Tuna Jefferson Salad
This hearty main dish salad has its origins in the dim, dark past. Many years ago, my husband and I ate at The Virginian restaurant in Charlottesville, Virginia. He ordered a main dish salad called TJ Salad (after Thomas Jefferson) and loved it. When we got home, he asked me to try to recreate it and weve been enjoying it ever since. The recipe has changed a lot over the years; most recently, Ive replaced the original cold grilled chicken with hot off the grill tuna And, weve renamed it in honour of the change :-)
This hearty main dish salad has its origins in the dim, dark past. Many years ago, my husband and I ate at The Virginian restaurant in Charlottesville, Virginia. He ordered a main dish salad called TJ Salad (after Thomas Jefferson) and loved it. When we got home, he asked me to try to recreate it and weve been enjoying it ever since. The recipe has changed a lot over the years; most recently, Ive replaced the original cold grilled chicken with hot off the grill tuna And, weve renamed it in honour of the change :-)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 large handfuls mixed greens ripped
- 2 very thin slices red onion cut in half and separated
- 1/2 small yellow hot pepper cut in slivers
- 5 - 6 black olives pitted and cut in half
- 1/2 medium tomato cut in chunks
- 1 large artichoke heart cut in four
- 1 hard-boiled egg cut in four
- 1 4 - 5 oz tuna steak
- 1.5 oz feta cheese crumbled
- 1/2 tablespoon capers
- 2 pickled pepperoncini (optional)
- tuna marinade (enough for two or three steaks)
- 1 large clove garlic crushed
- Carbohydrate 38.8790254140969 g
- Cholesterol 316.4742 mg
- Fat 60.5262525682819 g
- Fiber 14.1164798827469 g
- Protein 52.7579228678414 g
- Saturated Fat 14.6512088 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (850g)
- Sodium 1505.6748 mg
- Sugar 24.76254553135 g
- Trans Fat 3.16512406828195 g
- Calories 882 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine marinade ingredients and place tuna in it. Marinate for 15 minutes or so.
- Place greens in the bottom of a pasta bowl. Add onion, yellow hot pepper, olives and tomatoes. Toss lightly.
- Arrange artichoke heart and egg pieces around the outside of the salad.
- Remove tuna from marinade and grill on high for 2 1/2 minutes per side (for rare).
- Slice tuna in 1/4" slices and arrange in the middle of the salad.
- Scatter crumbled feta and capers on top of the salad.
- Garnish with pepperoncini if desired.
- Serve with KM salad dressing (see link below).
Feta cheese provides the necessary salty counterweight to rich, iron-rich tuna steak in this robust main dish composition. Acidic lemon juice and briny capers cut through heavy fats across the bowl, balancing each element without masking the primary protein. Assembly requires foundational balance:
Accompaniments and Beverage Pairings
Crusty sourdough bread works well to absorb excess dressing pooled at the bottom of the pasta bowl. Crisp white wines possessing high acidity, such as Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc, complement the oily nature of both the fish and the feta. Avoid heavy reds, which clash with the metallic notes inherent in fresh tuna.
Achieving Optimal Tuna Doneness
Visual and tactile cues replace thermometers reliably when searing thick steaks on high heat. Cooking proceeds for precisely two and one-half minutes per side to maintain a cool, deep red center. Gentle pressure applied with a finger should yield a resilient bounce once the exterior develops a light char.
