Cucumber Tinned Fish Salad (Printable)

Refreshing mix of cucumber, avocado, radishes, and vinaigrette with premium tinned sardines or mackerel.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced
02 - 1 ripe avocado, diced
03 - 4 radishes, thinly sliced
04 - 1 small shallot, finely sliced
05 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
06 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

→ Protein

07 - 1 can (4–4.4 oz) premium sardines or mackerel in olive oil, drained

→ Dressing

08 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
11 - 1 tsp honey
12 - 1 tsp capers, chopped
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

14 - Lemon wedges
15 - Freshly cracked black pepper

# Method:

01 - In a large jar or container with a tight-fitting lid, layer the cucumber, avocado, radishes, shallot, dill, and parsley.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, chopped capers, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the layered vegetables in the jar. Seal and shake gently to combine evenly.
04 - Divide the salad onto two plates and top each with half the drained sardines or mackerel.
05 - Garnish with lemon wedges and an additional sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • It comes together in fifteen minutes, making it perfect when you want something impressive without the stress.
  • The shaker method keeps everything pristine and prevents the avocado from turning brown before you eat it.
  • Tinned fish becomes genuinely exciting here, elevated by crisp vegetables and a dressing that actually knows what it's doing.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the fish properly—excess oil will make the whole salad greasy instead of elegant.
  • The dressing sits beautifully for a day or two if you keep the jar sealed, making this a brilliant meal prep choice when you want something impressive without last-minute effort.
03 -
  • Keep your avocado slices separated in the jar to prevent browning; the shaker method keeps them from touching the air until the very last moment.
  • If you're prepping this ahead, assemble everything except the avocado, then add it fresh just before serving—this takes the dish from good to genuinely impressive.
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