This Carrot and Tuna Salad combines pantry staples with a few fresh ingredients for a light, satisfying, and protein-packed dish! Serve this delicious recipe as a side dish, sandwich filling, bento side, or low-carb main course. {Vegan/Vegetarian Adaptable}

An oval scalloped plate containing shredded carrot and tuna salad garnished with parsley and lemon.

If you’re looking for a simple, pantry-friendly salad with minimal prep, this Carrot and Tuna Salad is the perfect choice. Packed with well-balanced, nutritious ingredients, it’s a win-win for a quick and healthy main dish or side salad!

Looking for more healthy salad recipes like this? Try my Japanese Potato Salad, Japanese Cucumber Salad, and Japanese Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing recipes!

Why I Love This Recipe

  • Simple ingredients. It requires only a handful of fresh ingredients and pantry staples.
  • Super healthy! It’s rich in fiber, minerals, and nutrients—thanks to the carrots and heart-healthy tuna.
  • Easy to customize. You can add, swap, or substitute just about every ingredient to save time or spare you a trip to the store. 
  • Can be a hearty meal, side dish, or snack. The addition of tuna makes the salad hearty enough to stand alone. You can enjoy the salad as is or serve it over toast, in onigirazu (rice sandwich), or on whole-grain crackers. Yum!
  • Excellent for meal prep! Carrot salad is one of the most popular Japanese meal-prep dishes, known as jobisai (常備菜). Since it stores well in the refrigerator, you can make a large batch and enjoy it throughout the week.
An oval scalloped plate containing shredded carrot and tuna salad garnished with parsley and lemon.

Ingredients for Carrot and Tuna Salad

  • Carrots
  • Red onion or shallot
  • Canned tuna
  • Toasted black sesame seeds
  • Dressing:
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Rice vinegar
    • Soy sauce
    • Dijon mustard
    • Lemon juice
    • Salt and pepper

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Jump to Recipe

How to Make Carrot and Tuna Salad

Preparation

Step 1 – Cut ingredients. Julienne the carrots, place them in a bowl, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for a minute. Microwaving lightly softens them while still keeping some of their crunch. Next, thinly slice the red onion (or shallots) and soak in a bowl of cold water to remove the bitterness. Squeeze out the water and set aside.

Carrot Tuna Salad-step by step-6

Step 2 – Make the dressing. Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Carrot Tuna Salad-step by step-33

Assemble

Step 3 – Toss to combine. Add the drained tuna to the bowl, break it into pieces, and coat with the dressing. Then, add the carrots, onions, and most of the black sesame seeds. Give everything another toss.

Carrot Tuna Salad-step by step-56

Step 4 – Refrigerate and serve. Let the salad marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. When ready to serve, sprinkle with the rest of black sesame seeds for a nutty crunch and a pop of color. For optional garnishes, you can also add parsley sprigs and a lemon wedge.

An oval scalloped plate containing shredded carrot and tuna salad garnished with parsley and lemon.

Nami’s Recipe Tips

  • Use a julienne peeler – To create julienned strips, first peel the carrot. I use my Y-shaped Japanese peeler from our online shop, JOC Goods. Then, slice the carrot into long, thin strips; I use my favorite Japanese julienne peeler, also from JOC Goods.
  • Microwave to quickly tenderize the carrot – The brief cooking time helps maintain their bright color, natural sweetness, and crispness, offering a nice balance between raw and tender textures without making them mushy. I cover it with a damp paper towel and zap for 1 minute (1000W). Alternatively, you can sprinkle the carrot strips with a tiny bit of salt, let it sit for 3 minutes, and rinse under cold water so it wilts slightly.
  • Versatile dressing This bright, zippy vinaigrette beautifully complements the key components of the salad. It’s so versatile—I recommend making a big jar! You can use the dressing for other salads or roasted vegetables.

Variations and Customizations

  • Try different vegetables. Try using cucumbers, zucchini, and daikon radish. These are relatively easier to julienne than carrots.
  • Looking for an upgrade from canned tuna? I highly recommend this brand of jarred tuna. The large chunks are impressive, and the quality is noticeably superior.
  • Vegan/vegetarian? Skip the tuna and add chickpeas! You can also add grilled tofu, edamame, avocado, or other vegetables.

