Grilled Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing

I've been having some rather 'hearty' meals of late. I was ready for some lighter fare, a salad or some seafood. I found a salad recipe calling for grilled tuna. Perfect. I adore grilled tuna. And the accompanying Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing sounded interesting. It was. And delicious. Easy and quick to make. Love that!

By the way, the dressing recipe calls for sour cream. I really thought it was unnecessary and toned down the flavor of the tomatoes too much. If you try the recipe as written, let me know what you think -


Grilled Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing
Gourmet| July 1991
Yield: Serves 4

For the dressing
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus additional to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped drained sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup packed fresh coriander

10 cups loosely packed mesclun (mixed baby greens, available at specialty produce markets)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 cup cooked fresh corn (cut from about 2 ears)
two 1-inch-thick tuna steaks (about 1-1/2 pounds) olive oil for brushing the tuna nasturtium blossoms for garnish if desired

Make the dressing: In a blender blend together the garlic, the vinegar, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, the sun-dried tomatoes, the plum tomatoes, and 1/4 cup water until the mixture is smooth and with the motor running add the oil in a stream. Add the sour cream, the coriander, the additional lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste and blend the dressing until it is combined well. (The dressing may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the dressing return to room temperature.)

In a large bowl toss the mesclun with the tomatoes and the corn and divide the mixture among 4 plates. Brush the tuna on both sides with the oil, season it with salt and pepper, and grill it on an oiled rack set about 4 inches over glowing coals for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or until is cooked to the desired degree. Let the tuna stand for 3 minutes and cut it against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Divide the tuna slices among the salads and pour about 1/4 cup of the dressing over each serving. Serve any remaining dressing separately and garnish the salads with nasturtium blossoms, if using.