This is a yummy salad my roommate from Croatia made all of the time. It's perfect for lunch. You just want to keep eating and eating! Make right before serving, doesn't refrigerate well.
I've made this recipe about 5 times. I use half a bag of spinach instead of romaine lettuce. I also throw in about 1/4 cup chopped walnuts for some crunch. I also add an extra carrot. It's easy to modify this recipe and add a little more or less of the ingredients depending on your tastes. Definitely a departure from your typical mayonnaise based tuna salad!
Read MoreI must have done something wrong or my Balsamic was too vinegary. It wasn't horrible but I had lots of leftovers to eat. I added walnuts and feta cheese...this really helped. I also added canned spinach as it was all I had. I like the idea of this. Many times when I have rice and salad I will mix the 2 together. I'll have to think about this one before I make it again.
Read MoreI've made this recipe about 5 times. I use half a bag of spinach instead of romaine lettuce. I also throw in about 1/4 cup chopped walnuts for some crunch. I also add an extra carrot. It's easy to modify this recipe and add a little more or less of the ingredients depending on your tastes. Definitely a departure from your typical mayonnaise based tuna salad!
Since I first found this recipe, I've made it about a dozen times. I double the last six ingredients and use fresh spinich instead of the lettuce. It makes a great dinner with a pear salad and good wine.
Really great recipe! Perfect for dinner on a hot summer day. I made the recipe as directed with a couple of additions based on previous reviews. I added a good sized handful of feta and a big handful of kalamta olives. My husband raved about this salad. I think the feta and the olives added a lot of flavor, but the other magic going on here is the hot rice wilting the lettuce and sort of blending everything together. Thanks for the recipe!
Yum! My neighbors came over for lunch adn I seerved this dish. It was definitely a hit. One asked for the recipe because her husband loved the leftovers so much.
I halved the rice, vinegar and oil, kept the other amounts the same, and I used whole-grain brown rice. I highly recommend using brown rice, even if you keep the other amounts the same. Very tasty, I will make again for sure! Next time I will try the spinach and chopped walnuts like another reviewer suggested.
This was delicious! It's addictive--I couldn't stop eating it. I was afraid the tuna or vinegar would be overpowering, but the unusual mix of flavors was perfect. My toddlers didn't care for it, but anticipating this, I made extra rice so they could have it alone. The only change I made was to use brown rice instead of white. Next time might follow other users' suggestions and try spinach, feta, and/or black olives, and might add another carrot. Also, I might store the leftover rice and salad separately to preserve it better. PS: I just realized the recipe calls for 2 cups uncooked rice; I used 2 cups cooked rice, which I thought was perfect.
Wow, these ingredients really work together. And what a fabulous way to make something easy, inexpensive, and healthy! The only comment I have is that, as written, I think the recipe is too heavy on rice. If making for 1 or 2 people, half the rice and water. If making it for more, double everything else. I also really love it with a bit of feta cheese and chopped tomatoes; the coolness of the tomatoes with the warm rice and tuna is just divine. It's great as is, but also a very easy recipe to play around with.
I was intrigued by this recipe since it didn't contain a bucket of mayonaise like most other tuna salads. OH MY GOODNESS! So quick and easy to make, and what a *fabulous* combination of flavors! I used fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce b/c that's what I had, I also threw in a small jar of seasoned feta cheese and a box of cherry tomatoes (halved so the juice mixes with everything else). It's a great recipe to customize to your own tastes. I just finished eating this for dinner so I am full now but I can't wait to have this again for lunch tomorrow! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Yummy recipe. I'll probaly use less balsamic only because the balsamic vinegar I bought at the store is too "vinegar-sour!?" To make this dish lunch time portable, cut the the thick rib out of the leaf and roll it up like a roulade. This recipe has been a great alternative to another ho-hum brown bag lunch sandwich:P Thanks!
This (with a few minor changes) was an outstanding dish! I used baby spinach in place of the romaine and I also added some frozen peas to the rice about 10 minutes before the rice was done. I also omitted the vinegar as I do not like it. Thanks for the recipe! It is great for busy, working people who do not have a ton of time to devote to preparing a meal!
This is a great recipe! I used 2 cans of tuna and a small can of black olive slices in addition to the rest of the ingredients. It has a great flavor. My husband and I enjoyed it very much. It is a simple and quick meal.
