This Japanese style tuna potato salad is creamy, rich, and packed full of Asian umami flavors. It has tuna, cucumbers, bonito flakes, and is tossed in mayo soy sauce.
This simple yet flavorful potato salad goes well with any meal! It is quick and easy to make, so delicious, and can be made ahead of time as well.
This dish is loaded with umami rich flavors from tuna, tamari, and bonito. There is a hint of smokiness as well, thanks to the bonito flakes. By using both mayonnaise and yogurt for the seasoning, the dish becomes perfectly creamy yet lighter than most potato salads out there.
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Tips for making tuna potato salad
I love adding cucumber in my potato salad for a fresh, crunchy texture. To avoid your salad going soggy, I highly recommend to leave for a few minutes with some salt, and squeeze out excess water out of the cucumber before adding to the rest of the ingredients (see the details in the recipe).
Same goes for canned tuna. Make sure to drain the liquid well before adding the salad!
Ingredients for this recipe
- Mini cucumber - Sliced very thinly, or use a mandolin to slice.
- Russet potatoes
- Tamari soy sauce
- Avocado mayonnaise - Or regular mayonnaise
- Unsweetened dairy free yogurt - I use almond milk yogurt
- Bonito flakes - Finer the better. Bonito adds a smokey umami rich flavor.
- Canned tuna - Make sure to drain well before mixing in.
- Sesame oil
- Salt & pepper
Optional toppings:
- Thinly sliced scallion
- Shichimi pepper
How to make tuna potato salad
1.Prepare the cucumber. Place the sliced cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle salt. Let sit for about 3 minutes, then squeeze water out of the cucumber. Set aside.
2. Cook the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and cut into one inch cubes. Place them in a large saucepan and cover with water. Cook the potato cubes for 10-12 minutes or until soft but not mushy. Drain using a strainer.
3. Add the seasonings. In a large bowl, place the cooked potato, mayonnaise, yogurt, tamari soy sauce, and bonito flakes. Toss well, mashing the potato slightly with a fork.
4. Add in the tuna! Add in the cucumber and canned tuna. Mix gently. Adjust the flavor with salt and pepper.
Optional: Top with chopped scallions and shichimi pepper.
Frequently asked questions
You may substitute with other vegetables such as corn kernels, chopped carrots, or sliced red onion. I recommend to keep the volume to around ⅔ cup for a good balance with the rest of the ingredients.
Tuna potato salad can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days, tightly covered. I do not recommend freezing because the texture of the potato changes significantly.
See more recipes with tuna...
Recipe
Tuna Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 mini seedless cucumber sliced very thinly
- 2 pinches salt
- 2 medium russet potatoes 1½ lb with skin on
- 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons avocado mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened dairy free yogurt I use almond milk yogurt
- 3 tablespoons bonito flakes
- 1 can canned tuna 5oz size can, drained
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil or more
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings
- Finley sliced scallions
- Shichimi pepper
Instructions
- Place the sliced cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle salt. Let sit for about 3 minutes, then squeeze water out of the cucumber. Set aside.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into one inch cubes. Place them in a large saucepan and cover with water. Cook the potato cubes for 10-12 minutes or until soft but not mushy. Drain well using a strainer.
- In a large bowl, place the cooked potato, mayonnaise, yogurt, tamari soy sauce, and bonito flakes. Toss well, mashing the potato slightly with a fork.
- Add in the cucumber, canned tuna, and sesame oil. Mix gently. Adjust the flavor with salt and pepper.
- Optional: Top with chopped scallions and shichimi pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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