This version of tuna salad is flavorful and exciting…and will change how you feel about
At some point, a reader (or perhaps it was many of you!), asked us for a tuna salad recipe. One of you specifically asked us for “bagel store-style tuna.” While we were all for discovering and featuring a great tuna salad here on Between Carpools, we knew that you wouldn’t be happy to discover what’s really in most bagel store tunas.
So we left the topic on the side for a while. That doesn’t mean we haven’t devoted any attention to canned tuna in the past. This tuna salad “salad” on Between Carpools is a great one (definitely a shalosh seudos go-to), but you can use any prepared tuna salad that you like. There’s also a popular Kale Tuna Salad in Dinner Done 2, but again–it’s about the salad. There’s some tuna salad tips courtesy of The Cookie Corner (i.e. use the pouches vs. the cans for creamier results), but in that one as well, you can use any prepared tuna.
Then Renee tasted this one by Yocheved Shvarzblat, the creator of TastynSimple. And she told the rest of the team, “I think we found our tuna.” Yocheved is a very talented recipe developer with really approachable recipes–some of you might be familiar with her column in Whisk by Ami. And Yocheved was happy to share the recipe with you!

Renee felt that this was the recipe that really upgrades tuna into something more special. Tuna can have a reputation for being boring…that kind of thing that you eat because you want to be healthy and tuna is always reliably there to provide a nice amount of protein. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Tuna can be something you really, really enjoy.

The #1 secret to this tuna, Yocheved tells us, is starting with good quality tuna. This solid yellowfin tuna by Tuscanini is a better tuna and you’ll taste the difference.

Once you have your tuna, you do have to do some dicing, but it’s worth it.

The flavor and texture here is spot-on.

This will turn your tuna salad into something you look forward to…something you’re excited to have for lunch, bring along to the pool, or serve for shalosh seudos.

Whether you enjoy it in a salad or a sandwich, it upgrades the meal!
Upgraded Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- ½ shallot, finely diced
- 4 gherkin pickles, finely diced
- 3 (2.8-oz) cans solid yellowfin tuna in olive oil, drained
- ¼ tsp table salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried dill
- 2 tbsp plain breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
Instructions
- Drain the tuna and place in a bowl.
- Add celery, shallot, and gherkins.
- Season with salt, pepper, and dill.
- Mix in breadcrumbs and mayonnaise until combined.
- Enjoy in a salad, sandwich, or simply with crackers.








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