Italian Potato Salad with Tuna and Olives Recipe
This potato salad has nothing to do with the heavy mayonnaise classic. In the Italian version, potatoes are combined with tuna, olives, red onion and a light olive oil and lemon vinaigrette. Ideal for a summer lunch or a workday lunchbox.
In the coastal regions of Italy, potato salads with canned fish are often served in bars as a light dish to go with a glass of wine. They rely on pantry ingredients but taste very “holiday-like”.
This Italian potato salad is light and full of flavour – instead of mayonnaise it has olive oil, lemon, capers and good-quality tuna, so it tastes like something from a seaside bistro. The saltiness of the olives and capers combines with citrusy freshness, while waxy potatoes stay firm and tender. It’s a dish that shows how to turn a few pantry staples into a complete meal.
Dlaczego ta wersja działa
- Waxy potatoes cooked in their skins stay firm and don’t fall apart when mixed.
- Adding the dressing to warm potatoes allows the olive oil and lemon to soak in instead of sitting only on the surface.
- Partially drained tuna in olive oil enriches the vinaigrette, so there is no need for heavy dressings.
- Capers and olives create controlled saltiness, making it easier to fine-tune any extra salt.
Chef's tips
Boil the potatoes in their skins and peel them only after they’ve cooled slightly – they won’t soak up water and will hold their shape in the salad. Don’t drain the tuna completely; a little of the oil from the can really boosts the flavour of the dressing. Avoid vigorous mixing so you don’t mash the potatoes. Add the vinaigrette while the potatoes are still slightly warm – they’ll absorb the flavours better.
How to serve
Serve the salad slightly chilled, with extra lemon wedges and a handful of fresh parsley or rocket on top. It pairs perfectly with a dry, well-chilled white wine or sparkling water with a slice of lemon if you’re eating it at work. It’s a great choice for a summer picnic by the river or a quick, satisfying lunch packed in a container for university.
Na co uważać
- Don’t cut the potatoes too small – cubes smaller than 2 cm are likely to fall apart and turn the salad into mush.
- Don’t season heavily with salt before adding the capers and olives; it’s better to add more salt at the end than to rescue an overly salty dish.
- Don’t put the hot salad straight into the fridge – let it cool slightly first, otherwise the potatoes will become watery.
Zamienniki
- You can replace tuna in olive oil with tuna in brine, adding 1–2 extra tablespoons of good olive oil.
- Swap black olives for green olives with stones, pitted beforehand, for a more pronounced flavor.
- You can replace capers with finely chopped dill pickles or lightly fermented cucumbers.
- Instead of parsley, use basil or celery leaves for a stronger herbal aroma.
Ingredients
- waxy potatoes a variety that doesn’t fall apart - 700 g
- tuna in olive oil in a can weight after draining - 160 g
- pitted black olives sliced - 60 g
- red onion sliced into thin feathers - 0.5 pieces
- capers in brine drained; can be omitted - 1 tablespoon
- fresh parsley or basil chopped - 2 tablespoons
- olive oil for the dressing - 4 tablespoons
- lemon juice freshly squeezed - 2 tablespoons
- Dijon mustard for a little heat - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation
- Wash the potatoes thoroughly. If the skin is thin and smooth, leave it on; cut larger ones in half so all pieces are of a similar size.
- Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water and lightly salt. Cook for 15–20 minutes from the moment it comes to the boil, until a fork goes in with slight resistance – the potato should be soft inside but not cracking at the edges.
- Drain the cooked potatoes and leave for 5 minutes to steam dry. When they are warm but you can hold them in your hand, cut into thick slices or larger cubes; the surface should be dry, not glossy.
- Slice the red onion into thin slivers. If it is very sharp, cover it with cold water for 5 minutes, then drain well – it will mellow in flavor while keeping its color.
- In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, a pinch of salt and pepper. Beat vigorously with a fork until the dressing slightly thickens and turns matte, with no separate streaks of oil.
- Add the still-warm potatoes to the bowl and very gently toss with the vinaigrette so that each piece is thinly coated in dressing. Leave for 5–10 minutes for the potatoes to absorb some of the liquid.
- Drain the tuna only partially, leaving a little of the oil from the can. Add it to the potatoes together with the olives, capers and onion, mixing from the bottom with a wide spoon so as not to crush the potatoes.
- Sprinkle the salad with chopped parsley or basil, season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature – there should be a thin layer of dressing left at the bottom of the bowl.
Storage
Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Before serving, let it come to room temperature and, if needed, refresh with a little extra olive oil and lemon juice.
I usually make this salad in the evening when I have leftover boiled potatoes from dinner – in the morning I just add tuna and olives and my office lunch is ready. I’ve also taken it in a jar on longer train journeys instead of sandwiches.