I must have done something wrong or my Balsamic was too vinegary. It wasn't horrible but I had lots of leftovers to eat. I added walnuts and feta cheese...this really helped. I also added canned spinach as it was all I had. I like the idea of this. Many times when I have rice and salad I will mix the 2 together. I'll have to think about this one before I make it again.
Delicious! I made this twice over the weekend - so good! I only made two small changes, brown rice rather than white, and a touch of sesame oil in the dressing. The sesame oil, combined with the vinegar almost gave it a sushi-like taste. OK, that's a bit of a stretch, but much less expensive, and it may satisfy a sushi craving! Thank you!
Just great! Didn't change a thing...Perfect for dietsrs, diabetics and weight watchers as it has your veggies, carbs, protein and fat. Husband suggested a touch of soya sauce instead of salt......very please. Make sure rice is warm as it absorbs the dressing better..........YES!!!
Delicious, adaptable, and perfect for my student budget. I've made this countless times. I use spinach instead of romaine, and add more carrot as suggested by others. My roommate used quinoa instead of rice and that was also great.
This was very good. I've made it twice, once for us and once for company... all enjoyed :) I used brown rice, baby spinach and chives. Easy and tasty!
Very very good. Thank you for the recipe. My husband LOVES tuna and this is a nice change from the regular tuna salad. I did not have a carrot so shredded a yellow squash from the garden. Still good. :)
I love tuna so I was excited to try this take on it. I substituted couscous for the rice, it's always been my preference, and used spinich instead of the romaine b/c that was what I had. Real good with kalamata olives on the side.
Nice and different. The overall taste reminded me something of a salmon cake..or in the same category. I made this for myself with a few changes, and it turned out so yummy I can't imagine it would've tasted as nice otherwise. First of all, I halved the rice, I used Jasmine. Then I used the same amount of balsamic and olive oil the recipe calls for but whisked it together as if making a salad dressing, then added two chopped green onions, a de-seeded fresh roma tomato, and a few springs of fresh cilantro, in addition to the romaine lettuce, and carrot. Very tasty. Very fresh tasting. Will definitely make again, I can imagine this being especially tasty in the summer months. Thanks to the Submitter!!
I made a couple of changes to this recipe: sub brown rice for white, and spinach for romaine. The results were incredible. I will definitely make this again, probably tomorrow:)
I had some tuna leftovers so I decided to try your ideas but with some other ingredients so that I wouldnt have to go to the supermarket :P instead of romaine lettuce... /seemed pretty good though I might try it some time/ I used some green beans /I wanted something green in the salad and it was the only one I had/, I also used a small tomato and some feta cheese like one of the reviewers suggested... the outcome was pretty good... nice and quick recipe!
After trying this recipe, I bought a case of tuna at Costco specifically to make it. Has been an excellent summer dinner and a good use for the rice cooker. I'm adding chickpeas and tomatoes and continue to experiment.
This was fantastic and so simple! I also liked it with a dressing of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic.
So easy and good. I love it this way. I use two bags of Success Jasmine rice(cooks in 8 min. to perfection). Most of the time I use the chopped Romaine, but sometimes spinach. I have also used a big can of chicken breast with the pieces broken up. Add shredded carrot, black olives, and a small tomato chopped. It is best served fresh, but I have found it delicious the next day...just stir it up and serve cold. You could add some crisp-steamed broccoli too. And, if you use chicken, use EVOO, white wine vinegar, and a little yellow mustard all whisked together as the dressing.
I was shocked that this was so good. I had some leftover rice and I thought I would try it. It was great. I didn't feel like grating a carrot and it was still tasty.
Yum is right.... I kept wanting to eat more and more. I just made it for one out of the leftover rice I had in the fridge. Going to have it tomorrow with the other half, can't wait!
Very easy and super yummy. *Update* I crave this salad. I probably make it at least once per week. Only use 2 cups of cooked rice. My latest trial was to use quick cooking barley in place of the rice. It turned out great and seems a little more hearty and healthy with the barley.
The first night I made this, I thought it was awful. I think I just didn't like the hot rice with the vinaigrette. But, I didn't want to throw it out, and it was incredible served cold the next day! Of course by that time the lettuce was wilted, so next time I would leave the lettuce out and add more veggies--celery (which was great this time), tomatoes, cucumber. I couldn't get enough of it, but only when it was served chilled without the lettuce (or maybe add the lettuce right before serving).
