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As of June 30, 2025, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) will remove the Healthy Recipes collection from MedlinePlus. You can still find many of these recipes at Delicious Heart Healthy Eating from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and at Food Hero, a USDA-supported initiative with Oregon State University Extension Service and the Oregon Department of Human Services.

For more on healthy eating, visit the MedlinePlus Nutrition health topic.

URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/recipes/grilled-tuna-with-chickpea-and-spinach-salad/

Grilled Tuna with Chickpea and Spinach Salad

A Heart-Healthy Recipe from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Number of Servings: 4

Tuna is a sturdy fish that is easy to grill or broil

Ingredients

For the tuna:

  • 1 Tbsp olive or canola oil
  • 1 Tbsp garlic, minced (about 2–3 cloves)
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp oregano, minced (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 12 oz tuna steak, cut into 4 portions (3 oz each)

For salad:

  • 1/2 can (15 and 1/2 oz) low-sodium chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 bag (10 oz) leaf spinach, rinsed and dried
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 medium tomato, rinsed and cut into wedges
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat grill pan or oven broiler (with the rack 3 inches from heat source) on high temperature.
  2. Combine oil, garlic, lemon juice, and oregano, and brush over tuna steaks.  Marinate for 5–10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, combine all salad ingredients. (Salad can be made up to 2 hours in advance and refrigerated.)
  4. Grill or broil tuna on high heat for 3–4 minutes on each side until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork (to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F).
  5. Serve one tuna steak over 1 cup of mixed salad.

Note: If you can't find beans labeled "low sodium," compare the Nutrition Facts panels to find the beans with the lowest amount of sodium. Rinsing can help further reduce the sodium level.

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