By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 11, 2026
Serves 6
196 cal · 20 min
Tuna Vegetable Orzo Salad
Recipe GLPRc904fe9d4f9bbc
A refreshing Mediterranean-inspired salad combining canned albacore tuna with tender orzo pasta, crisp vegetables, and briny black olives. The light lemon and honey vinaigrette brings everything together for a quick, protein-rich side dish or appetizer that's naturally dairy-free and perfect for pescatarians.
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Ingredients
5 oz canned albacore tuna, drained
6 oz orzo pasta, cooked and cooled
1 Roma tomato, diced
1/4 small onion, diced
1/4 green bell pepper, diced
1 can (3 oz) sliced black olives, drained
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp dried sweet basil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained tuna, cooked orzo, diced tomato, diced onion, diced green pepper, and drained black olives. Gently toss to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and honey until emulsified and well blended.
Pour the olive oil mixture over the tuna and pasta combination. Sprinkle the dried basil over the top, then add salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
Serve immediately for best flavor, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Give a gentle stir before serving if chilled.
Comments
Every ingredient is stocked year-round at any Charlotte chain, and canned tuna and orzo are genuinely cheap—figure $12–14 total for six servings, or $2–2.50 per bowl. The stated 20 minutes is honest if you're boiling water and chopping vegetables at speed; actual execution runs 22–25 minutes but not with any waiting around. It's a no-fuss salad that reheats lukewarm, though it's best the same day; families will eat it, and leftovers make a reasonable next-day lunch. The trade-off is that it's summery and mild, not a centerpiece dinner, and North Carolina's coastal access to fresh shrimp isn't leveraged here—if you swapped canned tuna for fresh local shrimp, you'd pay $4–5 more per serving but land a better dish for a Thursday night.
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