Easy Tuna Cottage Cheese Salad (High Protein Tuna Spread)

The best high-protein Tuna Spread made with hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, veggies and a touch of creamy mayo. This version of tuna salad is super flavorful thanks to a few unexpected ingredients and perfect for sandwiches, wraps or on crackers. Like with my Mexican Tuna Salad, this recipe turns canned tuna into a healthy and satisfying meal. 

If you've been a Wholly Tasteful reader for a while, you'll know that canned tuna has a special place in my heart. I absolutely love it and I'm on a mission to create healthy recipes using canned tuna, such as these Low-Carb Tuna Melt Zucchini Boats, spicy and flavorful Buffalo Tuna Salad or this super easy 30-minute Tuna Pesto Pasta.

While I love a classic tuna salad made with crunchy celery, dill pickle relish and copious amounts of creamy mayonnaise. While it tastes great, it's generally high in calories and saturated fat, mostly from the mayo. 

This tuna and cottage cheese salad is a Polish-inspired recipe and it's basically a much lighter and healthier version of the traditional American tuna sandwich spread (aka tuna salad). In my native Poland we often make sandwich spreads (or "pasta kanapkowa" using cottage cheese (or farmer's cheese), hard-boiled eggs, finely diced veggies, fresh herbs and some type of canned or smoked fish, usually tuna or mackrel. 

For me it's a childhood favorite but it also happens to be super high in protein boasting three different high-protein foods: tuna, eggs and cottage cheese. It still uses mayo for tanginess and creaminess but only a little bit and it's full of flavor and textures thanks to red bell pepper, fresh herbs, dijon mustard, tomato paste and spices, such as paprika and garlic powder. 

Looking for more high protein appetizers? Try this Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip or my Cottage Cheese Taco Dip.

Ingredients and substitutions

 Canned Tuna: I like light chunk tuna (such as yellowfin or skipjack tuna) because it's got more flavor and less mercury than the more popular white albacore tuna. If you prefer less fishy taste, go with albacore. My favorite tuna for this recipe is Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil but I also really like water-packed Chunk Light Tuna from Thrive Market.
Eggs: good quality eggs such as Vital Farms or organic eggs from a local farmer will get you best flavor results
Cottage Cheese: I used whole milk cottage cheese from Good Culture. If you're not a fan of cottage cheese curds, blend it first using this whipped cottage cheese recipe.
Mayonnaise: I like avocado oil mayo from Sir Kennsington
Red Bell Pepper: yellow or orange pepper will also work
Fresh Herbs: I used fresh dill and green onion but other fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro ior chives will all be great, too
Dijon Mustard and Tomato Paste: for extra flavor. I like tomato paste in a tube, which allows you to use as little or as much as you need. 
Seasoning: black pepper, paprika and garlic powder 

How to make Cottage Cheese Tuna Spread

1. Boil the eggs. Begin by boiling the eggs until cooked to your liking (around 9 minutes in boiling water). Then, cool them in icy water, peel, and set aside.
2. Chop the veggies. While the eggs are boiling, finely dice red bell pepper, thinly slice green onions, and chop fresh dill weed.

3. Drain the canned tuna using a sieve to remove excess water or oil.
4. Grate the hard-boiled eggs using a cheese grater into a medium bowl (Image 1).
5. Assemble the spread. Combine the grated eggs with cottage cheese, diced red pepper, mayo, mustard, tomato paste, chopped dill, green onions (or scallions), black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder (Images 2 & 3).
6. Using a fork, mix all the ingredients, mashing them into a paste as you go (Image 4).

7. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning as needed. For a creamier texture, add more mayo or softened cream cheese.

How to store leftovers

You can store this flavorful tuna spread in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. If you use it in sandwiches and have leftovers, wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, keep in the fridge and consume within a day. The bread will get sad and soggy if you wait till the next day.

Variations and more expert tips

• Swap green onions for finely diced white or red onion for a more pronounced onion flavor
• Add hot sauce or cayenne for extra spice
• If you don't like the idea of cottage cheese curds, blend the cheese before adding to the salad
• Cottage cheese can be swapped for thick plain Greek yogurt
• If you prefer a more creamy, tangy spread, add more mayo or swap some cottage cheese for mayo
• Sour cream will also work and add tanginess
• I like tuna in extra virgin olive oil but water-packed tuna is also great for this recipe
• Feel free to skip the tomato paste if it's not your thing

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