Tuna salad is such a lunch staple that to change the typical ingredients of tuna, mayo, lemon juice, celery and possibly some onion may seem like sacrilege to some. But sometimes you just have to liven things up, you know? A few small tweaks to your tuna salad recipe can really liven up a dish you may have been making the same way your whole life.
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00:00A tuna salad sandwich is such a staple, you don't even need a recipe, right? It's tuna,
00:06mayo, a little celery, some lemon juice, and maybe onion. But what if you're feeling adventurous?
00:11Keep watching for a rarely used ingredient that'll change your tuna salad forever.
00:17Tuna salad is a beloved American dish. In fact, Americans consume a whopping amount
00:22of canned tuna each year. It might sound a little fishy, but according to the National
00:26Fisheries Institute, Americans eat one billion pounds of canned and pouched tuna on an annual
00:33basis, and 52 percent of Americans enjoy tuna salad sandwiches.
00:37But if those traditional ingredients don't bring your tuna salad to the level of tastiness
00:42your taste buds desire, we have the secret ingredient that will change all of that. And
00:47the best part? This flavor-enhancing condiment is probably already in your refrigerator.
00:53To add a splash of flavor to your tuna salad, you should consider adding a soy sauce to
00:57the recipe, suggests the Salted Spoonful.
01:01According to the Cooking Channel, soy sauce has been around since 300 CE and is an essential
01:05condiment for eating sushi, ramen, lo mein, and plenty of other Asian dishes. Soy sauce
01:10adds an umami flavor to whatever recipes you want to make pop. It's that rich, savory depth
01:16of flavor coupled with a subtle sweetness that pairs brilliantly with all types of fish
01:21and will knock the socks off your tuna salad and anyone you make it for.
01:25I'm like a drug dealer. I got the guy hooked. I'm having lunch at his desk every day this
01:29week, just him and me. He doesn't make a move without me.
01:32However, as Salted Spoonful explains, adding the soy sauce is only part of the secret equation
01:37here. The other part is to allow your tuna to take a nice bath in the sauce for anywhere
01:42between three hours to overnight. The marinating allows the fermented flavors of the brown
01:47juice to work its magical powers. But you might be wondering, is it really that yummy?
01:52Well, it must be. Sandwich shop Jimmy John's uses soy sauce in the recipe for its tuna
01:57salad sandwich, and there are plenty of copycat recipes out there that get pretty close to
02:02the delicious taste of the Jimmy John's version.
02:04So just how much soy sauce should you add to your tuna salad? Recipes vary, but Food.com
02:09suggests using a quarter cup of soy sauce for every six 5-ounce cans of tuna in your
02:15recipe.
02:16Let's say you avoid tuna sandwiches for another reason. You love tuna, but aren't a mayo fan.
02:22Hope isn't lost. You can replace the mayo in tuna salad with Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt
02:27doesn't just add creaminess to your tuna salad, but it will also boost the dish's protein
02:31content. Add some extra flavor by layering in Dijon mustard and avocado, as well as crunchy
02:37elements such as cucumber, celery, and spring onions.
02:41Bumblebee Tuna also has its own take on the tuna-yogurt combo. The company uses the ingredients
02:46to create a variety of dishes, including a low-carb tuna and avocado snack and a tuna,
02:52dill, and yogurt-filled pita pocket. They also suggest that if you're looking for something
02:56with a little heat, sliced jalapenos might just be the perfect ingredient addition. In
03:01addition to the heat, jalapenos also add crunch, and it's such a good combination that they've
03:06turned it into pre-packaged products.
03:08Speaking of the spicy jalapeno, any spicy pepper might be pretty brilliant in your tuna
03:13salad. Men's Health reveals that the juice from jalapenos, which are often found in Mexican
03:18dishes, can also improve the taste of tuna salad. The magazine shares that the juice
03:23from jalapenos will make mayo or Greek yogurt even creamier, and that bite-and-burn feeling
03:28the peppers create on your tongue adds a kick that spice lovers are sure to enjoy.
03:33If you're unsure about how much to add, start with just a dash. Remember, you can always
03:38add more. Taking it out, though? That's just not going to happen. So start slow, add more,
03:43and you'll know for next time.
03:45We love this suggestion for a few reasons. It's delicious, and it gets to the heart of
03:50the waste not, want not adage, too. Instead of dumping the juice from a jar of jalapenos,
03:55you can use it in your recipes. If you're really on an anti-waste kick, you can also
03:59use jalapeno juice to make spicy green juice or even spicy margaritas.