High Protein Tuna Pasta Salad
User Reviews
5
High Protein Tuna Pasta Salad
Description
The recipe involves boiling pasta and eggs separately before rinsing the pasta in cold water to cool and reduce starchiness. A creamy dressing is made by blending cannellini beans, Greek yogurt, fat-free cottage cheese, garlic, and Dijon mustard until smooth. Finely chopped hard-boiled eggs are mixed into this dressing base.
Additional ingredients including canned tuna, sweetcorn, diced gherkins, spring onions, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, dill, red onion, and seasonings are combined with the dressing and pasta. Apple cider vinegar adds acidity to balance the richness of the beans and dairy.
The resulting salad is hearty and refreshing, suitable as a high-protein lunch or light dinner. Fresh dill complements the flavors well, with suggested alternatives like chives, and optional additions like avocado or a squeeze of lemon enhance creaminess and brightness. Proper draining and rinsing of pasta prevent clumping and watery dressing.
Ingredients
- 200 g pasta
- 4 egg
- 235 g cannellini beans canned; drained weight
- 200 g cottage cheese fat free
- 115 g Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 200 g tuna canned; drained weight
- 180 g sweetcorn canned; drained weight
- 4 gherkins diced
- 3 spring onions chopped, aka scallions
- 100 g celery diced
- 8 cherry tomato diced
- 0.25 cucumber diced
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon dill fresh
- 2 pinch salt sea salt
- 2 pinch black pepper ground
- 2 garlic crushed, cloves
- 0.25 red onion diced
Instructions
- Cook 200 g Pasta according to the packet instructions, around 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- At the same time, boil 4 Eggs until hard-boiled, around 10 minutes.
- Put 235 g Cannellini beans, 115 g Greek yogurt, 200 g Fat free cottage cheese, 2 Garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard into a food processor. Blend until smooth.
- When the eggs have boiled, peel and chop them finely.
- Put the bean mixture and chopped eggs into a large mixing bowl.
- Add 200 g Tuna, 180 g Sweetcorn, 4 Gherkins, 3 Spring onions (Scallions), 100 g Celery, 8 Cherry tomatoes, 0.25 Cucumber, 3 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoon Fresh dill, 2 pinch Sea salt, 2 pinch Ground black pepper and 0.25 Red onion.
- Give everything a really good mix.
Notes
- If preferred, replace the creamy dressing with a honey and mustard vinaigrette, though this reduces the protein content.
- Use shorter pasta shapes rather than long ones like spaghetti for best texture.
- Fresh herbs such as dill or chives enhance the flavor significantly.
- Rinse cooked pasta thoroughly in cold water to cool it and remove excess starch, preventing clumping.
- Add diced avocado to increase creaminess if desired.
- A squeeze of lemon juice before serving can brighten the salad’s flavor.
- Omit extra salt if using high-salt cottage cheese.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 228 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1portion | |
| Calories | 228kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 32g | 11% |
| Protein | 18g | 36% |
| Fat | 3g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 93mg | 31% |
| Sodium | 285mg | 12% |
| Potassium | 341mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 395IU | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 7mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 92mg | 9% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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