Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes
Hollowed tomatoes filled with a tuna salad of celery, red onion, parsley and capers, dressed with olive oil and lemon. Four servings in 15 minutes.
Photograph credit: Stuffed Tomato with Tuna by larryjh1234 · CC BY 2.0 · Flickr
Making Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes Ahead
Best eaten straight away. The tuna salad keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days; fill the tomatoes when you are ready to eat.
Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes: The Method
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Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon. Chop a spoonful of the flesh and keep it. Sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with the salt and turn them upside down on paper towels for 10 minutes.
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Flake the drained tuna into a bowl. Stir in the celery, onion, parsley, capers, olive oil, lemon juice, pepper and the chopped tomato flesh.
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Pat the inside of the tomatoes dry and spoon in the tuna salad, mounding it slightly.
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Serve straight away, or chill the filled tomatoes briefly.
Tips for Success
- Cut a thin slice from the base of each tomato if it will not stand upright.
- If the tuna salad tastes flat, add a little more lemon or a pinch of salt.
- Rinse the capers first if you want less salt.
Some Background
Late summer is the time for this dish, when a ripe tomato needs nothing but salt. It needs no stove. The tomato is the bowl: scooped out, salted lightly and filled with a tuna salad of celery, red onion, parsley and capers, bound with olive oil and lemon instead of mayonnaise.
Choose large, firm tomatoes that stand on their own. Scoop out the seeds and pulp, then turn the shells upside down on paper towels for a few minutes so the excess juice drains. Chop a spoonful of the flesh and stir it into the tuna for flavour. Drain the tuna well. A wet filling turns watery.
Fill them just before serving. That keeps the shells firm. Serve on a bed of leaves with lemon wedges. Capers add salt, so taste before adding any. The tuna salad itself keeps for 2 days in the fridge, so make it ahead and fill the shells later.
Good Alongside
A green salad · A slice of wholegrain bread · Lemon wedges
Quick Answers
How long does Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes take to make?
About 15 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes?
Cut a thin slice from the base of each tomato if it will not stand upright. If the tuna salad tastes flat, add a little more lemon or a pinch of salt. Rinse the capers first if you want less salt.
What should I serve with Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes?
A green salad; A slice of wholegrain bread; Lemon wedges.
How should Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes be stored?
Best eaten straight away. The tuna salad keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days; fill the tomatoes when you are ready to eat.
Is Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, weight-loss friendly, low-carb, keto and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes?
About 157 kcal per serving, with 20 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate and 5 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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