This super easy and adaptable High Protein Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad has 16 grams of protein per serving and it is delicious served on a salad plate, in a sandwich or as a snack with crackers. Using cottage cheese and Greek yogurt instead of mayo makes this a high protein tuna salad, with lots of added crunch.
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This is a classic tuna salad, but made a little lighter, and much higher in protein. This is a tuna salad with cottage cheese and yogurt which are blended together to make a creamy sauce that is used as a mayo replacement.
So, don't worry if you aren't usually a cottage cheese fan, as it's all blended up to make a smooth dressing.
You all LOVED our Cottage Cheese Egg Salad and Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad, so it was only time until we did a cottage cheese and tuna salad! As simple as dumping it all in a bowl and mixing.
This is a great meal prep recipe, as it stores well and there are lots of different ways to use it.
Looking for more high protein tuna recipes? Why not try our quick High Protein Tuna Melt, easy Chickpea Tuna Salad, delicious High Protein Tuna Pasta Salad, or our impressive Tuna Sushi Bowl?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Tuna - We use canned tuna in spring water to keep it light, as tuna in oil makes this all a bit too greasy.
- Celery - An easy way to add some crunch and bulk it out a bit. You could swap this to cucumber or diced bell peppers if you prefer.
- Cottage Cheese - Use a good quality cottage cheese, otherwise it will be too watery. We used 0%, but you could use a high fat percentage, which would make it creamier.
- Greek yogurt - You could just use cottage cheese, but we did half and half with some 0% fat Greek yogurt, as we like the tartness it adds.
- Onion - Red onion adds some extra color to this, but you could use spring onions (green onions/scallions) instead, or even some finely diced shallots.
- Lemon - Some lemon juice freshens it all up and goes really well with tuna and cottage cheese. You could add some lemon zest for extra lemon flavor too.
- Mustard - A little Dijon mustard for a burst of flavor. You could use wholegrain mustard instead if you prefer.
- Salt and pepper - Generously season to taste.
- Herbs - We used chives, but other fresh herbs like dill or parsley work well too.
- Pickles - The vinegar from the diced pickles helps to cut through the creaminess and adds some extra texture too. You could add capers instead.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How To Make Cottage Cheese and Tuna Salad
- Step 1: Put the cottage cheese, yogurt, mustard and lemon juice into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Step 2: Add the blended cottage cheese mixture to a bowl with the remaining ingredients.
- Step 3: Mix well.
High Protein Tip
To make this cottage cheese tuna salad even higher in protein, then boil 2 eggs and then dice them up to mix into everything. It adds extra creaminess too.
What To Serve With Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad
This high protein tuna salad is SO versatile. We love making a big batch of it as part of our weekly meal prep and then serve it different ways each time we eat it.
Crackers - This is how we served it, with some rosemary crackers. Why not try making our Homemade Crackers? This is a great high protein snack option that is nutritious and delicious.
Lettuce Wrap - For a low carb lunch option, why not make this Lettuce Wrap Sandwich and swap the chicken for this tuna with cottage cheese mix?
Sandwich - A delicious high protein sandwich filling. Load it in between some slices of sourdough and then add some chopped romaine and sun-dried tomatoes. One of my favorite sandwiches!
Salad - You could just load some of this on top of some salad greens with cucumbers and tomatoes for a high protein salad option. Maybe even add some mini roasted potatoes to bulk it out a bit.
Picky Plate - Of course this is the perfect addition to a high protein Picky Plate.
Tips For Making The BEST Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad
- We blended the cottage cheese and yogurt in a blender jug, but you could just put an immersion blender into the cottage cheese/yogurt container and blend it up to save washing up.
- You can also leave the cottage cheese in curds if you prefer, and it does add some extra texture. We like to blend it all together to make a smooth dressing. You can mash it with a fork to leave a little bit of the lumps.
- If you prefer a drier tuna salad with cottage cheese, then use a ⅓ less of the cottage cheese and yogurt.
- For an extra burst of flavor, you can add a few splashes of hot sauce to the mixture. We like buffalo hot sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is great for meal prep, and you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Just give it a good mix before serving.
More Tuna Recipes
If you've tried this tuna salad with cottage cheese, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
High Protein Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) Tuna - canned; drained weight
- 100 g (0.5 cups) Fat free cottage cheese
- 115 g (0.5 cups) 0% Fat Free Greek yogurt
- 0.5 Lemon - juice only
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 rib Celery - finely diced
- 50 g (0.33 cups) Red onion - finely diced
- 5 g (1.5 tablespoon) Fresh chives - finely chopped
- 35 g (0.25 cups) Gherkins - diced
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Put 100 g Fat free cottage cheese, 115 g 0% Fat Free Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and juice of 0.5 Lemon into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the blended cottage cheese mixture to a bowl with 200 g Tuna, 1 rib Celery, 50 g Red onion, 5 g Fresh chives, 35 g Gherkins, 1 pinch Sea salt and 1 pinch Ground black pepper.
- Mix well and serve.
Recipe Tips
- We blended the cottage cheese and yogurt in a blender jug, but you could just put an immersion blender into the cottage cheese/yogurt container and blend it up to save washing up.
- You can also leave the cottage cheese in curds if you prefer, and it does add some extra texture. We like to blend it all together to make a smooth dressing. You can mash it with a fork to leave a little bit of the lumps.
- If you prefer a drier tuna salad with cottage cheese, then use a ⅓ less of the cottage cheese and yogurt.
- For an extra burst of flavor, you can add a few splashes of hot sauce to the mixture. We like buffalo hot sauce.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Maria says
Delicious! Did some modifications (used spring onions instead of red onions, added sweetcorn, and 1 tablespoon of garlic mayo because I couldn’t not use mayo - yet!) and will be used as baked potato filling for dinner tonight along with some steamed broccoli - yum!
Debbie says
I tried this today for lunch. My word, it is lovely. I forgot the celery, but was still good. We have a bring and share at work soon, so will be making again.