This was excellent. I used 1 cup of brown rice and left the other ingredients the same, and it was lunch and dinner for myself and my husband. The romaine held up well and it was as good cold as it was warm. Thank you so much, it will be a regular in this house!
This was better than I thought it would be. I used mixed greens and kept everything separate so it would keep for leftovers. Very simple, healthy and satisfying. I also used half the rice, as others suggested.
I've made this recipe probably a couple dozen times now. This is one of my favorite recipes on this site. It's also one of my favorite quick meals...I make it when I have leftover rice and sometimes even use a bagged lettuce blend with carrots in it. I do use slightly less dressing than what it calls for though. I've altered this recipe many different ways (adding green peppers and other things, using different lettuces, rice, herbs, etc.) and I still find the original simple recipe is absolutely the best.
This was good my family liked it. Its basically just a salad with rice and tuna. It needs more to it. Next time I make it I would like to add cherry tomatos cheese (maybe feta) kidney beens, olives.
This was very quick, easy, and healthy (I used brown rice), but it seemed to be missing something. I served it cold with black olives and a sprinkling of feta. However, as the recipe is written, I think too much rice may be called for. Cold, this dish kept very well. A good dinner for people in a hurry. My boyfriend really liked this, so it will be made again.
yummy! I loved it. the only changes I made was using iceberg lettuce (its all I had) and adding lemon zest and chili oil. thanks!
Awesomely yummy. Changes I made: Only used 2 cups total of brown rice 1 cup of chopped spinach instead of lettuce Added some red bell pepper relish (totally pulled it together with that) And I just used 1 T oil and 2 T vinegar Some seeds - sunflower, sesame, whatever - would be fabulous on this, too.
Very good! In fact, surprisingly good. My husband won't eat tuna, but I was craving it and looking for a new recipe. I didn't have any carrots, so I used celery instead; I also used a Mediterranean salad mix, so I added some Greek herb seasoning. If I had had feta cheese, I would have added that, also, but I didn't, so I added a little parmesan. I really enjoyed this, and it's very healthful and customizeable. Thanks for sharing!
I thought this was very different and great! I added radish to give it some color & crunch. I will make this again.
My husband found this and made it with leftover jasmine rice we had. Followed the recipe exactly but added red onion. I went back for seconds it was sooo good!
Very easy comfort food, esp. after a long day at work. I mixed a small can of tuna and about 1 cup rice (leftover), microwaved it, drizzled some olive oil with truffle and balsamic vinegar. Thank you!
Sooooo good!!!! I mixed spring greens and spinache with the carrot and used left over basmati rice. I threw some feta on top so I did't add the salt that it asked for. So good. So so good.
This was a great light lunch. I loved the combination of rice, tuna, and romaine with balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. Very good. I will make again but this time maybe for 3 or 4 people. It was a little too much for two people, but then again it says it serves 4. :-)
I really liked this salad.. I have a difficult time eating cold salads as I do not feel satisfied afterward, but the rice balances this out perfectly. I did use a large can of tuna and added some mushrooms. it's a keeper to ensure we eat all the the dark green leafy lettuce we have!
I'm sure that this is wonderful as is but I couldn't help throwing in some extras! Absolutely Devine! The guys devoured it for lunch today. I should have doubled the batch though because they wanted more. This is a wonderful base recipe that you can get really creative with. Using what I had on hand I added some lemon pepper seasoning, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes and hot pepper cheese. It was a hit! Thanks for sharing.
Loved it! I halved the amount of rice for just two of us and I also added the feta. Everything else was just the same. I love the cold lettuce, the hot rice, the kind of crunchy carrots - great textures and flavors!
I used basmati rice, which I prefer and I used a huge handful of spinach instead of the Romaine (again, which I prefer). I used some goat feta, which changed the taste and I might not do again. I found there was really a LOT of rice with 2 cups uncooked. I didn't use it all in the recipe and still found it was a bit much. 1 cup uncooked rice would have been enough.
