A Mediterranean twist makes these stuffed avocados the best—and there’s no mayo required!
Avocados and tinned fish. This simple, crave-worthy recipe combines both, and that’s awesome in my book. I’m constantly trying to work these two ingredients into my diet, so just seeing them together in this easy and picture-perfect recipe makes me feel good. It’s truly an ideal lunch or light dinner. And while I do love a good sandwich, getting tuna and avocado together in a dish that’s not a sandwich just feels special.
So what’s so great about avocado and canned tuna? Besides the rich, wonderful flavor, it’s the healthy fats for me. Avocados have them in spades, as do fish, particularly fatty fish like the yellowfin or albacore tuna in this recipe. Tuna is also a good source of protein, while avocado provides fiber. Getting these nutrients together in a fun eat-it-with-a-spoon dish is fantastic—no bread (or mayonnaise) required!
And tinned fish really is the hero here. It’s convenient, affordable, and has a long shelf life, meaning I can stock up and always have it on hand. There are a lot of great sustainable canned fish options out there, making it easy to feel good about this seafood choice. Remember that sad, sawdusty tuna you might have had in school or in tired deli sandwiches? You don’t have to settle for that. Look for high-quality tuna in olive oil, and you’ll have really succulent chunks of amazingly flavorful fish. Add an herbaceous pesto, chewy sun-dried tomatoes, crunchy pine nuts, tangy olives, and a nice bit of creamy avocado, and you have a pretty perfect meal!
Two ways to ripen avocados
An unripe avocado tastes bland, while an overly ripe one will be brown and mushy instead of rich and buttery. You can check an avocado by pressing it gently with your fingertip toward the stem end; it should give just slightly. If you can get avocados like that consistently at your grocery store, you’re very lucky. I tend to find them either rock-hard or soft and shrunken. Planning ahead is ideal, but if you need to speed the ripening process up a bit, you can. Place the avocado in a paper bag with an apple; apples release ethylene, a gas that promotes ripening in many fruits and vegetables. Or you can put the avocado on a windowsill that gets gentle sunlight; the warmth will help ripen it naturally, although you want to avoid baking it in direct sunlight for too long, something that could cause it to rot. Either method will still take about one to three days, so check the fruit daily, and be patient.
How do I store leftovers?
If you have a leftover stuffed avocado half, wrap it securely in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. It’s best to eat it within a day, but you can keep it for up to 3 days. If you want to make the dish ahead, you can mix the tuna salad up to 1 day ahead and store it in an airtight container. Avocados oxidize and turn brown quickly, so it’s best to stuff the halves just before serving.
Serving suggestions
If you want some more veggies with this meal, you can’t go wrong with a refreshing salad like a classic Green Salad or Cucumber Salad. If you’re craving some carbs, you could also serve the avocados with your favorite flatbread. If you’re up for making a fresh batch of your own, you can try this delicious Pita Bread recipe. Got extra avocados on hand? Try Easy-Baked Eggs In Avocado for a breakfast that’s not avocado toast but just as amazingly delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe Hass avocado
- 1 can yellowfin or albacore tuna in oil drained
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pesto
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) minced
- 2 tablespoons minced olives
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoon pine nuts chopped, for garnish
- Fresh sliced basil for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the avocado in half evenly and remove the pit. Scrape the hole where the pit was so that it's quite large and deep. You should scrape out about 3 tablespoons of the avocado flesh.
- Add the scraped-out avocado to a medium bowl. Add in the drained tuna and the pesto. Mash together until well mixed.
- Stir in the minced sun-dried tomatoes and olives until well dispersed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide the mixture between the avocado halves, really stuffing it in and piling it up on top of the avocado (it'll be pretty high).
- Sprinkle with chopped pine nuts and basil and serve.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
Leave a Comment