Creamy and crunchy, this healthy tuna salad recipe comes together within 15 minutes, which is perfect for a quick effortless lunch! I love to eat this salad on challah bread but you can even serve it as an appetizer on crackers. I am not a big fan of tuna in general. In fact, I NEVER ate tuna in the past. During my pregnancy, I started a craving for it … go figure! However, I did not want to order any tuna from restaurant because I wouldn’t know how the tuna was sourced. I ended up making my own tuna salad at home, where I can control the type of tuna I buy (more on this below). If you have any leftover, you can refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days.
Ingredients for the albacore tuna salad recipe:
- Tuna: As mentioned above, I craved tuna during pregnancy but I needed to make sure knowing where and how it was sourced, as well as how well the mercury level is being controlled. This is important for everyone to pay attention to, especially if you are expecting or nursing. As per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG), it is more recommended to eat fish than avoiding them because the benefits outweigh the risks, as long as you are being careful in your choices and respect the recommended weekly serving. You can also pick a Safe Catch brand where each can of tuna is tested for its mercury levels. Brands such as Furthermore, you can use any type of tuna for this recipe. Since I like a mild tasting tuna, I chose the albacore tuna (also called white tuna), which is the mildest of all types.
- Relish: You can use either sweet or regular relish. Moreover, I used sweet relish in this recipe because it gives a nice tang with a bit of sweet (this is the Asian in me!).
- Celery: I love a good bite of crunch, so I usually use 2 stalks of celery, but you can also only use 1 stalk.
HOW TO MAKE TUNA SALAD
In a mixing bowl, add diced onion, lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes. PRO TIP: One tip I learned while I was vacationing in Los Cabos and making guacamole is that letting diced onion sit for a few minutes in the acidic juice will remove the raw bitterness from the onion. This simple step makes such a difference!
Meanwhile, drain tuna from excess water with a strainer and dry with paper towels. Transfer tuna to a second mixing bowl and flake with a fork. PRO TIP: Make sure your tuna is well drained and dried from any excess water. You do not want to eat a soggy tuna salad!
Add the remaining ingredients (mayonnaise, relish, Dijon, diced celery, parsley and dill) into the first mixing bowl. Mix to combine. Add to tuna and mix well to coat tuna with the dressing evenly. Salt to taste. PRO TIP: I prefer mixing the dressing first before adding it to the tuna as opposed to adding all the ingredients together because I find it coats more evenly.
If you enjoyed this tuna salad and are craving for more, check out my other quick, easy and healthy recipes!
Crispy Seasoned Fried Calamari
Pork & Mushroom Marsala Parpadelle
Honey Glazed Apricot Burrata Salad
Moreover, if you’ve tried this Albacore Tuna Salad recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can let me know how it went by commenting in the comments section below and don’t forget to leave a rating!
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 2-5 oz can tuna
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced (About ½ a small onion)
- Juice of half a lemon
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp relish
- 1 tsp Dijon
- 1-2 stalks celery diced
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tsp fresh dill
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add diced onion, lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, drain tuna from excess water with a strainer and dry with paper towels. Transfer tuna to a second mixing bowl and flake with a fork.
- Add the remaining ingredients (mayonnaise, relish, Dijon, diced celery, parsley and dill) into the first mixing bowl. Mix to combine. Add to tuna and mix well to coat tuna with the dressing evenly. Salt to taste.