Thin slices of veal covered in creamy tuna sauce, topped with caper berries, sun-dried tomatoes and greens on a red gingham tablecloth. — Photo: Benreis · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Italian · Lunch · Dinner

Vitello Tonnato

Name: Vitello Tonnato
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 800 g (1 joint) Veal eye of round, trimmed and tied; 1 cup, for the poaching broth (mostly kept for soup) Dry white wine; 6 cups, for the poaching broth (mostly kept for soup) Water; 1 medium, strained out Carrot, cut into chunks; 1 stalk, strained out Celery, cut into chunks; 1 medium, strained out Onion, halved; 2, strained out Bay leaves; 1 tsp, strained out Black peppercorns; 1 tsp, for the poaching broth (mostly kept for soup) Salt; 2 cans (240 g drained) Tuna canned in water, drained; 4 fillets Anchovy fillets, drained; 3 tbsp Capers, drained; 2/3 cup Plain nonfat Greek yogurt; 2 tbsp Mayonnaise; 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp Lemon juice; 2 tbsp Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 2 cups Arugula, to serve

Vitel tonnè

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 20, 2026 · How we make recipes

Tender poached veal, sliced thin and served cold under a creamy, tangy tuna and caper sauce. This lighter Piedmontese classic gets its creaminess from Greek yogurt with just a little mayonnaise.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 60 min
Total: 80 min
Serves: 6

Medium
High protein
Low Carb

13%

Per serving266kcal13% of a 2,000 kcal day

39gProtein

2gCarbs

11gFat

0gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 2% · Fat 37% · Protein 61%

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Ingredients

For 6 servings

800 g (1 joint)Veal eye of round, trimmed and tied
1 cup, for the poaching broth (mostly kept for soup)245 gDry white wine (optional)
6 cups, for the poaching broth (mostly kept for soup)1,500 gWater (optional)
1 medium, strained out60 gCarrot, cut into chunks (optional)
1 stalk, strained out40 gCelery, cut into chunks (optional)
1 medium, strained out110 gOnion, halved (optional)
2, strained outBay leaves (optional)
1 tsp, strained outBlack peppercorns (optional)
1 tsp, for the poaching broth (mostly kept for soup)6 gSalt (optional)
2 cans (240 g drained)Tuna canned in water, drained
4 fillets16 gAnchovy fillets, drained
3 tbsp26 gCapers, drained
2/3 cup150 gPlain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp28 gMayonnaise
1 tbsp14 gExtra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp30 gLemon juice
2 tbsp5 gFresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 cups60 gArugula, to serve (optional)

Steps

1
Put the water, wine, carrot, celery, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt in a pot just large enough to hold the veal.
2
Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat.
3
Lower the veal into the pot and reduce the heat so the liquid barely simmers.
4
Poach the veal, partly covered, for 50-60 minutes, until the centre reaches at least 63 °C / 145 °F on a meat thermometer.
5
Turn off the heat and let the veal rest in the broth for no more than 1 hour.
6
Lift out the veal, wrap it and refrigerate it straight away for at least 2 hours, until fully cold.
7
Strain the broth, discarding the vegetables and spices, and set aside 1/4 cup.
8
Cool the remaining broth quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate or freeze it within 2 hours to use for soup.
9
Set aside 1 tbsp of the capers for garnish.
10
Blend the tuna, anchovies, remaining capers, yogurt, mayonnaise, olive oil and lemon juice until smooth.
11
Add the reserved broth a spoonful at a time until the sauce is thick but pourable, then chill it.
12
Remove the string and slice the cold veal as thinly as possible.
13
Arrange the slices on a platter, over arugula if using.
14
Spread the tuna sauce over the veal and scatter with the reserved capers and parsley.
15
Serve cold, and refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

Use thinly sliced cold roast turkey breast or pork loin instead of veal if veal is hard to find or pricey.
Replace the Greek yogurt and mayonnaise with all mayonnaise for a richer, more traditional sauce.
Swap the capers for chopped cornichons or green olives if you don't have capers on hand.
Use tuna canned in olive oil instead of water-packed tuna for a silkier, more flavourful sauce.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in an airtight container and eat within 3 to 4 days, serving cold rather than reheating. Do not freeze the sauced veal, as the yogurt-based sauce will separate and the meat will turn watery.

Make ahead

Poach and chill the veal and make the tuna sauce up to 2 days ahead, storing them separately in the fridge. Slice the veal and spread on the sauce a few hours before serving.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

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Allergens and nutrition

Contains: FishMilkEggsCelerySulphitesMustard

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (218 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	266 kcal	122 kcal
Protein	39.3 g	18 g
Carbohydrates	1.5 g	0.7 g
of which sugars	1 g	0.5 g
Fiber	0.2 g	0.1 g
Fat	10.7 g	4.9 g
of which saturated	2.6 g	1.2 g
Sodium	422 mg	194 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.