2B Mindset Mediterranean Tuna Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does restaurant tuna salad taste better? ›

Per The Practical Kitchen, the reason deli tuna salad tastes so different is because it is kept a night or two in the fridge, where "the flavors have time to meld together. The mayo and seasonings absorb into those individual components — the celery, in particular — creating a more cohesive tuna salad experience."

Directions. In a mixing bowl, combine the tuna, eggs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, celery, relish, and onion. Season the salad with a big pinch of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Serve on a bed of salad greens or on toasted bread, if you like.

In the end, it comes down to taste: Tuna packed in water will be more neutral and, well, watery, while olive oil will have some peppery richness that can complement that tuna.

More viscous or fluid products may cause a more 'wet' tuna salad.” Less popular for tuna salad among our experts but still mayo MVPs, Kewpie and Miracle Whip both have distinct flavors that don't work as well with tuna, one more savory (Kewpie) and one sweeter (Miracle Whip).

“Greek yogurt is a great substitute for mayo in tuna salad because it brings a similar tang and creaminess,” Boone explained. “Another option is olive oil and lemon juice for those who want richness and acidity without adding a creamy component.”

Tuna is a healthy food. But when folks make tuna salad, they tend to go overboard on the mayo adding tons of extra calories and fat. One cup of mayo has a whopping 1440 calories, 160 grams fat, and 24 grams saturated fat. It'll also tack on almost 50 percent of your daily recommended amount of sodium.

Tuna salad can be good for losing weight if it's prepared with light tuna packed in water (instead of packed in oil) and with a fat-free dressing or plain Greek yogurt (instead of mayonnaise). Keto tuna salad brings all the creamy taste you love without the carbs.

Tuna is significantly lower in cholesterol

Surprisingly, lean chicken breast is somewhat high in cholesterol. It has more than twice as much per serving as any water-packed variety of Chicken of the Sea tuna: Boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked: 131 mg cholesterol.

To make Garten's Ultimate Tuna Melts, forgo your traditional canned tuna and opt for Spanish tuna instead. According to Garten, Spanish tuna is packed in olive oil and is “absolutely delicious.” “It's moist,” she adds, “and the flavor is fantastic.”

How to make tuna salad thicker? ›

Potatoes are also known for their ability to absorb liquids, and tossing in a handful of cubed boiled spuds has the added benefit of providing bulk, fiber, and nutrients to your tuna salad. But for an easy and effective way to fix water tuna salad, go for hard-boiled eggs.

Restaurants salt their salads.

This resulted in every bite tasting vibrant and flavorful. "Season your salad just like you would anything else," Simpson said. "Salt is a big difference between salads at home and salads in a restaurant." This doesn't mean you have to make your salads salty!

Much of it boils down to the fact that, when it comes to making dishes with mayonnaise, restaurants often give a hard pass to the typical mayo that home cooks might grab at the grocery store. Instead, they tend to use heavy-duty mayonnaise.

The combination of a little spice from the jalapeño and a little acid from the lemon negate any tastes or smells of fishiness people resentfully associate with canned tuna. So go for it, try something new, get over your tuna fears and as always, don't hesitate to add bacon.