Spinach Tuna Salad with Delicata Squash

One of my favorite things since discovering delicata squash has been adding them into my salads.

They are super sweet when you roast them and it’s a great way to give volume to your salads.

It gives it a meaty quality without actually being meat and it is so hearty!

I also love finding new ways to use canned tuna because it has such great protein count and low fat!

Should I use tuna packed in water or oil?

I used tuna packed in water and drained it.

Typically I would say use tuna packed in olive oil for the most flavor but since this is a salad, and you’re already going to be using dressing, I would just use the tuna packed in water.

Plus, I didn’t want my spinach leaves to be super oily.

I don’t like tuna, can I use another protein?

Sure!

Shredded or cubed chicken would be great in this.

Can I use another type of squash?

Yep.

Acorn squash would be a good alternative but any favorite squash of yours (roasted) is great.

Can I use kale?

You can use whatever leafy greens you want.

What other toppings would be good with this salad?

Nuts, dried fruit, a hard, crumbly cheese.

Should this be served warm, cool, or room temperature?

All my ingredients were room temperature but then when I tossed the roasted squash in, it kind of warmed up the entire dish!

It’s however you prefer to eat salads.

What is the best way to chop this salad?

LOVE my OXO salad chopper.

You literally just throw everything in the bowl — doesn’t even need to be chopped up, can be whole slivers (like onion) and you just run the blade through.

You could also do it on the cutting board but I highly recommend the OXO salad chopper!

What dressing should I use?

Whatever you like but I suggest a honey dijon type because I like the tangy bite.

Spinach Tuna Salad with Delicata Squash

A delightfully hearty salad with seasonal ingredients! Delicata squash gives such a nice meaty component to this salad without being over the top.

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 large salad

Author: Julie Chiou

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Ingredients 

½1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups (60 g) loosely packed baby spinach
• ▢ 5 ounce (142 g) can of tuna packed in water, drained
• ▢ 1 small apple, cubed
• ▢ ¼ red onion, cut into half moons
• ▢ Handful crushed Parmesan crisps
• ▢ Handful crushed crispy onions
• ▢ Roasted delicata squash
• ▢ Salt and pepper, to taste
• ▢ Your favorite dressing

Instructions 

• Add all ingredients into a large bowl. Then use the chopper and run it through all ingredients until chopped to desired consistency. If you don't want to chop up your delicata squash and want to eat it whole, you can set them aside like I did in the photo above. Either way is fine.
• Alternatively, you can chop everything finely on a cutting board then place in to a large bowl to dress. Or you can make this not a chopped salad but just a regular salad with toppings.
• Drizzle your favorite dressing on top and mix.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition facts do not include dressing.

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving: 1 large salad | Calories: 456 kcal | Carbohydrates: 30 g | Protein: 52 g | Fat: 15 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Cholesterol: 31 mg | Sodium: 652 mg | Potassium: 922 mg | Fiber: 6 g | Sugar: 20 g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

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