Gluten free Tuna Rice Salad is a cold tapa that can be served as an individual portion or a molded salad. It's a perfect make ahead dish for a Tapas party, any buffet or picnic. It's one of those recipes that is greater than the sum of it's parts. If you keep canned tuna in your pantry then you'll love it!
I make this salad for almost any summer potluck dinner and always include it for a Tapas Dinner Party. In my tapas recipe roundup you'll see simple ones like Manchego Cheese with quince paste or warm dishes like Shrimp in Garlic Sauce or Meatballs in Almond Sauce. Tapas come from the region of Valencia in Spain and are a fun theme for your next dinner party.
Ingredients
I always try to find a few recipes to use any single ingredient in my pantry and keep the food moving. This is another recipe that uses short grain rice.
- Short-grain rice
- Gluten free chicken broth
- Canned white flaked tuna
- Roasted red peppers
- Mayonnaise - Homemade or store bought
- Pickle or caper juice
- Gluten free Worcestershire sauce - If this isn't something you keep in your kitchen I'm sure you can find it somewhere in a store. I just make it with my usual pantry ingredients and it lasts in my fridge indefinitely.
See recipe card for complete ingredient list and exact amounts.
Homemade Mayo vs Store Bought
Whenever I serve anything with homemade mayonnaise my friends go crazy for it like it's the most amazing treat in the world. I like it but I'm just as happy making my Summer Rice Salad with store bought mayo or even the food-like substance called Miracle Whip. (Gasp, I know!) On the day we took this photo I happened to have homemade mayo in my fridge so that's what I used.
Pimento vs Roasted Red Peppers
This recipe is adapted from Penelope Casas original tapas cookbook titled Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain. In her book she calls for pimento and not roasted red peppers. A pimento is a large, red, heart-shaped chile pepper that is said to be sweeter than a red pepper. You probably know pimentos as the pepper stuffed inside olives, the ones served in martinis.
In my experience pimentos sold in tiny jars turns to mush just getting them out of the jar. For this reason I recommend buying whole, roasted red peppers sold in a jar or roast your own.
Everyday to Gourmet
In my house this is one of the many seasonal salads I make, often only once a summer. I have a long list of salads and before I know it the next season is here and I’m on to another collection of delicious salads. Usually I make this Summer Rice Salad as part of an everyday dinner or a picnic, then enjoy the leftovers in my lunch.
To give the salad a gourmet presentation I packed it into a bowl and turned it out onto a plate. Decorated with red pepper strips and parsley, two of the salad ingredients, it looks perfect for a buffet table.
Let me know in the comments below if you made this rice salad.
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Gluten Free Tuna Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup short-grain rice
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ cups gluten free chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- 1 can white flaked tuna (3 oz/170 g)
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoon minced roasted red peppers
DRESSING
- 1 cup homemade mayonnaise (or store bought)
- 6 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon pickle or caper juice
- ½ teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
- pepper
GARNISH
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the rice and stir to coat with oil, about 1 minute.
- Add chicken stock and thyme.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, put the lid on and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Transfer rice to a bowl and let cool completely.
- Mix in tuna, parsley and roasted red pepper.
DRESSING
- In a small bowl combine mayo, ketchup, pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce and pepper.
FINISHING
- Fold the dressing into the rice mixture until combined. Serve in a bowl or packed into a bowl and turned out onto a platter. Garnish with roasted red pepper strips and chopped fresh parsley.
Nutrition
More Spanish Tapas
Spanish tapas are not just appetizers. They're all the flavours of Spain in combinations you haven't tried before. Served on little plates, often with toothpicks. Perfect as a single appetizers taken to a party, or serve them all for a fun Spanish themed dinner party with Prosecco Sangria too.
Steshni Corea
tried this with jackfruit for a vegetarian version and it was amazing!!!