The answer: I swap hummus for mayo to make a tastier, more satisfying tuna salad. Give your boring lunch a fresh, modern upgrade—and protein boost!—by subbing in your favorite prepared hummus. This twist adds a rich, Mediterranean-inspired flavor and keeps me excited about lunch again.
I’m a professional cook, and I find that adding hummus and a squeeze of lemon juice (plus maybe a drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil) to a tin of tuna makes a creamy, flavorful difference in a sandwich or salad. As with any recipe, don’t forget to season to taste with salt and an extra squeeze of lemon, if needed. Then, try the ideas below to add even more variety to your everyday tuna.
Add crunch for contrast
When I polled the cooks at the restaurant where I work what makes a great tuna salad, they all answered: “crisps.” So there’s that. But whether you choose classic celery or crushed crisps, we can all agree tuna needs crunch. Try chopped cucumber, sliced water chestnuts, toasted almonds, or—dare I say—add diced tart apple.
Brighten it with pickled flavor
Some folks use pickle relish in tuna salad, but I find it too sweet. I prefer a big spoonful of chopped dill pickles, a couple teaspoons of crushed capers, or—because I live in Chicago—a generous scoop of giardiniera (a medley of Italian pickled vegetables). Any kind of pepper, pickled or roasted, mild or spicy, works beautifully here.
Layer in herbs
Fresh herbs make everything taste better, and tuna salad is no exception. Chopped dill or basil add brightness and distinctive flavor, while parsley and coriander bring a fresh green note. Though technically not an herb, spring onions bring fresh zing as well. Avoid the strong, woody flavor of rosemary or thyme, which can overpower.
Turn up the heat
If you’re like me, you probably have a collection of half-used jars and bottles of spicy condiments in your fridge. Most of them work beautifully in tuna salad. Try chili crisp, salsa, or harissa—even a spoonful of hot sauce, chutney, or paste like gochujang, sambal, or achar (a South Asian pickle). Just be mindful not to make it too fiery for more sensitive palates.
Lisa Futterman is a Chicago-based chef who writes about travel, beverages, dining, and cooking for multiple outlets like Food & Wine, Chicago Magazine, Thrillist, WTTW, MSN, and Eating Well. She is a contributing editor for Alcohol Professor, covering trends in gin, tequila, and ready-to-drink cocktails. Her love of cheese, wine, and spirits has taken her all over the world—from the Comté aging rooms in Fort St. Antoine in the Jura to the wild agave fields in the desert outside of Oaxaca.
Linzi joins the Good Housekeeping team as Kitchen Manager, looking after the brand-new, state-of-the art test and demo kitchens based in the heart of Leicester Square. With over a decade of experience producing food content for leading brands, she’s won awards for her recipes, battled Christmas dinners in July, and spent a lot of time pondering the next big food trend (no more pistachio, please!) Originally from the North East of Scotland, she lives in West London with her Italian husband and twin daughters, feeding them a variety of haggis and ragu - depending on the mood!
