The 15-Minute Mediterranean-Inspired Meal I Make Once a Week

Pre-pandemic, lunch was easy. I ate leftovers or got a takeout burrito and my husband went to one of the food carts near his office downtown. Then, there was a lockdown, and suddenly I had another daily chore: fixing lunch for the both of us. 

This soon became a grind. Once, after we had downed yet another boring tuna salad sandwich, I had had enough. I vowed to come up with an idea that would make tuna much more interesting.

I tapped into my memory of traveling in the sunny south of France, where I fell in love with tuna Niçoise salads. I took my favorite parts of this French classic—good-quality canned tuna, ripe tomatoes, and briny olives—and mixed them up for a light salad topping. The juiciness of the tomatoes meant I didn’t need any mayonnaise here.

I piled the chunky mixture onto slabs of crusty homemade bread (another pandemic cooking skill) and topped the open-face sandwiches with grated Gruyère cheese. A few minutes under the broiler et voilà: lunch in Nice (almost). 

We sat down at our dining room table with real napkins in our laps and ate our sandwiches with a knife and fork, and for just a minute, we were both transported to happier times when we could travel and perhaps have lunch on a sunny patio overlooking the Mediterranean. 

These open-face Niçoise-inspired tuna melts remain a regular part of my lunch repertoire today because, as my husband put it, “It’s like a tuna sandwich with a French accent.” 

Tips for Making The Best Tuna Niçoise Melts

• Use sturdy, “country-style” bread with a thick, crunchy crust. The toppings in this recipe are so juicy that regular sliced sandwich bread will go soggy. 
• I opt for canned tuna that is on the firm side, such as albacore, so the mixture turns out rustic and chunky. 
• The easiest way to pit kalamata olives is to press on them with the flat side of a knife and gently smoosh down. This releases the pit from the olive flesh. Then, just pull out the pit and tear the olives in half with your fingers for a rustic texture.
• Don’t overmix! Keep things chonky—the tuna, olives, and cherry tomatoes should all be about the same size to retain their texture. Remember: this is a Mediterranean-inspired fork-and-knife situation, not your grade school mayo-drenched handheld number!

How To Make My 5-Ingredient Tuna Niçoise Melts

To make two servings, you’ll need:

• 2 (3/4-inch-thick) slices country-style sourdough bread 
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (5-ounce) can albacore tuna, drained 
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup Niçoise or kalamata olives, pitted and torn in half
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
• 4 large basil leaves, finely sliced, optional

Preheat the broiler in the oven or toaster oven to high and adjust the oven rack so it is 4 inches below the broiler element. Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil. 

Brush the bread with the olive oil on both sides and place on the prepared baking sheet. Add the tuna to a medium bowl, leaving it in fairly large chunks. Add the tomatoes, olives, and pepper and toss gently to combine.

Mound the tuna mixture on top of the bread, dividing it evenly between the 2 slices and making sure to cover all of the bread. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the toasts. Broil, watching closely, until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Top with the basil, if using, and serve immediately.