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Friday, February 28, 2025

Tuna Salad, our way!

Are you a tuna sandwich fan? I have to admit, I was not always eager to have a tuna sandwich for lunch. Maybe it was because I always thought of tuna as a last minute choice, when the cupboards were bare. But no longer! Not with this delicious savory recipe for Tuna Salad, our way! Come and take a look...



This is the one Tuna Salad, I will happily eat...

To be honest it has only been the last few years that I have come to enjoy tuna salad in a sandwich. For many years I thought that tuna salad was what you made when you didn't have anything else to eat, right? And trust me, I tried it prepared many different ways. But it turns out my husband loves tuna salad, so the time had come to develop a tuna salad recipe that I actually wanted to eat as well, enter Tuna Salad, our way!...And I have to say, I prefer this sandwich over many other choices that we rotate through each month. 

Eating more fish is easy for my husband! Not so much for me... 

I must confess, eating more fish was not my goal for developing this recipe. But having canned tuna on the pantry shelf guarantees that you can always make something delicious at a moments' notice. That is, if you have a recipe you actually want to make! And for this household a good tuna salad recipe simply had not been found, that is, until now. I knew I wanted a tuna salad that was rich in flavor, with not too much mayonnaise. One that would offer the options of eating a tuna salad sandwich or eating it in a salad while getting more vegetables along the way. Because more vegetables is always a goal around here. 



Turns out, this recipe for Tuna Salad, our way!, does all that. My husband loves a thick sandwich with added sweet pickle slices and a slice or two of tomato. While often times I will cover tomato or cucumber slices with it and enjoy a lighter lunch. Or I will make an open faced sandwich and go to town with a knife and fork! We prefer water packed chunk albacore tuna but the robust flavors in this recipe do not over power the flavor of the tuna. Happily all the flavor elements come together deliciously!

Some additional thoughts on this recipe:

If you are not a tuna fan, maybe it is the style/type of canned tuna. Albacore is our choice for a flavorful sandwich. 

If you prefer oil packed tuna I suggest you do not eliminate the dry bread crumbs, even oil packed tuna has some broth added for the canning process. 

This recipe calls for the sweet pickle brine only, save the pickle slices for serving along side your sandwich. 

Having Tuna Salad, our way! ready to go makes lunches quick and easy. Everyone can help themselves on those days eating together just doesn't work out. 


Ingredients needed for this recipe:
  • canned tuna
  • mayonnaise
  • celery
  • black olives
  • quick pickled onion
  • sweet pickle juice
  • dry bread crumbs
You will also need the following:
  • kitchen knife
  • cutting board
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • can opener
  • medium sized mixing bowl
  • storage container with tight fitting lid
Now we are ready to begin!



Tuna Salad, our way!
by the seat of my pants.
UPDATE: 02.28.2025

2 cans of water packed light tuna, albacore if available
2 ribs of celery, include some of the leaves
1/4 c Quick Pickled Onions, well drained, recipe found here.
1/2 c whole black olives
2 T dry whole wheat bread crumbs
2 T sweet pickle juice
1/2 c mayonnaise, our make your own, recipe found here
salt and pepper if desired



Drain the liquid from the tuna, squeezing the lid against the tuna until the tuna is "dry" and not floating in water or broth. Set aside.

Wash, dry and mince the celery, set aside.



Break the olives into irregular pieces, set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the tuna and break apart gently with a fork. You want a few medium sized chunks to remain. 



Add remaining ingredients to the tuna, and fold in the mayonnaise gently to mix the ingredients together. Pack into a storage container, and cover with a lid. 



Store in the refrigerator until needed for sandwiches or a salad plate.

Storage options for Tuna Salad, our way! You may store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend that you freeze this recipe. 


UPDATE:  For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of Tuna Salad, our way! has been included below. 
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 Printable "copy and paste" version:


Tuna Salad, our way!
by the seat of my pants.
UPDATED: 02.28.2025

2 cans of water packed light tuna
2 ribs of celery
1/4 c Quick Pickled Onions, well drained, recipe found here.
1/2 c whole black olives
2 T dry whole wheat bread crumbs
2 T sweet pickle juice
1/2 c mayonnaise, our make your own, recipe found here 
salt and pepper if desired

Drain the liquid from the tuna, squeezing the lid against the tuna until the tuna is "dry" and not floating in water or broth. Set aside.

