The Unexpected Ingredients Martha Stewart Uses In Tuna Salad
If you like to keep your pantry well-stocked, there's a good chance that you've got a can or two of tuna sitting on the shelf. Wondering what exactly to do with that tuna before it goes bad? Jazz things up with an ingredient swap that will upgrade your canned tuna, or stick to the classics and whip up an easy tuna salad sandwich for lunch.
But if you're tired of your usual tuna salad, you can also put a twist on this tried-and-true recipe. Martha Stewart has a recipe for a tuna salad sandwich, and while it uses the usual ingredients like tuna, mayo, and celery, there are a couple of extra items that might surprise you.
Stewart's recipe for tuna salad includes one chopped apple (she recommends Gala or McIntosh) and some freshly chopped basil leaves. It's typical to find apples in a chicken salad recipe, so we're willing to give it a shot with tuna salad along with some basil. While these ingredients may surprise you, the end result may be delicious.
What do people think of basil and apple in Martha Stewart's tuna salad?
While tuna salad doesn't usually have apples or basil leaves, fans of Martha Stewart aren't expecting her recipes to have clashing flavors. So does this flavor combination work? Based on the reviews of Stewart's tuna salad, apple and basil do pair with the fish. For The Kitchn, Sara Tane made and reviewed the tuna salad, and the verdict was that the texture added by the apples was a big plus. Tane said the apple also added sweetness while the basil brought some freshness to the tuna salad.
On Stewart's website, there are a few written reviews of this tuna salad for her tuna salad sandwich recipe. Overall, this recipe has three out of five stars, but there's high praise from those who really enjoyed the salad. One person wrote, "I have made this recipe over a dozen times. ... Every single item in this recipe is NECESSARY. Do not alter it — seriously. Fresh basil is an absolute must."
If you're taking this review to heart, read this before growing basil. This plant is great for beginners, and it'll add plenty of freshness and a pop of green to your summer dishes, like this basil pesto sauce recipe.
What do Redditors use in their tuna salad?
While it doesn't come as a surprise that chefs have their own spin on tuna salad and create their own recipes, plenty of home cooks also have go-to ingredients on this classic dish. One Redditor, whose account has since been deleted, posted a question "What are some creative ways to jazz up tuna salad?" on r/Cooking.
No matter what your favorite flavors are, there's a chance someone has tried to pack that into a tuna salad. For a bit of spice and crunch, one person suggested swapping out celery for radishes. Other ingredients included hot sauce, capers, and sauerkraut.
One Reddit user said that a few drops of liquid smoke are a good addition, and it looks like this was modeled after one of their local restaurants. In a response to a comment, this user wrote, "They have a smoked tuna dip on the menu. It's canned tuna, mayo, creole mustard, trinity, and a ton of liquid smoke." Later, another person explained that "trinity" is bell peppers, celery, and onion, or the Creole version of mirepoix.
Out of tuna and still looking for a way to beef up your dish? A commenter recommended, "I love adding imitation crab (shredded to a similar texture to the tuna) to my tuna salad mix." For people who enjoy shellfish, this might be the perfect tuna salad for you.
What other canned tuna recipes does Martha Stewart have?
If none of these tuna salad recipes sound appealing, you might still be at a loss for what to do with those cans of tuna sitting in the back of the cabinet. Another simple and common recipe for canned tuna is tuna casserole, and Martha Stewart has a recipe for tuna casserole on her website with a few extra ingredients to make it Mediterranean-style.
Besides the usual ingredients, Stewart adds artichokes and red peppers to her dish. The recipe also suggests using tuna that is in olive oil. For tuna salad, we also think it's important to use tuna that's packed in oil because it'll add more moisture to the salad; tuna packed in water can lead to a dry tuna salad. Stewart also offers tuna and farfalle puttanesca recipe that includes plenty of other flavors including herbs, tomatoes, and olives.
Before you dig into all these recipes, double check your cans of tuna. Make sure they haven't been in the kitchen for too long! You should consider how long canned tuna actually lasts, and if you've been storing canned tuna correctly, both before and after opening up a tin.