Seared Tuna with Tomato-Olive-Caper Salad

Only 20 minutes stand between you and this restaurant-worthy fish dinner. 

Seared Tuna with Tomato Relish
Photo: Jennifer Causey
Hands On Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Servings:
4

It's a well-kept secret that the healthiest dinners are often the quickest. Case in point, this delicious tuna recipe that only takes 20 minutes. You'll start by stirring together a flavorful salsa-esque salad made from cherry tomatoes with capers, parsley, and Castelvetranos (a mild, buttery green olive). Next, the tuna gets a short sear, and finally, you'll use that same pan to whisk up a mustardy shallot vinaigrette. P.S. It's worth keeping the salad combination in your back pocket to spoon over grilled chicken breasts, baked tofu, or seared steaks.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups)

  • ½ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, quartered

  • cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (from 1 bunch)

  • 2 tablespoons nonpareil capers, drained and chopped, plus 1½ tablespoons caper brine

  • 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

  • ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

  • 4 7-oz. tuna steaks (about 1 in. thick)

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped (¼ cup)

  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard

Directions

  1. Stir tomatoes, olives, parsley, capers and brine, 1 tablespoon oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a bowl until well combined. Let stand at room temperature until tomatoes start to release their juices, about 10 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Season tuna steaks with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add tuna to skillet and cook, flipping once, until desired degree of doneness, 1 to 1½ minutes per side for rare. Transfer to a plate.

  3. Reduce heat to medium and add shallot to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 30 seconds. Remove skillet from heat and stir in vinegar, mustard, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil.

  4. Cut tuna across the grain into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve tuna with tomato-olive relish. Drizzle with warm shallot vinaigrette.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

421 Calories
22g Fat
8g Carbs
45g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 421
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 93mg 31%
Sodium 1207mg 52%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 45g

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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