Tuna, Avocado, and Cucumber Bowls
Tuna tossed with lemon, capers, and olive oil, piled over salted cucumber, avocado, radishes, and arugula for a cool August lunch in 15 minutes.
Why you'll love Tuna, Avocado, and Cucumber Bowls
This is the lunch for the hottest weeks of August, when turning on the stove feels like too much. Good canned tuna is dressed the Italian way, with lemon, olive oil, capers, red onion, and parsley, and piled over crisp cucumber, creamy avocado, peppery arugula, and radishes. The whole bowl is cool, bright, and ready in fifteen minutes.
Salting the cucumber first is the step that keeps the bowl fresh to the last bite. Ten minutes in a colander with a little salt pulls water out of the cucumber, so the slices stay crunchy and the dressing stays bright and clings. The red onion sits in the lemon juice while you work, which softens its bite, and that same lemon juice becomes the dressing.
Tuna brings the protein, avocado and olive oil bring the fat, and the vegetables bring the crunch, so the bowl carries you through the afternoon.
Quick overview: This Tuna, Avocado, and Cucumber Bowls comes together in 15 min and makes 2 servings, each 1 bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, divided
- 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard Label: mustard seed, vinegar, water, and salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cans (5 oz each) tuna, packed in olive oil or water, drained Label: tuna, olive oil or water, and salt
- 1 tbsp capers, rinsed Label: capers, water, vinegar, and salt
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 8 kalamata olives, halved Label: olives, water, salt, and vinegar
Instructions
- Salt the cucumber: Toss the cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a colander set over a bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes. Salt draws water out of the cucumber, water that would otherwise collect in the bottom of your bowl and thin the dressing. Pat the slices dry with a towel.
- Soak the onion: While the cucumber drains, put the red onion in a small bowl with the lemon juice. In 10 minutes the acid softens the onion's sharp bite and turns it bright pink.
- Make the dressing: Lift the onion out of the lemon juice and set it aside. Whisk the olive oil, Dijon, lemon zest, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and plenty of pepper into the lemon juice left in the bowl. The mustard holds the oil and lemon together, so the dressing coats evenly.
- Dress the tuna: Put the tuna in a bowl, break it into large flakes with a fork, and add the capers, parsley, onion, and about two-thirds of the dressing. Fold gently, just until coated, so the tuna stays in flakes you can see.
- Build the bowls: Toss the arugula with the rest of the dressing and divide it between two bowls. Arrange the cucumber, avocado, and radishes over the greens, pile the tuna in the center, and scatter the olives over the top. Finish with more pepper and eat right away.
Storage and leftovers
Dressed tuna keeps in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and the salted cucumber for up to 2 days. Store them apart from the greens so the arugula stays crisp.
Slice the avocado right before eating. If you pack the bowl for work, keep it cold with an ice pack and eat it within 4 hours.
Variations
- Salmon: Use two 6-ounce cans of wild salmon with a label of salmon and salt in place of the tuna.
- Soft-boiled egg: Add a halved soft-boiled egg to each bowl for a heartier lunch.
- Lettuce cups: Spoon the dressed tuna into butter lettuce leaves and serve the cucumber and avocado alongside.
- Herb swap: Use dill or basil in place of the parsley.
- A little heat: Whisk a pinch of red pepper flakes into the dressing.
Notes and tips
- Choose your tuna: Tuna packed in olive oil is richer and more tender, and water-packed is milder. Either works when the label reads tuna, oil or water, and salt.
- Drain it well: Press the lid into the can or tip the tuna into a colander, so the dressing stays bright and clings.
- Rinse the capers: Brined capers are salty, and a quick rinse lets you taste the caper more than the brine.
- Pick a ripe avocado: It should give slightly to gentle pressure near the stem. A firm one ripens on the counter in 2 to 3 days.
Nutrition and mindful eating
- Tuna brings complete protein, selenium, and vitamin D, and it is the anchor that makes this bowl a full meal.
- Avocado and olive oil are the real fat here, rich in monounsaturated fat, and they carry the lemon and caper flavors across the whole bowl.
- Cucumber, radish, and arugula are mostly water and fiber, cool and crunchy on a hot day, and arugula adds folate and vitamin K with its peppery bite.
- Lemon, capers, and olives season the tuna so well that it needs only a pinch of salt.
- As you eat, notice the cool crunch of the salted cucumber against the soft avocado, and check in midafternoon: protein and fat together like this should carry you a solid 3 to 4 hours, with steady energy through the afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this Tuna, Avocado, and Cucumber Bowls? Start here, with the questions people ask most.
Which tuna should I buy?
Light tuna, usually skipjack, is milder and lower in mercury than albacore, which matters if you eat tuna several times a week. Albacore is firmer and richer. Both work here when the label reads tuna, oil or water, and salt.
Can I make it ahead for work?
Yes. Pack the dressed tuna, the salted cucumber and radishes, and the arugula in separate containers, and slice the avocado just before eating.
Can I use a regular cucumber?
Yes. Peel it if the skin is waxy, halve it, and scoop out the seeds before slicing, since the seedy center holds the most water.
Why soak the onion in lemon?
The acid tames raw onion's sharpness in minutes, and the pink, softened slices taste sweet and bright in the bowl.
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