I grew up eating "sardines on toast" - something I now understand isn't a common kid meal. Then again, I also ate marmite on toast, anchovy spread on toast, avo on toast, and, of course, baked beans on toast. What can I say? It was the 70s in the South Africa. Anyway, the way my mother turned a can of sardines into a favorite meal was to finely chop tomatoes and onions and then mix those into the sardines along with vinegar. It was DELICIOUS! This salad is really just me amping up the fiber in my mom's toast topping and calling it salad.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that these little fishies are crazy good for you. Here are just some of the health benefits of sardines:

  1. One can of sardines (approximately 3.75 oz.) provides 24.6 grams of protein. That's a big protein punch for a little can. Sardines are also rich in calcium (382 grams) and vitamin D. Full nutritional breakdown here. 
  2. Sardines are an excellent source of marine Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), a major player in reducing the risk of heart disease. DHA and EPA are also anti-inflammatories, can improve depression, are great for your skin, and have been shown to improve cognitive function.
  3. Sardines are a great source of vitamins and minerals like B1, B3, and Phosphorus, and the antioxidant Selenium.
  4. A study has shown that another health benefit of adding sardines to your diet is a reduced risk of diabetes. Starting from 27% of participants classified as high-risk for type 2 diabetes, this number reduced to only 8% by the end of the study.

But. A lot of people really don't like sardines; I don't like them straight out of the can either! But I love them when onions and vinegar are involved, so perhaps this salad will help make them more palatable to you. 

And it's gets a great score from ZOE (read my whole ZOE story here):


This salad is super quick to make - it really depends on how much chopping you want to do. Onions, tomatoes and celery are the primary ingredients.



These go into a bowl with the mashed sardines then you add vinegar and more olive oil (if you like). And that's really it. 

HOW TO MAKE SARDINE SALAD


PREP TIME: 10 mins
SERVINGS: 2

INGREDIENTS 

  • 2 cans of sardines
  • 1 rib of celery, minced
  • 1 small red/white onion or 3 green/spring onions (adjust this based on how much you like raw onion)
  • 6 grape tomatoes or one large tomato, chopped
  • Approx 1 tablespoon of vinegar (apple cider, white balsamic... whatever you like)
  • Extra olive oil to taste
  • 4+ cups of your favorite salad greens
  • Salt and black pepper to taste (and a bit of turmeric if you want to add more of an anti-inflammatory punch)

Other options depending on your mood and what's in the house
  • If you want to “spice up” the anti-inflammatory defense, add a little bit of turmeric and black pepper when you are preparing your sardines. The combination is critical: the piperine in black pepper inhibits your liver to make sure your body maximizes all the curcumin in the turmeric.
  • Chop up sun-dried tomatoes into the mix - they pair beautifully with sardines
  • If you like capers, you'll love them combined with sardines
  • Throw in 2 large springs of fresh basil, especially if you're adding sun-dried tomatoes
  • Make the whole thing *really* tomato-y by adding a tiny bit of tomato paste 
  • Raw garlic is always an option if you're a fan!

STEP BY STEP


- Use a fork to mash the sardines in a bowl. Add all the chopped veggies and stir. Then add vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper and combine well. If you can, get this 1-3 hours before you plan to eat it - this gives the onions time to mellow and the flavors time to mix. 

- Divide the greens between two plates and top each portion with sardine mix. If you're making this just for you, the other half will store well in the fridge for a few days.