Ahi Tuna Salad

Ahi Tuna Salad is so easy to pull together and has amazing flavors, from the fresh salad to the slightly seared tuna. The Asian dressing is sublime with sesame oil, umami paste, ginger, garlic, and more. In Hawaii, the word “ahi” refers to two species of tuna, the yellowfin tuna and the bigeye.

Before I dive into the Ahi Tuna salad recipe, you may also love these great tuna recipes too, Classic Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad and Sheet Pan Tuna Steak Dinner.

Today we are joining together to help raise awareness for Heart Disease. Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic lost her Mom to heart disease when her mother was 47 and Kim was 15. Each year, on the day her Mom passed, she shares stories and photos of her Mom.

I lost my dad to heart disease many years ago, so this is also personal for me. Dad loved good food, and I cooked for him often, even from a young age. He would have loved this one, as he had a great appreciation for Japan. This is for you, Dad; I miss you!!!

Heart Healthy

Sesame and Grape Seed oils are very heart-healthy. We love to eat a lot of different foods in this house. We do have well-rounded meals with lots of fruits and fresh vegetables always included.

The little crunchy noodles are not the healthiest, but you only have to have a small amount of them to have a big impact. Everything is in moderation. One small Ahi tuna steak feeds three people, so it doesn’t have to be really expensive either. All of these wonderful ingredients make up this heart-healthy meal that you can have done in no time. 30 minutes and it’s ready, and the dressing is delicious!!

What Goes Into Ahi Tuna Salad

Let’s see what goes into the Ahi Tuna Salad recipe. There are 2 parts: Dressing and Salad.

Ingredients

DRESSING

Sweet onion

Grapeseed oil

High-quality olive oil plus 1 tbsp. for cooking

Ginger powder

Sesame oil

Garlic

Rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar

Lemon juice

Umami paste

Low sodium soy sauce

Powdered wasabi

SALAD

Romaine lettuce

Red pepper

Mushrooms

English cucumber

Bean sprouts

Red onion, thinly sliced

Snap peas, cut in half

Ahi tuna steak

Black sesame seeds

Sesame seeds

Salt and pepper

Chow Mein noodles

How to Make Ahi Tuna Salad

1. In a blender, add all the salad dressing ingredients and whirl until smooth. Set it aside.

1. Assemble salad using the romaine, red bell pepper, mushrooms, bean sprouts, cucumbers, red onion, and snap peas. Divide everything equally into four salad bowls.

1. Slice the tuna steak into 1 1/2″ wide slices. Mix sesame seeds together with salt and pepper. Roll the tuna steak in the sesame seeds.
3. Heat olive oil in a cast-iron pan and sear ahi tuna for 1 minute per side or until desired cooking is achieved. Tuna should be on the rare side.
5. Slice into small pieces and add the tuna steak to the salad.

1. Drizzle with the sesame ginger dressing and garnish with chow mein noodles.

Can I Eat Ahi Tuna Raw?

Ahi tuna can be consumed raw but on a moderate level. Eating ahi tuna raw can be risky as it contains parasites that cause diseases. But these parasites pose zero risks once ahi tuna is cooked or frozen. So it’s better to avoid it in raw form until you understand all the risks.

That being said, high-quality tuna, namely sushi or sashimi, is popular for eating raw. Purchase sushi-grade tuna, and you won’t have any issue eating tuna raw or medium-rare. Yes, you can cook it to medium-rare; it is quite common for homemade tuna.

Can You Cook Ahi Tuna All The Way Through?

You may, but it may lead to a difference in taste. The flavor and texture may get lost. Overcooking is not recommended. Instead, cook quickly over high heat. Leave fully cooked tuna for other uses like Open-Faced Tuna Sandwiches or Best Tuna Melt Casserole.

Enjoy all these wonderful dishes and rest assured they are on the healthier side.

More Fantastic Recipes

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Ahi Tuna Salad

Tara Noland

Ahi Tuna Salad is a heart-healthy meal that any tuna lover would go crazy for. Light enough for a side dish for sushi or add more in and enjoy it as a meal on to its own.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 minutes mins

Total Time 22 minutes mins

Course Salads

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 378 kcal

Ingredients

 

Dressing

• 1/2 medium sweet onion chopped
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup good quality olive oil plus 1 Tbsp. for cooking
• 1 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 large clove garlic minced
• 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. Umami paste
• 1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp. powdered wasabi

Salad

• 1 large head of romaine lettuce washed and torn
• 1 red pepper sliced
• 6 large mushrooms sliced
• 1/2 English cucumber cut into large matchsticks
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 red onion sliced
• 12 snap peas cut in half
• 1 large ahi tuna steak
• black sesame seeds
• sesame seeds
• Salt and pepper
• Chow Mein Noodles

Instructions

 

• In a blender, add all the dressing ingredients and whirl until smooth. Set aside.
• Assemble salad using the romaine, red pepper, mushrooms, bean sprouts, cucumbers, red onion, and snap peas into four bowls.
• Cut ahi tuna steak into 1 1/2" wide slices. Mix sesame seeds together with salt and pepper. Roll the tuna in sesame seeds.
• Heat olive oil in a cast-iron pan and cook tuna for 1 min. per side or until desired doneness. Tuna should be on the rare side.
• Slice into small pieces and arrange on salad.
• Drizzle with dressing and garnish with chow mein noodles.

Equipment

Brooklyn Botany Grapeseed Oil for Skin – 100% Pure and Cold Pressed – Carrier Oil for Essential Oils, Aromatherapy and Massage – Moisturizing Skin, Hair and Face – Therapeutic Grade – 16 fl Oz

Naturevibe Botanicals Organic Black Sesame Seed (5.64oz)

Wasabi-O, Wasabi Powder 1.24 Oz (35 g) The ideal not only with Japanese cuisine, Sushi, Salmon and Sashimi, but also other forms of Seafood, Grilled meats and Vegetarian dishes

Notes

See the post for more tips and tricks and information.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 16gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 372mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7g

Nutrition calculation is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!