Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Olives and Capers
This is not your average Mediterranean tuna salad with olives and capers. No sad can of tuna. No watery cucumbers. No boring dressing. This one has buttery Ventresca tuna, briny olives and pops of capers folded right into the dressing, plus crisp endive, and a creamy labneh base that ties everything together. It’s a 20-minute salad that’s worth sitting down for.
If you love big Mediterranean flavors — think briny olives, salty capers, fresh herbs, and a bright lemony dressing — this one is going to be your new go-to. What makes it work is the combination of small techniques that each do something specific: salting your cucumbers pulls out extra water so they stay crisp, a quick pickle softens the raw bite of red onion, and building the dressing around chopped olives and capers means every forkful is packed with flavor.
It looks like something you’d order at a nice restaurant and comes together in about 20 minutes. Grab some crusty bread if you’re feeling it, and you’ve got a lunch or light dinner that delivers.
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Why This Recipe is Different
Not your average Mediterranean tuna salad with capers
Most Mediterranean tuna salads go the same route: tomatoes, chickpeas, feta, some olives tossed on top. And look, there’s nothing wrong with that! But this version does something different.
Here, the olives and capers get chopped up and whisked into the dressing. That means the brine and salt are distributed through every single bite — not just the ones where you happen to hit an olive. The Ventresca tuna (more on that below) brings a richness that standard canned tuna just doesn’t have. And the labneh base underneath everything adds a creamy, tangy layer that makes the whole plate feel more complete.
It’s a small shift in approach, but the result is a salad that tastes way more intentional than the ingredients might suggest.
Easy enough for Tuesday, nice enough for company
One of my favorite things about this salad is how well it fits into real life. On a busy weekday, it’s a quick lunch. On a weekend, it’s impressive enough to put in front of friends. You can eat it straight from the plate, scoop it up with pita or crackers, or bulk it up with a jammy egg or some white beans if you want more substance.
Ingredient Notes
Ventresca tuna
If you’ve never cooked with Ventresca tuna before, this recipe is a great place to start. Ventresca is the belly cut of albacore tuna. It’s softer, richer, and way more buttery than the standard canned stuff most of us grew up with. When you fold it into the salad gently and keep the flakes intact, it adds a luxurious texture to the salad.
You can find it at well-stocked grocery stores, Mediterranean markets, or online. Prices can vary a lot, so it’s worth shopping around. That said — a good oil-packed albacore will also work here if Ventresca is hard to find or out of budget. Just make sure it’s oil-packed, not water-packed.
Cucumbers
Persian cucumbers are the move here. They’re sweet, crunchy, and not nearly as watery as the larger English or standard varieties. If you do use an English cucumber, consider scraping out some of the seeds — that’s where a lot of the extra moisture hides.
Whichever cucumbers you use, you’ll be salting them first, which takes care of most of the water issue. More on that below!
Red onion + red wine vinegar
Raw red onion in a salad can be a lot. Sharp, spicy, a little aggressive. A quick pickle fixes that in about 10 minutes. You just cover the sliced onion in red wine vinegar, let it sit, and drain. The onion keeps its crunch but loses the harsh raw bite and picks up a bright, lightly pickled flavor instead.
Kalamata olives + capers
These two are the backbone of what makes this a real Mediterranean tuna salad with capers. When you chop them up and whisk them into the dressing, they stop being garnish and become a flavor foundation. Salty, briny, and a little funky. Don’t skip either one.
Fresh herbs
Fresh herbs do two things in a salad: they add color and they add a brightness that dried herbs just can’t replicate. Parsley and dill are the combo here — both work really well with tuna and feel right at home alongside Mediterranean flavors. That said, you can absolutely play around. A little fresh mint is wonderful. Even a small amount of cilantro works if that’s more your style.
Edive
Endive might be the ingredient on this list you’re least familiar with, and that’s okay! It’s a small, pale leafy vegetable with a mild bitterness and a really satisfying crunch. It adds structure to the salad and balances out the richness of the tuna and labneh.
If you don’t love bitter greens, arugula or romaine are great swaps. Just aim for something with a little crunch — you want texture contrast in every bite.
Labneh
Labneh is basically yogurt that’s been strained even further than Greek yogurt, making it thicker, creamier, and more spreadable. It’s tangy, rich, and adds an extra boost of protein to the plate. You can find labneh at well-stocked grocery stores, Middle Eastern markets, or online. If it’s not available near you, full-fat Greek yogurt is a great backup — the texture is a little looser but the flavor is very similar. Always go plain and unsweetened.
Za’atar
Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that’s earthy, herby, a little tangy, and slightly nutty. It adds a lot of Mediterranean depth without any extra effort. A sprinkle goes into the dressing and another goes on top of the labneh when you plate. You can usually find za’atar at well-stocked grocery stores, Middle Eastern markets, or online.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Salt the sliced cucumbers and let them sit to draw out extra moisture.
Soak the sliced onion in red wine vinegar for 10 minutes, then drain.
Chop the olives, capers, herbs, and endive.
Whisk together the olives, capers, lemon juice, olive juice, olive oil, za’atar, and pepper.
Drain the cucumbers, then toss them in along with the endive, onions, herbs, tuna, and dressing.
