Cottage Cheese Tuna Lettuce Cups (Printable)
Creamy cottage cheese tuna salad with lemon and herbs served in crisp lettuce cups for a light protein-packed meal.
# List of ingredients:
→ Tuna Salad
01 - 2 cans (5 oz each) tuna in water, drained
02 - 1 cup cottage cheese (low-fat or full-fat)
03 - 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
05 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, thinly sliced
09 - 1 celery stalk, finely diced
10 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ For Serving
12 - 1 head butter lettuce or romaine, leaves separated, washed and dried
13 - 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
14 - 1 small avocado, thinly sliced (optional)
15 - Lemon wedges, for garnish
# Steps:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained tuna, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt or mayonnaise, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir until smooth and creamy.
02 - Add the dill, parsley, chives, diced celery, and red onion to the tuna mixture. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fold gently until evenly distributed.
03 - Gently fold in the cucumber slices and avocado, if using, taking care not to mash the ingredients.
04 - Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Spoon the tuna salad evenly among the cups, dividing the mixture equally.
05 - Finish with an extra sprinkle of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice over each cup. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cottage cheese trick makes everything impossibly creamy without needing a mountain of mayo.
- It comes together in under fifteen minutes, which is faster than deciding what to order for delivery.
- Every single bite tastes bright and fresh thanks to the lemon and trio of herbs.
02 -
- Under draining the tuna is the fastest way to end up with watery, sad lettuce cups that fall apart in your hands.
- Always store the salad mixture separately from the lettuce if you are making it ahead, because they will get soggy together overnight.
03 -
- Zest the lemon before you juice it, because a squeezed lemon is nearly impossible to zest properly.
- Letting the finished salad sit in the fridge for even twenty minutes before serving gives the flavors time to meld into something noticeably better.