This salad is pure summer: tuna confit paired with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, shallots, and a bright squeeze of lemon. It’s light, refreshing, easy to prepare, and full of clean flavor.
If you love tomatoes, this makes a beautiful way to showcase their flavor alongside tender tuna.
Tuna Confit and Tomato Salad
This dish brings together two simple stars: tuna cooked slowly in olive oil (tuna confit) and fresh, juicy tomatoes. The confit keeps the tuna moist and flavorful, while the tomatoes, shallots, and basil add brightness and texture. A little of the infused oil and lemon juice finish the salad, making it an effortless main course or shareable starter.
Serve it for a casual lunch, a light dinner, or as part of a summer spread—this salad highlights quality ingredients with minimal fuss.
What is Confit?
Confit is a classic preservation and cooking technique in which food is slowly cooked in fat at a low temperature. In the case of tuna confit, the fish is gently poached in olive oil that has been infused with aromatics like garlic, bay leaf, and lemon peel. The result is tender, flaky tuna with deep, layered flavor that feels more luxurious than canned tuna, yet is simple to make at home.
Beyond tuna, confit can be used for garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, and various cuts of meat, all benefiting from slow, low-temperature cooking in fat to concentrate flavor and improve texture.
Ingredients Needed for Tuna Confit
Tuna confit relies on a short list of quality ingredients. Use good olive oil and fresh aromatics to let the tuna shine.
Prep the following ingredients to get started:
- 1 pound yellowtail or albacore tuna fillet
- About 2¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 two-inch strip lemon zest
- 5 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
- Kosher salt
Storing Tuna Confit
Keep the cooked tuna submerged in the cooled, strained confit oil in a covered container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it will stay fresh for up to two weeks. In practice it rarely lasts that long—tender confit is irresistible on sandwiches, salads, or simply with crusty bread.
Tuna Confit Food Pairings
Tuna confit is versatile. Use it to elevate simple dishes or keep it on hand for quick meals. Ideas:
- White bean salad — flaked confit adds richness to beans and herbs.
- Sandwiches — mix with a little of the confit oil and lemon for a flavorful filling.
- Jammy eggs — top soft-boiled eggs with flakes of confit for a protein-packed breakfast or brunch.
The confit oil itself is a flavorful base for dressings: oil plus acid is often all you need to make a bright, balanced vinaigrette.
Tomato Salad Ingredients and Assembly
This salad is very simple to assemble and relies on the quality of the ingredients. Heirloom tomatoes are ideal for color and flavor—use a mix of red, orange, yellow, and striped varieties if you can. Slice the tomatoes into wedges, thinly slice a shallot, and tear fresh basil leaves.
- Tuna confit, flaked
- 4 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- Small bunch of fresh basil, torn
- Reserved confit oil for dressing
- Juice of 1–2 lemons
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Tuna Confit Oil Doubles as a Fantastic Salad Dressing
The olive oil used to confit the tuna picks up garlic, lemon, and herb flavors and makes an excellent, simple dressing. To dress the salad:
- Combine the tomato wedges, shallot, and basil in a bowl.
- Top with flaked tuna confit.
- Drizzle with reserved confit oil and squeeze lemon juice over the top.
- Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper and gently toss before serving.
More Good Eats You’ll Love
- Shrimp Cocktail
- Tuna Couscous Salad
- Panko and Parmesan Crusted Baked Cod
Loving Tuna Confit and Tomato Salad?
Try this recipe when tomatoes are at their peak. It’s an elegant yet effortless way to enjoy fresh summer produce with a rich, flavorful protein. Share your results or variations—this salad adapts well to small changes, such as adding olives, capers, or a scatter of crunchy toast points for texture. Happy cooking and happy eating!
Tuna Confit and Tomato Salad
Ingredients
Tuna Confit
- 1 pound yellowtail or albacore tuna fillet, removed from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking
- 2¼ cups olive oil
- 1 two-inch strip lemon zest
- 5 garlic cloves, slightly smashed
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- Kosher salt
Salad
- Fresh basil, small bunch
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 2 lemons, halved (for juice)
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Tuna Confit
- Season both sides of the tuna fillet with kosher salt.
- In a small Dutch oven or heavy pot, combine the olive oil, thyme, lemon zest, bay leaf, garlic, and peppercorns. Gently heat the oil to about 185°F (85°C) and let it infuse for 20 minutes to extract the aromatics.
- Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Add the tuna to the oil carefully and let the oil temperature settle around 150°F (65°C).
- Turn off the heat and allow the tuna to sit in the warm oil. After about 3 minutes, test a piece for doneness—remove when the center remains pink for medium-rare. For more well-done tuna, leave in the oil 6–9 minutes total.
- Transfer the tuna to a dish. Once the oil cools to room temperature, strain it and pour the infused oil over the tuna to cover.
- Store the covered tuna in the refrigerator, submerged in the oil, for up to two weeks.
Salad Assembly
- In a large bowl, combine the tomato wedges, thinly sliced shallot, and torn basil leaves.
- Flake the tuna confit over the tomatoes in bite-sized pieces.
- Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Drizzle with reserved confit oil and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the salad. Toss gently to combine and serve immediately.