Low Carb Seared Tuna Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Looking to mix up your salad game? How about a fresh bed of crunchy romaine and snow peas topped with a thick tuna steak and homemade low carb balsamic dressing! Look no further than this incredible seared tuna salad to end your salad burnout!

Low Carb Seared Tuna Salad With Balsamic Dressing Recipe

Serves 4

Per Serving—

Fat: 8g

Protein: 22g

Carbs: 8g

Seared Tuna Salad INGREDIENTS:

Balsamic Dressing:

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Salad:

4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks, approximately 1.5 inches thick
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1/2 cup snow peas

Seared Tuna Salad INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine vinegar, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk until thick and emulsified. Set aside.
Season both sides of tuna with salt and pepper.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. When smoking hot, add tuna and cook for 1 to 1.5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1 to 1.5 minutes.
Remove tuna from the pan and rest for 5 minutes.
Thinly slice the tuna on an angle, against the grain to ensure a tender bite.
Toss lettuce and snow peas with the balsamic dressing made previously. Season the salad with salt and pepper and top with seared tuna.

Serve and enjoy your yummy seared tuna salad!

What Does Seared Tuna Mean?

The most important part of this seared tuna salad is—you guessed it—the fish! But what does “searing” your tuna really mean?

Searing is a method of cooking that means to quickly scorch the outside of the food—on high heat for a very short period of time. That means that searing both sides of your tuna steak will result in nicely browned, crisp outer layers to seal in the flavor and juices of the fish. You should also be aware that tuna is often served quite rare or even raw in the center as most believe that that is tuna at its best.

That said, there is some debate about the safety of eating raw or undercooked fish.

Is Seared Tuna Safe to Eat?

The USDA recommends that fish be cooked to at least 140-145 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure safe eating. However, many chefs disagree citing that raw fish, particularly tuna and swordfish, have been safely eaten at temperatures as low as 105 degrees for years.

If raw fish is a concern for you, feel free to finish off the tuna quickly in an oven heated to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature of your tuna steak reaches about 140 degrees. Just note that the more thoroughly cooked your tuna is, the meatier and potentially dry it can become.

Is Balsamic Vinegar Low Carb?

The other component that makes this seared tuna salad such a hit is the balsamic vinegar dressing. The intense flavor of the balsamic drizzled on the crunchy bed of fresh romaine lettuce and crisp snow peas create the perfect bed for this grilled tuna salad.

But is balsamic vinegar low carb? In this case, yes! There are about 2 grams of net carbs per tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, so this balsamic dressing recipe has a total of 6 net carbs. And knowing that the recipe will be split across the four servings of seared tuna salad, you’re perfectly safe to enjoy this homemade dressing as part of your low carb diet!

What Else Can I Use Balsamic Vinegar On?

Balsamic vinegar has so many delicious applications in addition to our yummy balsamic salad dressing. For instance, you can drizzle a balsamic vinegar reduction onto a crostini, grilled meats, veggies (think brussels sprouts) or even ice cream (trust us on this one!). Balsamic vinegar pairs perfectly with a tomato, basil, and mozzarella cheese salad and can also work well as an ingredient in a zesty barbecue or dipping sauce.

For those who love the rich, sharp flavor of balsamic vinegar, the possibilities are plentiful.

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