How to Serve Carrot and Tuna Salad

  • As a side dish – This salad goes well with any meal!
  • In a sandwich – It’s fabulous as a sandwich filling! I add it to my Wanpaku Sandwich.
  • As a snack – Put it on crackers as a topping and enjoy it as a snack.
  • Packed in a bento lunch box – This salad adds a pop of bright color to your lunch box.
  • As a main course – I enjoy this salad on its own when I want to go low-carb.
An oval scalloped plate containing shredded carrot and tuna salad garnished with parsley and lemon.

Storage Tips

To store: Store the salad in an airtight container. It will keep well for 3–4 days in the refrigerator.

To freeze: Place the salad in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Serve chilled.

More Salad Recipes

An oval scalloped plate containing shredded carrot and tuna salad garnished with parsley and lemon.

Carrot and Tuna Salad

5 from 2 votes
This Carrot and Tuna Salad combines pantry staples with a few fresh ingredients for a light, satisfying, and protein-packed dish! Serve this delicious recipe as a side dish, sandwich filling, bento side, or low-carb main course. {Vegan/Vegetarian Adaptable}
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
  

  • 2 carrots (10 oz, 290 g)
  • ½ red onion (3 oz, 90 g)
  • 1 can albacore tuna (preferably packed in olive oil) (2.8 oz, 80 g); skip for vegan/vegetarian and add chickpeas, grilled tofu, edamame, or avocado)
  • ½ Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds

For the Dressing

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Instructions
 

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad Ingredients

To Prepare the Ingredients

  • Peel 2 carrots with a vegetable peeler. Then, cut the carrots into thin, long strips with a julienne peeler. You can also julienne with your knife using the hosogiri cutting technique.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad 1
  • Save any leftover pieces of carrot that you can't peel to use in another dish later. Place the julienned carrots in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a damp paper towel.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad 2
  • Cook the carrots in the microwave for 1 minute (1000W) to lightly soften them. Remove the paper towel and let cool.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad 3
  • Thinly slice ½ red onion. Soak the sliced onion in a bowl of cold water to remove the bitterness.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad 4

To Make the Dressing

  • Meanwhile, make the dressing. To a large mixing bowl, add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp soy sauce, ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper, and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad 5
  • Combine with a whisk. Cut the lemon in half (reserve the extra lemon for garnish). Squeeze 2 tsp lemon juice into the dressing and whisk again.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad 6

To Toss the Salad

  • Drain 1 can albacore tuna (preferably packed in olive oil) and add the tuna to the bowl. Break it into small pieces and coat with the dressing.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad 7
  • Then, add the cooled carrots and toss with the tuna.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad 8
  • Squeeze the water from the onion slices and add them to the bowl.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad 9
  • Add most of the ½ Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds to the bowl (reserving some for garnish) and give everything another toss.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad 10
  • Cover the bowl and marinate the salad in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Transfer the Carrot and Tuna Salad to a serving plate.
    Carrot and Tuna Salad 11

To Serve

  • Garnish with the remaining sesame seeds, optional lemon wedge, and optional parsley sprigs. Enjoy!
    An oval scalloped plate containing shredded carrot and tuna salad garnished with parsley and lemon.

To Store

  • Place the leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days or in the freezer for a month.

Nutrition

Calories: 98 kcal · Carbohydrates: 10 g · Protein: 5 g · Fat: 4 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g · Cholesterol: 7 mg · Sodium: 329 mg · Potassium: 310 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 4 g · Vitamin A: 12125 IU · Vitamin C: 7 mg · Calcium: 44 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: canned tuna, carrot
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5 from 2 votes
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I am very excited to make this for a vegetarian potluck I have coming up and I wanted to know if there was anything I should do to the chickpeas or can I just drain them and add them straight to the dressing? Same with any sort of marinade or sauce you suggest for tofu? I’m split between which I want to use and would love suggestions!5 stars

Hello, Hannah. Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe.
You can make the salad by combining cooked chickpeas and firm or grilled tofu in the dressing. But if you prefer them to absorb more dressing, marinating them in the additional dressing is also an option. We hope this works nicely for your vegetarian potluck. Please let us know how things go!

This looks so good, will try next week! I am not a fan of mayo, and this looks like it will have great flavors, Nami.5 stars

Hello, Danni. Thank you for reading Nami’s post and trying out her recipe!
We hope you love the flavor. 🤗