The one thing I appreciate about the tinned-fish-phenomenon that is happening right now is it’s allowing all of us tuna salad fiends to finally come out of the woodworks.
TUNA. IS. GOOD.
KIND OF.
You need to know the right tuna to buy, and how to use it. But tuna salad as a whole? Delicious. Just the right balance of salty, tangy and briny – it also has a hint of lemon that makes me come back for more and more. There’s a reason it’s a classic, and this spin on tuna salad leans more into the “salad” part, but it stays true to tuna salad as a whole. So for tuna lovers, it’s a win. For tuna skeptics? It’s also a great salad to try, since the tuna is only flaked throughout, and the rest of the salad really let’s the other flavors of a tuna salad come through.
I don’t think I’ve written “tuna salad” this many times in one paragraph, but since it’s a salad-inspired-by-tuna-salad, it’s fitting!
Table of contents
Ingredients you’ll need for this More-Salad-Than-Tuna-Salad…Salad
The ingredients mirror your standard tuna salad, just in different proportions! Here’s what I use to serve four people:
- 5 large celery stalks, leaves included
- 1/2 medium red onion
- 1/4 cup fresh chives
- 1/2 cup fresh dill
- 1 large lemon, for zest and juice
- 3 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, or any white vinegar (such as white wine, champagne, etc.)
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives
- 1 4-ounce tin of high-quality tuna, packed in butter or oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese optional, for the bread
- 4 slices hearty bread of choice
Why soak the celery and red onion?
Soaking celery and red onion in ice water does two amazing things:
- It makes the celery and onion both extra crunchy and extra crisp – two things that you absolutely want in this salad. If the celery is a little wilty, or not at its full potential, believe me, it’ll show. Same with the red onion, since we are slicing it and not dicing it, we really want it crisp.
- It mellows the red onion down so that it is sweeter, but also easier to digest – this is also true with any onions! Soaking them in ice water mellows out the sharpness of a raw onion, and it also makes it so that they are less hard on the stomach when you eat them raw. It’s a simple step, but it makes onions infinitely better.
The secret to this tuna salad dressing
The beauty of this kind of dressing is it really is just chop, mix, and season to taste. The one key thing about this dressing is DO NOT SKIP THE SUGAR.
I repeat – SUGAR IS ESSENTIAL TO THIS SALAD DRESSING. It’s why people used to put dates or raisins in tuna salad. I’m not going to subject you to that craziness here, but I promise…it was a thing.
The sugar balances the briny, tangy, herby notes of the dressing. It also makes it truly addictive. Sugar has been shown to do that kind of thing.
Otherwise, feel free to use your preferred mayo, add in a different kind of mustard, or mix and match the herbs as you see fit. Or even swap olives for capers! There are no real rules, just a guiding formula you can use.
My favorite tuna brands for this celery salad
I made this salad using Tuna packed in Galacian Butter from Island Creek Oysters. It is simply, delicious. The tuna comes out in big flakes, making it easy to break up in the salad. Plus, the butter adds a wonderful flavor.
Along with that tuna brand, I’d also recommend any high-quality tuna that is stored in oil. Stored in water just isn’t the same…and you know it’s true.
Here are a few of my favorite tuna brands for a salad like this one:
- Ortiz Bonito Del Norte – delicious, Spanish, and sustainable.
- Fishwife Albacore Tuna – in our hearts, we are all Fishwife girls.
But really, any brand of tuna stored in fat (that you love!) will do.
Serving suggestions for this tuna salad-salad
If you want to make this salad feel kind of tuna-melt-adjacent, I love serving this salad alongside a big slice of bread with cheddar melted on top. The alternating bites is really fun, and extremely satisfying.
You can also serve this salad with some big, homemade, croutons, for extra crunch and a few extra carbs. If you are feeling crazy, slap it between two slices of bread for a full-on tuna salad feel. It might be messy, but it will be so extremely good.
FAQ
Absolutely! Like all of my salads and salad-adjacent meals, I suggest cutting your vegetables and storing them in one container, then preparing the dressing and storing it in another container. For this recipe specifically, I wouldn’t add the tuna until right before eating. So you can prep all the ingredients separately, store them in the fridge, and then mix when you need them! The dressing will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I like to store the vegetables in an airtight container, and the dressing in a separate container. They will both keep for 4 days. If you already have the salad dressed, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. This salad does not hold up well to freezing, unfortunately.
Absolutely! If tuna is too “fishy” for you, a slow-roasted salmon, a simple steamed white fish, or any other tinned fish is a perfectly good substitute.
Looking for similar recipes?
Here are a few other salads that are bright, crisp, and totally worth pulling out the cutting board for!
And that’s it for this More-Salad-Than-Tuna-Salad…Salad!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Watch the recipe here
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
More-Salad-Than-Tuna-Salad…Salad
Equipment
- 1 chef's knife
- 2 large bowls
- 1 rasp-style grater
Ingredients
- 5 large celery stalks leaves included
- 1/2 medium red onion
- 1/4 cup fresh chives
- 1/2 cup fresh dill
- 1 large lemon for zest and juice
- 3 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or any white vinegar (such as white wine, champagne, etc.)
