Cucumber Salad with Tuna, Red Onion, and Dill

Headnote

This is a cool, composed salad of clean contrast: crisp cucumber, firm tuna, and the sharp sweetness of red onion bound with a restrained mayonnaise dressing. Dill and black pepper give it lift without disturbing its clarity. It should eat fresh, saline, and precise, with each element still distinct.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Salad
Cuisine or origin: Contemporary European
Course type: Light lunch or starter
Yield: 1 serving
Serving size: 230 g
Prep time: 12 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Total time: 12 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Equipment

Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Mixing bowl
Small spoon
Serving plate

Ingredients

Cucumber salad

Cucumber, peeled if the skin is thick, 120 g

Red onion, very thinly sliced, 20 g

Tuna, well drained and flaked, 60 g

Mayonnaise, 18 g

Olive oil, 6 g

Dill, finely chopped, 3 g

Salt, 2 g

Black pepper, freshly ground, 1 g

Method

1. Cut the cucumber into thin half-moons or small bite-size pieces, keeping the cuts even so the salad eats cleanly. Place it in a mixing bowl with the red onion and salt. Toss gently and stand for 5 minutes; the cucumber should release a light sheen of moisture and the onion should soften slightly.

2. Add the tuna, mayonnaise, olive oil, dill, and black pepper. Fold with a spoon for 30 to 45 seconds, just until the mayonnaise lightly coats the ingredients and the tuna remains in distinct flakes. The salad should look glossy but not heavy.

3. Taste and adjust only if needed within the existing seasoning balance. The finished salad should be cool, savory, and sharply fresh, with no excess liquid in the bowl.

Plating and serving

Mound the salad neatly on a chilled plate, shaping it with a spoon rather than spreading it loosely. Leave the cucumber visible at the edges and finish with a light scatter of dill and black pepper. Serve immediately while the salad is crisp and the dressing remains clean.

Professional notes

Drain the tuna thoroughly; excess moisture will dull the dressing.
Salt the cucumber briefly before dressing to sharpen its texture and prevent a watery finish.
Keep the onion thin enough to integrate, but not so thin that it disappears.