With spring having officially grace us with its presence, we are often flipping between snow, rain, and sun (sometimes all in the same day.) I don’t know about you all, but I am ready for salad season. I do eat salads all year round but there’s something about summer that makes me crave it as an entree rather than just a side, and I get a lot more creative with my toppings when I’m not sautéing them all just for the warmth.

A few weeks ago I topped a sweet potato with tuna salad and a new era was born. If you’re not normally  a tuna salad fan don’t leave yet! This chipotle-lime crema might just change your mind. Inspired by the chipotle ranch from one of my favorite salads at a local lunch spot, I make mine with plain Greek yogurt for a bit of tang. I love this crema for salads, tacos, eggs, and for dipping quesadillas and I hope you do too.

Tangy yogurt, spicy chipotle peppers, and lime juice are a perfect blend of tart and spicy. A bit of salt rounds it out nicely, and adding garlic is rarely a poor decision. It’s easy to adjust the spice level with makes it great for any tolerance, and you could definitely add cilantro if you’re in to that sort of thing. Not a fan of Greek yogurt? Swap it out for sour cream or mayo as you prefer.

M’s uncle is an avid fisherman and we read the benefits with pints of home-canned wild-caught Albacore. I’ve always been a tuna fan but this truly takes it to a whole new level. But don’t worry, the canned stuff works just fine here too. Mixing it with the chipotle crema adds a lovely spiciness while maintaining the creamier texture. It’s great for sandwiches, patty melts, wraps, or however you normally eat your tuna salad (let me know in the comments!) but my favorite way is definitely atop a sweet potato.

The sweetness of the baked potato blends perfectly with the spicy crema. Sautéed bell peppers and red onion brings some color and amps up the South-of-the-border vibe, and a pile of lightly-dressed arugula beneath the whole thing gives it a filling veggie boost. (If arugula isn’t your thing, spinach or kale also work nicely.) Top the whole thing with an extra drizzle of crema, some matchstick-cut radishes, and freshly ground pepper for a light and tasty meal-prep-friendly lunch or dinner.

For leftovers, I heated my sweet potato and tuna for a warming experience, but it’s delicious cold too. You can also easily satiate bigger eaters with bigger potatoes and/or by scaling up the tuna salad portions, and roasting all the potatoes ahead of time means the whole thing can come together right quick. Whether you choose to serve it for lunch or dinner, this tuna salad will be a delicious new twist on a classic.

Chipotle-Lime Tuna-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients

2-4 large sweet potatoes (depending on how hungry you are)

3-4 cans Albacore tuna
1/4 – 1/2 cup chipotle-lime crema, to taste (below)
1 Tbsp (Caramelized Garlic) olive oil

1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 large radishes, cut into matchsticks
5oz arugula (or any leafy greens)

Chipotle-Lime Crema
1  cup plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, or mayo (or combination thereof)
1 large Chipotle pepper in adobo
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 Tbsp adobo sauce
1 large clove garlic (optional)
1/2 tsp (Roasted Garlic) coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and bake for 40-60 minutes, or until fork tender.
3. Meanwhile, combine all crema ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Taste and add additional salt, adobo sauce, or lime juice as preferred.
4. In a small mixing bowl, mash together tuna and 1/4 sauce until well incorporated. Taste and mix in additional sauce as desired. Set aside.
5. Add olive oil to a small pan over medium heat.
6. When the oil is simmering, sauté bell pepper and onion until onion is translucent.
7. In a large mixing bowl, toss greens with 2-4 tablespoons crema until evenly coated. Divide between four plates.
8. On each plate, add 1/4 of the peppers and onion, sweet potato, and tuna mixture.
9. Serve garnished with additional crema, radishes, and freshly cracked pepper.

Notes

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