Spread labneh or yogurt on each plate, top with salad, and finish with olive oil, lemon, pepper, and za’atar.
Tips for Making This Recipe
Buy the best tuna you can (but don’t stress about it)
Since Ventresca is the star of this salad, quality matters more here than it would in, say, a tuna melt. A good oil-packed tuna gives you better flavor and a softer, more satisfying texture. Water-packed tuna will work in a pinch, but the result will be less rich.
That said, you don’t need the most expensive jar on the shelf. Just pick a tuna you’d genuinely enjoy eating straight out of the jar. I recommend shopping around — prices for the same brand can vary a lot depending on where you look.
Keep the tuna in big flakes
This is a texture thing, and it matters. When you add the tuna to the bowl, fold it in gently rather than stirring aggressively. You want big, tender pieces — not shreds. The contrast between the soft, meaty flakes and the crisp cucumbers and endive is part of what makes every bite interesting.
Don’t skip salting the cucumbers
I know it feels like a fussy extra step but it’s not. Cucumbers hold a ton of water, and if you skip this step, that water ends up in your dressing and makes the whole salad soggy by the time you’re halfway through eating it.
All you do is toss the sliced cucumbers with a pinch of salt and let them sit in a strainer for 15 to 20 minutes. The salt draws out the moisture, concentrates their flavor, and seasons them all the way through. Drain well before adding to the salad and you’re good to go.
Variations and Add ins
- Swap the greens: Endive is great but arugula, radicchio, or chopped romaine all work. Aim for something with crunch or a little bitterness.
- Use Greek yogurt instead of labneh: Same tangy, creamy vibe — just a little looser in texture. Still delicious.
- Add a jammy egg: Slice a soft or hard-boiled egg on top for a Niçoise-inspired twist that also adds protein.
- Make it vegan: Skip the tuna entirely and use canned chickpeas or white beans. You can also swap in a creamy, unsweetened plant-based yogurt like this one.
- Add some crunch: Toasted pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or even some toasted panko on top adds a nice textural contrast.
Yes — but keep the components separate until you’re ready to eat. Salt the cucumbers, pickle the onions, and make the dressing in advance, then store everything in separate containers in the fridge. Assemble right before serving so the endive stays crisp and the cucumbers don’t go soggy.
Oil-packed, always. Ventresca is my first pick for its buttery texture and rich flavor. A quality oil-packed albacore is a solid backup.
You can. The texture will be drier, so add a little extra oil. If that’s what you have on hand, go for it.
Straight from the plate is great. Pita, crusty bread, or crackers alongside make it more of a meal. Hard-boiled eggs or white beans are good additions if you want extra protein.
Best the day you make it. Leftovers will keep for about 2 days in the fridge, but store the labneh separately so it doesn’t get watery. The cucumbers will soften a bit as they sit.
More Salad Recipes
Ventresca Tuna & Cucumber Salad with Chili Crisp
Blanche Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Capers, Olives, and Herbs
Ingredients
Method
- Salt the cucumbers. Place the sliced cucumbers in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and season them with salt. Toss well, then let them sit while you prepare the rest of the salad (see Note 3).
- Quick-pickle the onions. Place the sliced red onion in a small bowl and pour in enough red wine vinegar to submerge or generously coat the onions. Let them sit for 10 minutes, until they lose some of their raw bite and take on a brighter, lightly pickled flavor. Once they’ve softened slightly, drain them well before adding to the salad.
- Prep the salad components. Trim the endive and separate the leaves or chop it into bite-size pieces, depending on how you want the salad to eat. Roughly chop the parsley and dill. If your tuna is especially oil-heavy, lightly drain it so the finished salad doesn’t feel weighed down, then keep the flakes as intact as possible for texture.
- Make the dressing. In a large bowl, combine the chopped olives, chopped capers, lemon juice, and olive juice. Whisk to combine, then slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking continuously until the dressing looks glossy and emulsified. Season with za’atar and black pepper.
- Drain the cucumbers and assemble. Once the cucumbers release some liquid, gently press or shake off the excess moisture and pat them dry if needed. Add the endive, cucumbers, drained pickled onions, parsley, dill, and tuna to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently so everything gets evenly coated without breaking up the tuna too much. Taste, adding more lemon or salt to taste.
- Plate and finish. For 1 serving, spread about ½ cup of labneh or plain Greek yogurt onto each plate in a loose swoosh or circular layer. Drizzle the yogurt with a little olive oil, then mound the salad on top. Finish each plate with a squeeze of lemon, a crack of black pepper, and a sprinkle of za’atar. Serve immediately.
- Storage. If you’re not serving the salad immediately, keep the labneh separate and refrigerate the salad in an airtight container. It will still be good the next day, but the texture is best within the first 1 to 2 days.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have endive or just don’t love it, chopped arugula or romaine work.
- Ventresca gives this salad a softer, richer, more luxurious texture, but a good oil-packed albacore will work. If you’re shopping for higher-end tuna, check Mediterranean markets or smaller grocers first—prices can vary a lot.
- This step draws off excess moisture so the cucumbers stay crisp and flavorful instead of watering down the salad later.