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives
- 1 4-ounce tin of high-quality tuna, packed in butter or oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese optional, for the bread
- 4 slices hearty bread of choice
Instructions
- Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set it to the side.
- Remove the leaves from the celery stalks. On a sharp angle, slice the celery as thinly as possible. Transfer the leaves and stalks to the ice bath.
- Slice the red onion as thinly as possible. Add the slices into the ice bath with the celery.
- Finely chop the chives and the dill and add them a large bowl. Zest in the lemon, then squeeze in the lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, a large pinch of salt, sugar, and mix. Taste and season with salt to taste.
- Finely chop the olives and add them to the dressing.
- Drain the celery and red onion (they should only soak a few minutes), and dry them in a salad spinner. Add them in to the bowl with the dressing and give everything a mix.
- Add the tuna into the salad. Add about half the oil/butter the tuna was stored in as well. Mix and season with more salt as needed. Finish with freshly ground black pepper.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and set the broiler to high. Add an ounce of sliced cheddar to the top of each slice of bread. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melty. Serve alongside the tuna salad, for a tuna-melt vibe.
First of all I never do this. But I wanted to thank you. Your recipes are so inventive and easy and revelatory! I made this last night and it was incredibly satisfying. I had most of the ingredients in my kitchen already. I was out of mustard, subbed capers for the olives, and used a tin of smoked trout filets. It all came together quickly and was delicious, even without the mustard. I’ve made celery salad before and it was so overpowering I never thought I would want one again. This however is a new favorite. I just preordered your book yesterday. I’m so excited! Congratulations and thank you!
Oh my GOSH thank you so much!! It’s music to my ears that you enjoyed this (I feel the same way about it being so SO satisfying), and I just cannot wait to get the cookbook to you!
Maybe a weird recipe to vegan-ize but I love all the ingredients other than the fish! Any thoughts on capers, chickpeas, or tofu being used here as a fish-sub? I’ve got the vegan mayo covered 🙂
Not weird at all! This is amazing with chickpeas, and adding in capers doesn’t sound too bad either!
Came out SO good! Husband had it with tuna, I had it with chickpeas, we both loved it! Making again today. Thank you! Love how you highlight lesser-loved and cheaper veggies like celery!
So happy you liked it!!
I hope I don’t get kicked out of the comments, and I absolutely want to try this salad combo, but I’m a vegetarian. Do you think this would sort-of-maybe-work with hearts of palm? 🙂 Or I’ll take any other suggestions. I love your recipes, and your content in general, so thought I’d throw this out there and ask. 🙂
I would never kick out a veg! In fact I love you more for it!! I recommend this salad with canned chickpeas, and then add just a bit of olive oil in the mix as well. Hearts of palm (or even canned artichoke hearts) also sound delish. Hope you’ll like it!
Thank you for validating me and my Veggie Q, Justine! I’ll try your suggestions and your scrumptious chickpea salad and veg. topping. Sent it to a friend today, too!
Easy to make with pantry ingredients and delicious! I was at a loss for dinner last night and this came together quickly and leftovers were a perfect lunch.
Thank you!
So SO thrilled you liked it – thank you for leaving such a kind rating/review!
I’ve literally never left a comment on a food blog in my life but this was literally the best thing I’ve made in a long time. The Castelvetrano olives were the perfect olive for this. The whole meal is so balanced and beautiful. Briny, buttery, tangy, herby, crunchy, soft (if you eat it on toast!) Like truly and utterly superb. This is going in the weeknight rotation.
I will be talking about this on my podcast (Mummy Dearest) because I’m always preaching tuna fish salad awareness and this one just elevated the humble tuna fish salad into something exquisite. Thank you Justine!!!
I just got back from a trip to Portugal with a suitcase full of tinned fish, mostly tuna, so I can’t wait to try this out this week! Thanks for another creative salad.
I hope you’ll love it! And I’m super jealous of your tinned fish haha
I’m in looooove with this salad! Made it at the beginning of the week and brought it for lunch to work! 🙂 so easy, keeps well for meal prep, and a nice way to stretch a single can of tuna! I ended up going overboard on the lemon so i balanced it back out with some additional kewpie and dressed the salad bit by bit as to not over do it. Seriously delicious and satisfying with nice crusty bread! This salad will absolutely be in my rotation all summer!
YAY this makes me so happy to hear! When I first had it I ate it all week too, so I’m glad we’re aligned haha
Usually celery isn’t my first choice of veg for a salad, but I had a bunch left over from making soup so gave this salad a try and omg. Amazing. I now love celery. Perfect with fresh baguette. Love your recipes!
So glad you liked this one! I used to feel the same way about celery too, now I can’t get enough!
I never leave comments but this salad was just too good not too. I added in Swiss chard from my garden with the celery and thinly sliced matchbox apple and it was so fresh. I wish I could eat tuna every day because I could eat this non stop 🤣
This is the nicest comment, I’m so glad you liked it!