Spanish Salad with Tomatoes, Tuna and Green Olives with Capers Recipe
A simple but very bold salad made with ripe tomatoes, tuna and green olives, seasoned with capers and good olive oil. In Spanish homes it often appears in summer as a light lunch or dinner, when no one feels like standing over the stove. The flavors are a bit reminiscent of Italian tuna salad, but the green olives and capers give it a more assertive, Mediterranean character.
This salad captures the essence of a Spanish summer meal: minimal effort, maximum flavor. Ripe tomatoes, salty tuna, briny olives and capers come together in minutes, creating a refreshing dish that feels both simple and sophisticated.
Chef's tips
Use the best-quality tuna in olive oil you can find – it makes a huge difference in both texture and flavor. Don’t refrigerate the tomatoes before making the salad; room-temperature tomatoes are sweeter and more aromatic. Taste the olives and capers first and season with salt cautiously, as the ingredients are already quite salty.
How to serve
Serve as a light main course with fresh bread, or as part of a larger Mediterranean spread with grilled vegetables, cheeses and cured meats. It also works well as a topping for toasted country bread for a quick bruschetta-style snack.
Ingredients
- tomatoes - 3 pieces
- tuna - 120 g
- olives green - 40 g
- capers - 1.5 tablespoons
- onion - 0.5 pieces
- olive oil - 2 tablespoons
- wine vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- salt
- black pepper
- parsley flat-leaf, chopped - 1.5 tablespoons
Preparation
- Wash and dry the tomatoes, then cut them into larger pieces, for example into wedges or thick slices. Transfer them to a bowl or serving platter.
- Peel the onion and slice it into thin half-moons. If it is very sharp, you can cover it with cold water for a minute and drain to soften the flavor.
- Slice the olives into rounds or halves. Drain the capers from their brine.
- Drain the tuna from most of the oil in the can (you can leave a little for flavor) and gently break it into larger chunks with a fork.
- Rinse the parsley, pat dry and chop finely.
- Arrange the onion, tuna chunks, olives and capers over the tomatoes, spreading the ingredients as evenly as possible.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix with a fork until the dressing comes together lightly.
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing, sprinkle with chopped parsley and very gently toss so as not to crush the tomatoes and tuna.
- Let stand for 5 minutes at room temperature so the flavors meld, then serve immediately.
Storage
Sałatka najlepiej smakuje świeżo przygotowana. Jeśli zostanie, przechowuj ją w lodówce maksymalnie 1 dzień; pomidory mogą puścić sok, więc przed podaniem delikatnie wymieszaj i ewentualnie dodaj odrobinę świeżej oliwy.
