Lighter Tuna Salad

This tuna salad keeps the familiar creamy texture while balancing mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt. Crisp celery and red onion add contrast, and a small amount of lemon brightens the canned tuna without making the mixture watery. Serve it in a sandwich, spoon it into lettuce cups, or pair it with sliced vegetables.

Recipe details

Yield: 4 servings, about 1/2 cup each
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 20 minutes, optional
Equipment: can opener, fine-mesh strainer, cutting board, knife, medium bowl, fork

Ingredients

2 cans (5 ounces each) solid white tuna packed in water
1/3 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, optional
1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more if needed
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Method

Open the tuna and drain it in a fine-mesh strainer. Press gently with the back of a spoon until liquid no longer pools beneath it. Transfer the tuna to a medium bowl and break it into small flakes with a fork.
Add the celery, red onion, mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, lemon juice, herbs, salt, and pepper. Fold until the dressing lightly coats the tuna and the vegetables are evenly distributed. Avoid vigorous stirring, which can turn the tuna into paste.
Taste before adding more salt because canned tuna varies in salinity. For the cleanest flavor and a firmer texture, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving.
Divide into four portions. Serve on toasted bread, in a wrap, over greens, or inside crisp lettuce leaves.

Keys to good texture

Drain the tuna thoroughly; excess packing water is the usual reason tuna salad becomes loose after chilling. Dice the celery and onion to roughly 1/8 inch so each bite gets crunch without large raw-onion pieces. If the onion tastes especially sharp, rinse the diced pieces under cold water, drain well, and pat them dry before mixing.

The salad should hold its shape on a spoon but remain creamy. If it seems dry, fold in another teaspoon of yogurt. If it seems wet, add a little more well-drained tuna rather than breadcrumbs, which can become gummy.

Substitutions and serving ideas

Use all mayonnaise for a richer result or all Greek yogurt for a tangier one. Finely chopped dill pickles can replace the celery; omit some salt if the pickles are briny. Chopped scallions are a milder alternative to red onion. Water-packed chunk light tuna also works, although its flakes are smaller.

Storage and safety

Refrigerate the finished salad promptly in a covered container and use it within 3 days. Keep it at 40°F or colder. Do not leave tuna salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. For packed lunches, carry it with an ice pack and add it to bread shortly before eating so the sandwich stays crisp.

Lighter Tuna Salad