My family loves this recipe! I add green olives (because we love them in everything) and cool the rice before mixing, because I like it crunchy. It is so quick and easy -- and healthy! A+
I was skeptical because I'm not a salad lover but it was surprisingly very good. I added 3/4 c. of feta and 1/2 c. chopped walnuts. I think 2 c. of COOKED rice is sufficient. Great combination of flavours and I will definitely make it again.
This was just ok. Way too much rice and a little bland in flavor. I did like the texture of the wilted lettuce.
I can't believe how delicious this simple salad is! The recipe says it doesn't keep well so I kept the tuna mixture separate and refrigerated what I didn't use. I have been eating it cold all weekend. Yum!
My rice a bit cold when I added it in my salad part so the lettuce wasn't fully wilted. I also sub tuna by shrimp. Even so, it was soooo good and healthy and easy and hearty and everything that I went ahead getting myself a set of salad spinner, lettuce knife and grater after it. I can imagine myself living on this recipe and the variation of it everyday from now on:P No, seriously, I truly love the whole set of nutrition it has for a whole meal, the easiness to prepare, and the deliciousness and color it brings! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Personally I would have given this 4 stars but it didn't go over well with daughter and husband. I did make a few changes. I let the rice cool a little more and didn't mix in the greens. Instead I used a bed of them for the salad. Mixed in tomatoes for husband and myself (daughter hates tomatoes) and added an extra carrot, black olives and cucumbers. Green onions would be good in this as well.
I was surprised at how good this actually is considering how simple the recipe is and I'm not usually a fan of tuna. I used brown rice instead of white rice & since I didn't have any lettuce, I left that out - I also wasn't sure if I would like the lettuce in this recipe. I also added kalamata olives which gave it something extra! I have a bit leftover which I will eat for lunch tomorrow and add some walnuts which I have in my pantry (as suggested). I will definitely make this again - it's so tasty, simple and healthy which is perfect for me. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Absolutely love it. Very quick and easy. Depending on my mood I will use spinach instead of salad as suggested and I tend to use alot more greens. Also sometimes use brown rice.
Yum, surprisingly good! Like everyone else mentioned, I added some basil and sun dried tomato feta and halved cherry tomatoes. I also added some grated radish and used spring mix lettuce instead of romaine to make it a little healthier. I also used canned salmon since I prefer it. It was surprisingly tasty - the sour salad really needs the hot rice, so don't leave that out!
Love this stuff! Been making it for years since finding it. Follow the simple recipe as written and it's great. The only variable is the Balsamic vinegar, it is CRITICAL to buy and use a quality product here! Because it is such a powerful seasoning that rises to the top of the dish it is used in any recipe you use it in can be made or busted by the quality of the Balsamic.
Great recipe as is, but I experiment with EVERYTHING, sooooo... I tried using rice wine vinegar and chopped, roasted red peppers. AWESOME! I also love the addition of the feta and kalamatas to the original.
Easy to make with so little clean up. It was just what I was in the mood for. Light yet filling.
First of all HALF the rice is plenty. Also there is certainly more than 4 servings even with half the rice. I would say 8-10 as an extra salad at a pot luck and at least 6 as a main dish. Flavour was very good but could use a bit more dressing. I would make this again but use baby spinach as suggested by others.
Delish and super easy. Great for summertime. I used kale - which I massaged with oil first to get rid of some of the bitterness. I also added parmesan and lemon juice. Turned out great, will definitely be making again.
followed the recipe exactly, and it was not very good. pretty bland, and the flavour that was there was confusing
Great hi-protein lunch. I used brown basmati rice and reduced the amount a bit to keep it lower in carbs. Was very yummy!
We loved this dish. I didn't have any tuna on hand so I substituted salmon and it was delicious!!! I will definitely make this dish again and try the brown rice as others have mentioned.
I like it so much that I can't stop eating it!! I never bother with the lettuce!
This is a nice, quick to make dinner. I really like it and find it keeps well for the next day. I used less dressing the second time I made it and liked it better. My husband it not so keen on this one but that is down to personal taste. I have thought about using Green bell pepper finely diced instead of the lettuce but I haven't tried it yet.
Dane thinks two much vinegar. Serves two, use two carrots, can cut oil. Try with bleu/feta cheese next time too.
Tasted delicious. I used spinach, wild rice, red onion slices and only 1Tb of the oil. I will be making again soon. Thanks for the recipe!
