Ahi Tuna Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

This Ahi Tuna Salad is a colorful, vibrant dish served with seared tuna steaks, sliced avocado, crunchy wontons and a sushi-style sesame ginger dressing.

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Ingredients in ahi tuna salad

Let me tell you about this Sashimi Tuna Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing.

It's sort of my own version of the Yellowfin Tuna Salad at Joey's, a chain restaurant in Canada. When I was working as a construction worker in rural Manitoba a few years ago, I discovered it while on vacation in Winnipeg and needless to say I was hooked!

Here's what you need to make it:

• tuna steaks (fresh or frozen)
• sesame seeds
• romaine lettuce
• carrot matchsticks
• red cabbage
• cucumber
• green onions
• avocado
• Wonton strips
• Some pantry staples for the dressing (sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, rice vinegar and honey)

How to make ahi tuna salad

Most of this recipe is prep work, with not much hands on cooking time. You will sear the tuna at the very end before topping your salads and enjoying. Here are the steps to make this yummy salad:

1. Make the salad dressing, and prepare your veggies and add to large bowls.
2. Coat tuna in sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper.
3. Add olive oil to a large skillet over high heat. Sear tuna for 30 seconds each side, then slice into strips.
4. Add tuna to salads, tossing with dressing and enjoy!

Ingredient substitutions

You can use any type of veggie you'd like with this recipe so don't feel as though you have to stick with the vegetables listed. Any type of lettuce will work, so go with personal preference or what you have on hand at home. I've also used a bag of coleslaw instead of buying the carrots and cabbage separately, so that's also an option!

Is it safe to eat rare tuna steak?

Raw tuna is generally safe to eat because most have been frozen (usually flash frozen at sea) to eliminate parasites. Try to look for sushi grade tuna when possible, or buy it frozen if you're concerned about safety.

Fresh vs frozen tuna

When buying tuna, I usually buy frozen tuna steaks because they are much cheaper. You can buy fresh tuna at the seafood and fish counter, but you should make sure it's been previously frozen or is sushi grade to make sure it's safe.

Cooking perfect seared tuna

Making the perfect seared tuna can be tricky, especially when there are varying ranges of thickness with tuna. I typically do 30 seconds per side to ensure they do not get overcooked, but you can always cook them longer if desired.

Making the dressing

This sesame ginger dressing is the same type of dressing that you get at your local sushi joint, and it's SO GOOD!

For the same taste and texture, you'll need to include fresh carrot and celery and blend it up in a food processor, Magic Bullet or blender. If you're feeling lazy though, you can always whisk up the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey and ginger in a small bowl. It will still be delicious!

Storing leftover salad

You can store the leftover salads in containers in the fridge up to 3 days. I would recommend storing the tuna and salad separately so the veggies themselves can stay fresh. The avocado should also be stored separately so that it doesn't brown. You can squeeze some lemon juice overtop and not slice the avocado until ready to be used again to prevent browning and softening.

Storing leftover seared tuna

You can store the leftover tuna for up to 3 days, and I would not recommend reheating or you will overcook the tuna. However, if you don't mind that, you can reheat in a skillet until the desired temperature.

More ahi tuna recipes

• Bonefish Grill Tuna Bowls
• Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl
• Ahi Tuna Sushi Stacks

Tools for this recipe

• You can order some black and white sesame seeds here
• You can get wonton strips here
• Get square glass meal prep bowls here for leftovers

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Ahi Tuna Salad

This Ahi Tuna Salad is a colorful, vibrant dish served with seared tuna steaks, sliced avocado, crunchy wontons and a sushi-style sesame ginger dressing.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Asian-Inspired

Keyword: ahi tuna salad, sesame ginger dressing

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 454kcal

Author: Taylor Stinson

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium-sized tuna steaks (fresh or frozen, each steak should be about 8oz)
• Sesame seeds for encrusting tuna, plus more for garnishing
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup carrot matchsticks
• 1 cup sliced red cabbage
• 1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• Wonton or tortilla strips (optional, for garnish)

Carrot Ginger dressing

• 1/2 medium sized carrot, grated
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

• In a Magic Bullet, blender or food processor, blend ingredients for dressing. Set aside. If you don't have carrot or celery, you can just mix sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, ginger and soy sauce together but it won't be as authentic as real sushi-style dressing. It will still taste great though!
• Meanwhile, prepare veggies for the salad and divide evenly among four large salad bowls. Season tuna with salt and pepper before coating in sesame seeds.
• Add olive oil to a large frying pan over high heat. Wait until oil is smoking, then add tuna steaks, searing for 30 seconds per side. Remove from heat and slice with a sharp knife, adding half of each steak to each salad.
• Garnish each salad with sesame seeds and wonton strips, then add dressing. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 361mg | Potassium: 1280mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 23313IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 4mg