I’ll be the first to admit that tuna salad might not be everybody’s jam. I get it. But if you don’t like tuna salad, it’s possible you’ve only eaten a subpar mix with basic mayo, possibly some mustard, and a bit of pickle (if you’re lucky). All I’m saying is, don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried one of these four dressed-up recipes.
Serving Plate | White Serving Bowl | White Bowls | Striped Towel
Since we’re a family with food sensitivities, all four of these recipes swap out mayo for Vegenaise, and some of them incorporate a dairy-free sour cream as well, but feel free to customize them to fit your preferences. I’ve got four variations for you, including a classic, southwest, cajun, and nicoise-inspired tuna salad. It’s hard to choose a favorite, so I don’t, but I’d love if you gave them a try and let me know which is YOUR favorite!
For a gluten-free option, these mixes are delicious, served in a bed of lettuce or scooped up in some Siete chips. Otherwise, grab a couple of slices of your favorite bread and enjoy a quick, satisfying lunch.
1. Classic Tuna Salad
Classic Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 9oz canned tuna drained
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries unsweetened if you can
- 1/3 cup chopped celery
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- salt & pepper to taste
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp veganaisse I use Follow Your Heart brand
- 2 tbsp plant-based sour cream I use Forager brand
- 1 tbsp dill pickle relish I use Grillo's pickle de gallo
- 1 tbsp dill pickle juice
- 2 tsp honey
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add the tuna, cranberries, celery & onion. Mix together with a spatula until combined well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Southwest Tuna Salad
Southwest Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 9oz canned tuna drained
- 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
- salt & pepper to taste
For the dressing
- 1 medium avocado pit and peel discarded
- 1 tbsp veganaisse I use Follow Your Heart brand
- 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped pickled jalapeno tamed for mild, regular for medium
- 1 tbsp pickled jalapeno brine
- 2 tsp lime juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- In a bowl, mash the avocado with the veganaise until mostly smooth. Add the remaining dressing ingredients along with a pinch of salt. Combine well then add the other ingredients and mix with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cajun Tuna Salad
Cajun Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 9oz canned tuna drained
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/3 cup chopped Vidalia onion
- salt & pepper to taste
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp veganaise I use Follow Your Heart brand
- 2 tbsp plant-based sour cream I use Forager brand
- 3/4 tbsp cajun seasoning I use Tony Chachere's
- 1 tbsp smoked Tabasco sauce
- 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Add the tuna, bell pepper, celery and onion and mix well with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Nicoise-Inspired Tuna Salad
Nicoise-Inspired Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 9oz canned tuna drained
- 8 cherry tomatoes cut in half or quarters
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped kalamata or nicoise olives
- 2 tbsp finely diced radish optional
- 2 eggs hard boiled, peeled, diced
- salt & pepper to taste
For the dressing
- 4 tbsp veganaise I use Follow Your Heart brand
- 2 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 1 1/4 tsp fresh thyme finely chopped
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until uniform. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the remaining salad ingredients and combine with a spatula until everything is evenly coated. Be gentle for a rougher texture, and more aggressive for a smoother texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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I’m excited to try the tuna nicoise inspired salad – what a great idea! I’ll probably include the haricot verts /green beans if I can for crunch, too!
The cranberry and dill combo sounds amazing! I will have to try that!
All these recipes looking very appetizing. I would love to try them. I’m Vegetarian and I eat mostly seafood for my Protein.
These look like some great ways to change up regular old tuna salad, but am wondering why not use regular mayo? It is dairy free – made with eggs and oil. Assuming Julia is OK with eggs since one of the recipes uses chopped hard boiled eggs? Can’t be due to being vegan, since the main ingredient is tuna? Thanks!
These look great chris. Thank you for pulling it together!
I’m partial to hard boiled eggs in my tuna. Yum!
Love the addition of avocado! Just for clarification, traditional tuna salad is dairy free. Mayonnaise does NOT contain dairy, only egg. It’s a common misconception.
*Signed the mom of a child with an anaphylactic dairy allergy.