This recipe for ahi tuna salad is seared ahi on a bed of mixed greens with cucumber and carrot noodles, bell peppers, avocado and wontons, all tossed in a sesame ginger dressing.
I love a light and fresh salad such as cucumber tomato salad, Mediteranean farro salad or this delicious ahi tuna salad.
We’ve all been there before – it’s dinner time and the last thing you want to do is cook a big meal. I’m continually creating convenient family dinners to make meal time a stress free experience. Dinner doesn’t get much easier than this ahi tuna salad. You can prep all of the ingredients up to a day in advance. Just toss everything together when it’s time to eat!
If you want to serve a larger meal, mix and match this salad with your favorite Japanese dishes like yakisoba noodles with chicken, yakitori or slow cooker teriyaki chicken! The possibilities are endless!
How do you make ahi tuna salad?
This ahi tuna salad features the fish alongside fresh greens, cucumber and carrot “noodles”, avocado, bell peppers and wonton strips. The salad is finished off with a flavorful sesame ginger dressing. I used a spiralizing tool to make my veggie “noodles.” If you don’t have one, you can shave the cucumbers and carrots with a vegetable peeler to create long, thin strips. You can also simply slice the vegetables.
Tips for ahi tuna salad
- You can find bags of wonton strips near the croutons in the salad dressing aisle or in your store’s produce area.
- The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance.
- This salad is also great with other forms of protein such as grilled chicken, shrimp or marinated tofu.
How do you cook ahi tuna?
In this particular case, I used Bumblee frozen cooked ahi for my salad However, you can also purchase fresh or frozen ahi tuna steaks to use in this recipe. Simply pat your fish dry, then season on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the ahi in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until browned on the outside, yet pink in the interior. This typically takes about 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your tuna steaks.
Can you eat ahi tuna raw?
Serve ahi tuna when the center is pink and raw. Be sure to purchase sushi grade ahi so that you know for sure that it’s made for eating raw. You can cook your ahi to medium or well done if you prefer. Be careful, the fish tends to dry out when overcooked.
When it comes to convenient family dinners, this ahi tuna salad is at the top of my list. The combination of fresh tuna, crunchy veggies and zesty dressing just can’t be beat!
More great salad recipes
- Chickpea Avocado Salad
- Asian Noodle Salad
- BBQ Chicken Salad
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Brussels Sprout Salad
Ahi Tuna Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 pound ahi tuna cooked to rare in the middle and thinly sliced
- 6 cups of mixed salad greens
- 1 cup of red or yellow bell pepper , seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 cups cucumber "noodles" made with a spiralizer tool or thinly shaved with a vegetable peeler
- 2 cups carrot "noodles" made with a spiralizer tool or thinly shaved with a vegetable peeler
- 1/2 cup wonton strips
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 avocado , thinly sliced
- For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a jar or resealable container. Shake vigorously to combine. Store in the refrigerator until ready for use.
- For the salad: Place the greens in a large bowl; drizzle with half of the dressing.
- Arrange the ahi tuna, bell peppers, avocado, cucumber, carrot and wonton strips on top of the lettuce; sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This post is sponsored by Bumblebee. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dinner at the Zoo possible!
I was inspired by this recipe as make-ahead jar salads. Since I did that, I had to use canned tuna. The avocado was put at the bottom with the vinegarette, and that kept it from turning brown! I did add a little lime juice and honey (my preferred flavors). Then tuna went in, followed by the delicate vegetables, and the carrot noodles on top. Worked perfectly when I poured it in the bowl. Thank you for the wonderful idea, and delishous recipe. I will have to try with fresh tuna one day.
OMG! Amazing recipe that tastes like restaurant food.
Father and husband loved this. Said it was the perfect blend of flavors. Looked beautiful, too.
So delicious! Light and refreshing but filling!
Fantastic, Used Albacore and 1\3 of the sesame. But still very good, thanks a bunch.
Absolutely fantastic! Made as the recipe state except I only used two tuna for the two of us. The dressing is perfect.
I love salads like this – so fresh and healthy. And it’s perfect for summer:)
This tuna salad looks absolutely perfect and I can’t wait to try it!! 🙂
I love tuna and this is another great way to make it! Love how simple and quick everything comes together. Thank you for sharing another great recipe!
The perfectly seared tuna looks delicious and I love the pairing with the sesame ginger dressing. I also really like the way you plated the whole salad.
This salad is amazing. I only wish tuna is on the cheap side so I can have this more often. 😀
Sam’s Club has frozen ahi tuna individually wrapped for about $7.00 a lb. They also carry fresh.
This recipe is delicious! Thank you!
Wow I never knew Bumble Bee had products like this – what a wonderful salad! Love the dressing. We are big fans of their tuna so I will have to give this a try.
I’m not sure that tuna is available in Canada but oh how I wish it was! Lovely and a lovely salad 🙂
This Ahi salad is both beautiful and delicious! I need to try this frozen Ahi product!
This seared Ahi salad looks amazing!
What a beautiful salad! I like the idea of frozen Bumble Bee Ahi ready to go!
Oh, how beautiful, Sara! I just get so excited visiting everyone these days because all the dishes are so fresh and flavorful.
I’m with you on quick and easy weeknight meals and this is a winner all the way. I love tuna and I so often forget about it – not sure why because it’s so versatile. Great recipe, fabulous shots!
I didn’t know Bumblebee sold tuna this way, and your salad is so stunning you’ve tempted me to go out and track it down. The colors are gorgeous!!
Amazing looking salad! I love seared ahi.