can make this potato salad a few hours ahead of serving, and store it in the fridge so the flavors will meld. I like to then assemble it on a pretty platter on top of a bed of spring greens or butter lettuce.
Of course, if you’re serving a group, the obvious way to serve this Spanish potato salad is as they do in Spain: tapas-style. And here a few options for dishes to go next to it: Roasted Garlic Hummus; Grilled Brussels Sprouts Skewers; Mediterranean Roasted Tomato "Nachos."; Skillet Shrimp and Chorizo; Balela Salad.
But, this potato salad can make a great lunch or a light dinner along with your favorite crusty bread and a glass of good white wine.
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Potato Salad Recipe with Tuna
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: serves up to 8 people
Description
Bright, flavor-packed Potato Salad with tuna, green beans and tomatoes. A couple of spices add depth, and a simple dressing pulls it together.This has hints of Nicoise salad and the popular Spanish Potato Salad known as Ensaladilla Rusa.
Ingredients
- 12 oz fingerling potatoes or small red potatoes
- 10 oz French green beans, trimmed
- 6 oz small tomatoes (such as campari tomatoes or small Roma tomatoes), cut into wedges
- ⅓ cup pearl red onions or small shallots, quartered
- 15 oz can quality tuna
- 2 to 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (more to your liking)
- ¾ tsp cumin (more to your liking)
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup Early Harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 6 oz spring greens or butter lettuce
Instructions
- Place fingerling potatoes in a large pot and cover well with water. Boil for 10 minutes or until you are able to stick a fork through potatoes. Using a slotted spoon, remove potatoes from boiling water and transfer to a plate for now. Do not discard water.
- Prepare a large bowl with iced water and set aside near the pot.
- In the same cooking pot, with the water boiling, add green beans. Cook 4 minutes or so. Drain, and immediately place the green beans in the bowl with the iced water (ice bath) to stop cooking (this helps them keep their vivid green color too.) When cooled enough, remove green beans from ice bath and pat dry.
- Cut fingerling potatoes in halves length-wise, and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add green beans, tomatoes, onions (or shallots), tuna (crumble it up a bit before adding), and garlic.
- Season with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and crushed red pepper. Combine Early Harvest EVOO and vinegar then add to the salad. Give everything a gentle toss making sure all the ingredients are well-coated. Taste and adjust seasoning or add more smoked paprika, cumin, or crushed red pepper to your liking (remember, flavors meld with time.)
- Assemble spring greens or butter lettuce on a nice platter. Arrange the salad on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Prepare ahead note: You can prepare this salad a few hours in advance up to step #5. Cover and refrigerate. When ready, assemble on a platter on top of a bed of fresh spring greens or butter lettuce.
- Recommended for this recipe: Early Harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives.) SAVE! Try our Greek Olive Oil Bundle
- Recommended for this recipe from our all-natural and organic spice collections: Smoked Paprika and Cumin. SAVE! Try our Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle or Create Your Own 6-pack or 3-pack of spices.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 14 mins
- Method: Boiled
- Cuisine: Spanish
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This sounds delicious! Can you mix the cumin and paprika in with the vinegar and oil and then dress the salad?
Hi, Sherry! I've never done the before, so I'm not sure. If you do give it a try, please let us know how it turns out!
Nom nom nom. Brought this one to the park and had a picnic with my granddaughter. I think the tuna and boiled egg smell caught the attention of those passing by, LOL, but it was a delicious and filling salad, not to mention beautiful. Almost too pretty to eat, but eat I did!
This is a great on for a picnic :). Hope you could talk your granddaughter into trying it!!
I added some hard boiled eggs around the platter , only because my granddaughter likes them. I’ve been making your recipes for sometime now and haven’t come across one we didn’t enjoy. Thank you!
Candice, that is so great to hear. Thank you for sharing.
I rated a five as I'm sure We would will love this. What I really want to ask is if you think I could cook some ahi tuna to put in it rather than canned tuna?
Love this recipe. Tonight is second time making this salad and it is absolutely delicious.
Awesome, Anne! So glad to hear it!
Made this dish for supper tonight. It was absolutely delicious. Will be making this a few times a month. I was disappointed that my husband packed up the left overs for his lunch tomorrow.
Haha! Well sounds like you might double the recipe next time so that you can both have enough for lunch the next day 🙂 Thanks so much for the kind comment!
So fresh, i have enjoyed so many recipes on the MD. Thanks for making eating healthy flavorful
Thank you so much, Josh! This means a lot!
I suffer from GERD so I made this recipe without tomatoes and garlic. Super refreshing meal during the summer time. This is right up my alley. Thank you!
Jonas, thank you so much for sharing! I'm glad you've adapted this simple recipe to fit your needs!
Beautiful AND delicious! Will definitely make again.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Tammy!
so many colors and flavors!!
We love it!
Sounds a lot like a Salade Niçoise...which I love!
YES! Very similar!
Love potato salad with tuna, but the Spanish twist here is amazing!
Yum! I love all these ingredients!
Very good & healthy recipe , keep up the good work thanks for sharing.
Thank you! Enjoy!
This is so gorgeous!! Would love it for lunch or as a light dinner! It has everything I love!
Yay! Hope you try it!
The smoked paprika in this is so perfect. Love the collection of ingredients together!
Awesome! Enjoy, Joanne!