Ahi Tuna Salad with Roasted Garlic & Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette

This salad has layers of flavor in every direction. All of the different elements also bring a variety of textures. From toasted pine nuts to the homemade salad dressing, to the rich flavor of the tuna, each does its job in creating a well-rounded salad.

Gathering the ingredients

I found this salad fairly easy to throw together, mainly because most of the ingredients are ones I keep on hand on a regular basis. There are a few specialty ingredients to note here and those include the tuna, of course, mandarin oranges, and pine nuts.

How to make Parmesan crisps

The parmesan crisp element of this salad is one you'll definitely not want to skip as it brings another element of flavor. Simply preheat the oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and form rounds of shaved parmesan cheese. I use ¼ cup of cheese for each round. Bake them in the oven until crispy but keep a close eye out because they can burn easily. This should take 3-4 minutes. Once complete the cheese should have turned a light tan color.

What type of greens go well with Ahi Tuna salad?

I find that gentle, mild greens work best with this dish. Unless you prefer your greens to have a very bold taste (like arugula) I would suggest doing the same. I used a colorful arrangement of pre-packaged tender baby lettuces and baby greens that included Organic Green Leaf, Organic Mizuna, Organic Green Romaine, Organic Tango, Organic Green Oak, Organic Green Chard, Organic Spinach, Organic Arugula, Organic Frisee, Organic Tatsoi, Organic Red Chard, Organic Red Leaf, Organic Lolla Rosa, Organic Red Romaine, Organic Red Mustard, Organic Radicchio, Organic Red Oak, Organic Beet Tops.

Marinating the fish

For the best results, marinate the tuna for about 30 minutes beforehand so that all of those delicious flavors infuse the fish. You may notice that the tuna changes color slightly once the marinade is added and this is ok. The acid in the lime juice will cause it to oxidize slightly.

How to cook ahi tuna

Cooking ahi tuna, made with that iconic rare center may seem like a difficult feat but it's actually fairly simple, it's all in the technique. In order to get a nice sear, make sure your pan is heated to medium heat before cooking the fish. It literally only needs a couple of minutes on each side to achieve a caramelized outside with a warm pink center. For reference, the tuna steak I used was about 6 ounces. If yours is smaller, reduce the amount of cook time. If you want to be precise you can use a meat thermometer, just be cognizant of the fact that ahi tuna is very tender. When slicing, you'll want to make sure you use a very sharp knife, otherwise, a rough cut can easily tear the filet.

How to make the salad dressing

The link to make the dressing is listed here: https://belovedplate.com/roasted-garlic-orange--balsamic-dressing

Enjoy this Ahi Tuna Salad with Roasted Garlic & Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette!!

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