Quick and Easy: Summer Tuna Salad

By Sarah Fritschner
Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal

Cooks who are eager to put a well-received dinner on the table quickly often turn to fish.

This salad can be one of the multiple-choice salads on a buffet, or a filling for a sandwich, or the star of the show surrounded by lettuce or blanched, chilled green beans. (If you use large tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes, make sure they are ripe.)

This is a pretty juicy salad if it's allowed to sit any time at all. It makes great sandwiches, but you need sturdy bread to stand up to it.

• 1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or other hot seasoning, or to taste
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 (6- to 7-ounce) cans tuna, drained well

Combine oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper in a small jar or bowl and shake or stir until salt dissolves.

In a medium bowl, combine halved cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and drained tuna.

Add the dressing and stir to coat all the ingredients and break up the tuna a little.

Serve as a salad on lettuce leaves, or pack into pita bread or onto sandwich bread.

Makes four large but light servings.