Best Ever Tuna Salad

No matter how inventive or creative or ingenious I try to be be with my weekday lunches, at some point I end up craving just a simple tuna salad sandwich. Just like egg salad, a tuna salad may be the ultimate lunchtime comfort food. Perfect for cold sandwiches or fresh wraps on the go.
Here’s my favorite, not-so-basic tuna salad recipe. I think it’s just about perfect.

Truth to be told, there’s not much to making tuna salad. A friend of mine just mixes the tuna with mayo, a few cracks of black peppers, a dash of Tabasco sauce and calls it awesome. He’s happy just like that.
I like to add some crunch to balance out the cream and so I mix in some chopped celery, apples, and pecans when I make it. Parsley and tarragon might not be the way you grew up with it, but try it — the herbs add a little extra something to each bite. Finally, a bit of mustard and a splash of cider vinegar spark up the flavors. Delicious.

For my tuna recipes I prefer using water-packed Wild Planet Tuna. It has a cleaner tuna flavor, they use sustainable fishing techniques and have some of the freshest tasting canned tuna you can buy. They also have the highest Omega-3 and lowest mercury content.
But if you’re a fan of oil-packed tuna, use that by all means.

Needless to say it, sandwiches are just one of many dishes you can make with tuna salad. Packed into avocado halves, scooped-out tomatoes or endives boats for a gluten-free lunch or dinner. Mix in some macaroni for an easy pasta salad side dish. Not to mention that a few spoonfuls of tuna salad with crackers can be a great afternoon snack.
I love a tasty recipe that's versatile enough to serve in lots of different ways and this tuna salad is just that.

Best Ever Tuna Salad                                                                                                                                 Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Serves 4

2 (5 oz) cans tuna (I used sustainably caught Wild Planet tuna), drained and flaked
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (make your own mayo with this recipe)
1 teaspoon mustard (I used Dijon mustard)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried tarragon (optional but gives so much flavor)
1 celery stalk, diced small
1 honeycrisp apple, thoroughly washed, unpeeled, and finely diced (or sliced)
¼ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a fork to combine, breaking up any large chunks of tuna fish as you go. Take a taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Keep in the fridge and serve as you like.

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 242 calories, 17 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbs, and 17 grams of protein.