Wash, dry and mince the celery, set aside.

Break the olives into irregular pieces, set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the tuna and break apart gently with a fork. You want a few medium sized chunks to remain. 

Add remaining ingredients to the tuna, and fold in the mayonnaise gently to mix the ingredients together. Pack into a storage container, and cover with a lid. 

Store in the refrigerator until needed of sandwiches or a salad plate.

Storage options for Tuna Salad, our way! You may store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend that you freeze this recipe. 

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Would you like to comment?

  1. I love tuna salad and your way sounds great. Bookmarking.
    Visiting today from Unlimited Linky #17

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thank you Paula, and thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it! Have a great week ahead.

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  2. Sounds good to me except for the olives, however my hubby would love the olives :) Thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 97. Shared.

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    Replies
    1. Dee, Thank you for hosting, and allowing me to share my recipes, I appreciate it! Have a great week ahead.

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  3. We always have tuna in the cupboard! I like the addition of the olives.

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  4. We never had tuna salad as kids. I'm not sure where I had it first but it was always a go to for lunch at work, especially with cold milk and on brown bread! This is pretty well the way I make it minus the olives because I hate them!
    We have this at least once a month for lunch. The vegetable additions depend on what I have in the fridge, celery, radishes etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I see comments about olives all the time. They are one of those "hate it" or "love it" foods! They happen to play out in our extended family as well. Have a great week ahead, and enjoy your view!

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  5. Looks delicious. I'm going to try this recipe.

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  6. Being a vegetarian, I have not had tuna in 40 years. However, a tuna salad sandwich was one of my favorites growing up and something that I missed initially. My mom just used tuna, mayo, and celery and we loved it on white bread! Your recipe looks much more interesting.

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    1. Hi Judee, I have come to enjoy tuna salad made this way after years of (close to!) dreading it being all there was to eat, LOL! Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

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  7. I enjoy tuna salad as a sandwich and especially on head lettuce for a dinner salad with chow mein noodles. - Margy

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    Replies
    1. Your comment regarding the chow mein noodles reminded me of a little cafe I use to work at about 100 years ago, they had a luncheon dish called Canton Chow Mein and it was a hot tuna dish with vegetables and of course chow mein noodles on top! thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it!

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  8. Your tuna salad sounds wonderful, there are so many things you can add to tuna to make it tasty!

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  9. Oooo - Olives in tuna salad?? I'm so sold!! Thanks so much for sharing at the What's for Dinner party - hope you weekend it great!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Helen! And as always thanks for hosting, because you make the party possible!

      Delete
  10. I love tuna salad, but I'm trying to find ways to make it without mayo. Visiting from SSPS.

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    Replies
    1. Amy, that sounds like a great idea, maybe I need to get "developing" thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

      Delete
  11. Yes Yes Yes, my favorite sandwich - now I must go upstairs and make a Tuna Sandwich!!! #SeniorSalonPitStop

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tuna is a favorite of my hubby, I enjoy it made this way. This is on regular rotation for lunch choices.

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  12. We love tuna salad here, tuna is something I always have in the cupboard. The only thing I would skip adding is the olives, my family are not fans of them.

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    Replies
    1. Kim I keep it stocked as well. Until now, I avoided a tuna sandwich as often as was possible, LOL!

      Delete
  13. This looks so delicious - I haven't had tuna salad in such a long time. Your version sounds really good!

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    Replies
    1. Gina, thanks so much! Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

      Delete
  14. I love tuna, whether it's in a salad or on a sandwich! Your way looks equally as yummy. Thanks so much for sharing this with us Melynda. Have a wonderful week. 😊

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    Replies
    1. Jayne, you are so welcome and thank you for hosting #MMBC

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  15. I enjoy tuna sandwiches. This is one I'm definitely going to have to try out. I'm not a celery fan but I do like the leaves.
    Thanks bunches for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paula you are welcome, thanks for stopping by. Sweet Tea and Friends is a favorite to visit each month!

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  16. Melynda, this sounds delicious. I'm going to prepare a tuna sandwich tomorrow. Thank you for sharing at The Crazy Little Lovebirds link party.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Stephanie, thank you, and thanks for hosting Crazy Little Love Birds!

    ReplyDelete

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