Quick answer: This tuna salad has about 28 grams of protein and roughly 185 calories per serving of filling (not counting bread), and takes 15 minutes with no cooking. Cottage cheese is blended smooth here rather than left chunky, so it behaves like a mayo substitute you can actually spread. Serves 4. Sodium runs moderate-to-high, about 640 mg per serving.
This is the spreadable counterpart to Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad — same core swap of cottage cheese for mayonnaise, but blended smooth here so it works in a sandwich, a wrap, or on crackers, rather than served as a bowl. If you want the chunkier, bowl-style version with hard-boiled eggs, that’s the other recipe.
Why This Recipe Has About 28 Grams of Protein
| Source | Per serving |
| Canned tuna, drained (82.5 g) | 16.0 g |
| Cottage cheese, 4%, blended (100 g) | 11.5 g |
| Total | 27.5 g |
Just two ingredients doing almost all the work — no eggs this time, since the cottage cheese is blended smoother and takes on more of the load itself.
A Note on Sodium
About 640 mg per serving, roughly 28% of the WHO’s 2,300 mg daily limit.
- Cottage cheese: ~350 mg
- Canned tuna: ~206 mg
- Dijon mustard: ~83 mg
What helps: a low-sodium cottage cheese is the single biggest lever, since it’s the larger contributor here.
What You Need
Makes 4 servings (filling only — nutrition figures don’t include bread or wrap)
- 3 cans (5 oz / 142 g each) light tuna in water, drained (about 330 g drained total)
- 1¾ cups (400 g) 4% cottage cheese
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 2 tbsp red onion, minced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- Black pepper, to taste
Notes on the ones that matter:
Blend the cottage cheese, don’t just fold it in. A quick pulse in a blender or food processor (or a fork mashed hard) turns it smooth enough to spread, which is what separates this from the bowl-style version.
How to Make It
- Blend the cottage cheese until mostly smooth — a few small curds left is fine.
- Drain the tuna hard and flake it into a bowl.
- Combine the blended cottage cheese, tuna, celery, red onion, Dijon and lemon juice.
- Fold in the dill, season with pepper, and mix until spreadable.
Tips
Chill for 10 minutes before spreading. It firms up slightly and holds together better in a sandwich.
Use it the same day you blend it. The texture is best fresh; it loosens somewhat by day two.
Substitutions
Cottage cheese: plain Greek yogurt works, with a tangier result. Tuna: canned salmon is a direct swap.
Storage
Up to 2 days refrigerated, sealed. Not suitable for freezing.
Tuna Salad with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
Method
- Blend the cottage cheese until mostly smooth.
- Drain the tuna and flake it into a bowl.
- Combine cottage cheese, tuna, celery, onion, Dijon and lemon juice.
- Fold in dill, season with pepper.
Notes
- Nutrition figures are for the filling only, not bread or wrap.
- Best used the same day; keeps 2 days refrigerated.
Nutrition
Per serving of filling (recipe makes 4):
| Calories | 185 |
| Protein | 28 g |
| Sodium | 640 mg |
Preliminary calculation from USDA FoodData Central reference values, not yet verified against a finished Tuna nutrition workbook. Figures exclude bread, wrap or crackers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad?
That one is chunky and bowl-style with hard-boiled eggs. This one is blended smooth specifically to spread in a sandwich or wrap.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes, though it’s best the day it’s made — the texture loosens slightly by day two.
What should I serve it with?
Whole grain bread, a wrap, or crackers — none of which are counted in the nutrition figures above.
Can I use low-fat cottage cheese?
Yes, though the spread will be slightly thinner.
More High Protein Tuna Recipes
Part of the growing Tuna collection, alongside Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad — the bowl-style version of this same idea.
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