Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad Cups (Printable)

Creamy tuna and cottage cheese with lemon and basil in crisp lettuce cups. High protein, low carb, ready in minutes.

# List of ingredients:

→ Tuna Salad

01 - 2 cans (5 oz each) tuna in water, drained
02 - 1 cup cottage cheese, low-fat or regular
03 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
05 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
06 - 1 small celery stalk, finely chopped
07 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, optional
10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ For Serving

12 - 8 large butter lettuce leaves or romaine hearts
13 - Extra basil leaves, for garnish
14 - Lemon wedges, for serving, optional

# Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained tuna, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, celery, shallot, basil, parsley (if using), salt, and pepper. Fold together until evenly incorporated and creamy.
02 - Taste the mixture and adjust salt and pepper as needed to balance the flavors.
03 - Arrange the butter lettuce leaves on a serving platter or individual plates, forming them into cup shapes.
04 - Spoon the tuna salad evenly among the lettuce cups. Garnish with extra basil leaves and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cottage cheese makes it outrageously creamy without needing a swimming pool of mayonnaise.
  • It packs twenty four grams of protein per serving so it actually keeps you full until dinner.
  • Lettuce cups make it feel fancy with zero cooking and almost no cleanup.
02 -
  • Wet tuna is the enemy of good salad, spend an extra thirty seconds pressing every drop out with the can lid.
  • If you make this ahead, store the salad and lettuce separately or you will have a soggy mess by dinner.
03 -
  • Let the salad sit for ten minutes in the fridge before serving so the flavors can settle into each other.
  • Zest the lemon before you juice it, trying to zest a squeezed lemon half is a frustrating and unnecessary battle.

Go back