This easy classic tuna salad is bright, creamy, tangy, light, and a meal-prep staple - combining simple, inexpensive pantry staples for a protein and flavor-packed addition to lunch or dinner! It's easy to customize and ready in just minutes!
Finely dice the red onion, celery, and pickled cucumber.Mince the parsley. Drain the liquid from the canned tuna. Add all the prepared ingredients to a medium bowl.
Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and parsley until thoroughly combined.I prefer to leave the salad for 30-60 minutes (or longer) for all the flavors to meld before tasting it and adjusting any flavors. However, if you plan to use it immediately, taste and adjust the salad now.
Make the Tuna Sandwich
This salad will be enough for 3-4 sandwiches. Add 6-8 slices of bread and 6-8 lettuce leaves or other leafy greens. Optionally, toast the bread slices.
Place some lettuce or salad leaves on the bread (this will stop it from getting soggy). Add 1/4 to 1/3 of the tuna salad onto the leaves. Add more leafy greens, then top with the second slice of bread. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Use good-quality tuna: This ensures the best overall flavor and texture.
Fully drain the tuna: Otherwise, the salad will be overly runny.
Finely chop the veggies: This ensures you taste everything in every bite.
Leave it to rest: Allowing it just 30 minutes to sit after preparing it will give all the flavors time to properly meld and enhance the overall flavor.
Tweak it to your liking: You can easily adjust any of the flavors in the dressing, the size of the chopped veggies, etc., to make the best tuna salad recipe for you. Here are some optional add-ins to try:
Garlic powder: To add more depth and garlicky flavor throughout.
Capers: Will add a tangy, briny flavor that pairs well with the tuna.
Spice: Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, pepper flakes, curry powder, or hot sauce.
Other vegetables: For extra color, flavor, and crunch, you could add:
Red bell pepper - or orange/yellow, finely diced,
Tomatoes - de-seeded and diced,
Cucumber - English or Persian cucumber, finely diced,
Carrots - shredded,
Olives - any color, though I prefer black – sliced,
Avocado - diced and added when serving,
Potato - finely diced and cooked until tender.
Hard-boiled eggs: Tuna and eggs are a delicious and nutritious combination. Boil, then finely dice them to stir into the salad.
Nuts/seeds: i.e., toasted walnuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, etc., for added crunch.
Fruit: Add subtle sweetness with grapes, apples/pears, raisins, or dried cranberries.
Check the blog post for more tips and serving recommendations!