Avoid This Sad Texture Mistake When Making Tuna Salad

Tuna salad might just be the king of easy, healthy lunches, especially for those of us working from home who want a delicious, filling meal that can come together quickly without much hassle. Out of all the mistakes you'll regret making with your tuna salad, the lack of diverse textures might be the gravest error. While the consistency of a tuna salad can be monotonous, adding a crunchy element brings the delight back to what could be an otherwise underwhelming texture. 

A tuna salad makes for a blank canvas where you can experiment with both textures and flavors. Red onion and celery are classic add-ins for a crunchier tuna salad, but there is an entire world out there of textural delights just waiting to be mixed with canned tuna. Most raw vegetables make a great addition to tuna salad, like chopped bell peppers, sliced snap peas, or refreshing cucumbers, and even a small handful of thinly sliced cabbage will cut through the smoothness of the flaked fish without adding an off-putting flavor. Pickles will add both acidity and crunch, whether they be chopped dill pickles, sliced pickled red onions, or sliced cornichons. If you're seeking an extra-salty kick, fried capers make an incredible topping to add both a delightful crispiness and an added dose of salinity to tuna salad. For the adventurous, try dicing up an apple of a more sour variety, like a Granny Smith, for sweet and tart crunchiness.

Not limited to just vegetables or pickled foods, sunflower seeds make a nice surprise in a tuna salad as well, as they don't contribute a strong taste yet add a substantially toothsome bite, as well as a curious flavor note that most people don't expect to find in a tuna salad. If you have any potato chips lying around your pantry, especially substantial chips with a pungent flavor like kettle-cooked salt and vinegar chips, try crushing them up lightly with your hands as a garnish for a huge dose of crunchiness and flavor. 

Additional textures aren't limited to what gets mixed directly into the tuna salad itself; you can also play around with texture depending on how you serve it. Lettuce wraps are a great way to add an element of freshness and crunch, as well as to turn the tuna salad into more of a handheld, easy-to-eat meal. If you're making a sandwich, toasting the bread will impart some crunch before you even taste the tuna, as your teeth have to bite through a bit of hardness when biting into the sandwich. 

Although we do suggest you consider keeping one popular condiment out of your tuna salad, a spread of whole grain mustard on one slice of bread can add lovely tiny pops of texture as you bite down on the tiny pickled seeds. If you're still seeking more crunchy consistency in your weekday lunch adventures, try any of these 13 mix-ins to add crunch to your tuna salad to bring a bit of excitement.