Tuna, Egg and Green Bean Salad Recipe
A hearty salad inspired by American work lunches – with tuna, hard-boiled eggs, green beans and potatoes. It’s something between a dinner salad and a light main course that you can eat cold. The flavor combines the delicacy of tuna with the crunch of green beans and the creaminess of eggs.
This salad is reminiscent of American office lunchboxes from New York skyscrapers – substantial yet still light and easy to eat straight from the container. The combination of tuna, eggs, new potatoes and crunchy green beans lands somewhere between a Niçoise salad and a potato salad, with a distinctly citrusy, mustardy dressing. That way you get a complete meal in one bowl – with protein, vegetables and carbohydrates – that tastes great even straight from the fridge.
Dlaczego ta wersja działa
- Gotowanie ziemniaków w mundurkach chroni je przed rozpadaniem się w sałatce.
- Blanszowanie fasolki i szybkie schłodzenie zachowuje kolor i chrupkość.
- Sos z oliwy, cytryny i musztardy otula składniki, ale nie robi z nich ciężkiej pasty.
- Tuńczyk pozostawiony w większych kawałkach daje przyjemną teksturę w każdym kęsie.
Chef's tips
The biggest difference in flavor comes from cooking the green beans properly – stick to 4–5 minutes and rinse them immediately with cold water so they stay firm and green instead of soft and gray. Cook the potatoes in their skins until tender but not falling apart – once peeled, the pieces shouldn’t break up in the salad. Don’t shred the tuna too finely; just gently separate it into larger flakes with a fork so you can feel its texture in every bite.
How to serve
It makes an excellent work lunch – just pack the salad into a sealed container and add a slice of wholemeal bread or a piece of baguette on the side. It tastes great with lemon and mint water or a light, dry white wine if you’re serving it for a weekend balcony lunch. For a casual get-together, spread it out on a large platter and serve as a main dish for everyone to help themselves, alongside a bowl of green salad and lightly pickled cucumbers.
Na co uważać
- Nie rozgotuj fasolki – zbyt miękka zrobi się szara, wodnista i straci chrupkość.
- Nie mieszaj jajek z resztą składników, bo się pokruszą i zagęszczą sos.
- Zbyt ciepłe ziemniaki wchłoną za dużo sosu i będą się rozpadać przy mieszaniu.
Zamienniki
- Fasolkę szparagową możesz zastąpić małymi różyczkami brokułu, krótko zblanszowanymi.
- Tuńczyka w sosie własnym da się wymienić na tuńczyka w oliwie, zmniejsz wtedy ilość oliwy w sosie.
- Natkę pietruszki możesz zamienić na koperek lub szczypiorek dla innego aromatu.
Ingredients
- tuna in brine drained - 200 g
- potatoes cooked in their skins, cooled - 300 g
- green beans fresh or frozen, green - 200 g
- egg hard-boiled - 3 pieces
- cherry tomatoes halved - 150 g
- red onion thinly sliced - 0.5 pieces
- olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- lemon juice freshly squeezed - 1.5 tablespoons
- Dijon mustard - 1 teaspoon
- honey optional, to mellow the acidity - 0.5 teaspoons
- salt or to taste - 0.75 teaspoons
- black pepper freshly ground - 0.5 teaspoons
- parsley chopped - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Peel the potatoes cooked in their skins and cut into large cubes. Peel the eggs and cut into quarters or eighths.
- Trim the ends off the green beans and cut into pieces about 3–4 cm long. Drop into boiling, lightly salted water and cook for 4–5 minutes, until tender but still slightly crisp. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt and pepper until you get a smooth dressing.
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, onion and drained tuna, gently breaking the tuna into larger chunks with a fork.
- Pour the dressing over the ingredients and gently toss, taking care not to mash the potatoes and tuna.
- Arrange the egg pieces on top and sprinkle everything with chopped parsley.
- You can serve the salad right away or chill it in the fridge for 20–30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Storage
Sałatkę trzymaj w lodówce, szczelnie przykrytą, do 1–2 dni – z czasem ziemniaki bardziej wciągają sos i całość gęstnieje. Po dłuższym chłodzeniu aromat jajek i tuńczyka się nasila, więc przed podaniem wymieszaj i ewentualnie dodaj świeży sok z cytryny.
I most often make this salad on Sunday evening and divide it straight into two lunchboxes – on Monday and Tuesday I don’t have to think about work lunches. I’ve also taken it in a jar on longer train journeys, because it handles a few hours in a cool bag very well.
