Rachael Ray's Tuna Salad Includes This Unexpected Ingredient

Tuna salad used to be the sandwich of choice among working women in the United States. Per the Smithsonian Magazine, salads first came into existence in the 1800s as a way to use up leftover bits of meat and fish from past meals. People would mix in mayo, and add celery, pickles, and olives that didn't make their way to anyone's stomach. Tuna salad sandwiches, which reminded people of home, eventually became a go-to lunch option when more women started spending time out and about and joining the workforce. 

While its popularity ebbs and flows, tuna salad is still beloved by many people. Many celebrity chefs have placed their own signature twist on the dish, according to Celebrity Detective, including Rachael Ray. 

Ray explains in her Lemon Tuna Salad recipe video (via Rachael Ray Show) that "never has she ever" used mayo on her show because she didn't grow up eating it. However, for her tuna salad, she makes an aioli. She also adds an ingredient that really ups the taste of this classic fish dish.

To really make the flavor of her sandwich pop, Ray reveals on her "Rachael Ray Show" that she tweaks a basic tuna salad recipe by adding lemon to it — and not just a little lemon. She uses "lots of" juice from the tangy citrus fruit, as well as zest, to add a depth of flavor to her aioli that "bumps up the lemon factor." 

But the lemon onslaught doesn't end there. She also adds what she describes as "a little extra lemon" — which turns out to be the juice of an entire lemon — to the tuna salad mix. The celebrity chef also encourages her fans to always check the tuna label to make certain it is sustainable.

For the bread, Ray continues a French theme and opts for a baguette. However, she made a hilarious revelation about her toasting skills. She said she is not to be trusted, adding that she is known to set the bread on fire. In fact, she explains that her husband always brings home two loaves of bread in case she ruins one. 

Therefore, Ray appears to be in favor of extra bread as well as extra lemon.