Curried Tuna Salad

Curried Tuna Salad is a mildly spicy and colorful variation on an old favorite.  We make it often at our place, especially during Lent.  It’s great for lunch and can anchor a dinner when accompanied by an assortment of vegetable sides; quartered ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced cucumber and pickled carrots or radishes come to mind.  Feel free to add a tablespoon of chopped raisins, currants or dried cranberries to Curried Tuna Salad to add a sweet element to it; if you want to spice it up, add finely chopped Serrano or Jalapeno chili.  Not keen on curry? Try our Thai Tuna Salad!

Curried Tuna Salad

Total Time: 30 minutes Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbs minced Shallot
  • 1 Tb Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 ½ cups very thinly sliced Celery
  • 2 Tbs sweet Pickle Relish
  • 1 tsp crushed Ginger*
  • 2 Tbs Yellow Curry Powder*
  • 2 7-oz. cans Italian-Style Tuna in Olive Oil* or Chunk Light Yellowfin Tuna in Oil
  • 5 Tbs Mayonnaise

Preparation:

  1. Mince the shallot and thinly slice the celery and combine in a deep mixing bowl with the apple cider vinegar.
  2. Add the sweet pickle relish and crushed ginger to the bowl and stir to mix.
  3. Sprinkle the curry powder into the bowl, then add the canned tuna with its oil to the bowl. Gently break up the larger tuna chunks with a fork.
  4. Add the mayonnaise to the bowl and gently stir to mix.
  5. Curried Tuna Salad can be served with quartered ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced cucumber or pickled carrots or radishes or on a sandwich made with good quality focaccia bread or fluffy potato bread.

Curried Tuna Salad

Tuna Tapenade - Italian Tuna in Oil*Notes:

  1. Crushed ginger is sold in jars in Middle Eastern or Indian specialty stores.
  2. Use an East Asian/Japanese style yellow curry powder to get the correct flavor needed for this dish. S&B, in the yellow and red can, is my favorite, it is available in the Asian-foods section of most supermarkets or in Asian markets.
  3. Canned Italian Tuna in Olive Oil is wonderful, moist and flavorful and almost meat-like in texture; it’s really closer to a tuna steak than most canned tuna.  It can be purchased in Italian food stores or stocked with other canned tuna in supermarkets.