There are some things that people swear are good.
For instance:

Birds.
Tapenade.
Downtown Abbey.
Crocs.
Tuna…
 
Some of them kind of gross me out.
Some of them scare me.
And one in particular puts me into a deep coma when I try to watch it.
I leave the mystery of which one is which to you.
 
However, I am not one of those people who say, “I don’t like ______”, then never try it again.
(Except for birds…that fear is straight up diagnosable.)
So when a friend brought out a big bowl of tuna salad,
I politely put on my best fake smile & told myself to just eat it & hold my breath so I wouldn’t taste it too much…
Yeah, like a 5 year old.
Don’t judge me.
 
So I took a bite of this so called “amazing” tuna salad…
then I chewed it a little…
then I took a breath.
And I am SO GLAD that I did.
It was friggin’ delicious!!
I mean, who knew canned fish could taste like springtime in your mouth!

This recipe has tart green apples & sweet dill relish that adds equal amounts of sweet & sour, fresh & crunchy cucumbers & celery, a light dose of yogurt for creaminess & a hit of lemon juice to brighten all of the flavors up!
Ok, so I know it sounds like a weird combo, but trust me.
This tuna salad is probably one of my favorite meals now & if it can convert a canned fish hater like me, I think it’ll be a hit with you, too!
Not only is it good, but if you omit the crackers/bread, it makes for a nice little protein packed, low carb lunch!
P.S. You can put it in a sandwich or eat it with crackers.  I like eating it with saltines because they are my favorite cracker & apparently somewhere deep inside of me there is an 80 year old woman just drying to get out.

Enjoy!

So this recipe is pretty damn easy to make.  I mean you chop everything up in equally small bits then throw in all the rest of the ingredients & that’s pretty much all there is to it…but that would make for a boring blog so here’s some tips I’ve developed over the years to make this salad a little more interesting. 

First, the tuna.  
Did I mention I hate tuna? Yeah, counterproductive to the cause, but it took me a LONG time to find just the right tuna that actually tasted like fish & not some oil soaked rendition of what a fish used to be.  
I recommend any solid white tuna, packed in water, no salt added.  This one from Trader Joe’s is not only one of the least “fishy” tasting tunas I’ve found but it’s also pretty easy on the wallet.  I know people love them some Wild Planet Tuna but I’m not paying $6 for canned fish… 
I’ve got bills.
Tip: Drain the water before adding it to the bowl! It’s not cute to eat watery tuna salad.

Next, cut up the cucumbers.  Leave the skin on.

It’s where all of the vitamin goodness hides.

Tip: I use persian cucumbers because they are a little sweeter which I think goes well with the tart/sweet green apples.  They also have a thinner skin than regular cucumbers which eliminates the need to peel them & they also have less seeds than regular cucumbers which keeps the crunch-factor at a maximum. 

Chop up the celery.

Tip: Cut the celery stalks lengthwise into thin strips then chop them up.  It makes controlling how big they are a lot easier to chop into small bits.

 Cut up the apples & red onion & add that to the mix.  Then add the dill & relish.
See? Told you it was easy…
 Now it’s time to pick your poison!
Well, not really poison, but rather your choice of either ranch, mayo, greek yogurt or my new favorite Cucumber Dill Tzatziki (also from Trader Joe’s).  Any one of these ingredients is going to add that creaminess that makes tuna salad what it is.  Of course yogurt is healthier but I’m not gonna tell you what to do. You’re a grown up 🙂
 Add just a little bit of extra virgin olive oil & some lemon juice to bring it all together then salt & pepper to taste.
Isn’t it pretty?
Who knew I’d ever say this about tuna…
 Cover the salad in saran wrap & put it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to let the flavors have a little private time & get to know each other.
Mix again before serving & break out the bread or crackers!

Enjoy!!

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Green Apple Cucumber Tuna Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Green Apple Cucumber Tuna Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 5oz can tuna, drained (I used Albacore White Tuna w/ no salt added & packed in water)
  • 1-2 medium celery stalks, diced
  • 1 small Granny Smith apple, diced (skin on)
  • 1/4 cup red onion, diced
  • 1 medium persian cucumber, diced (skin on)
  • 2 Tbsp sweet dill relish
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 3 Tbsp greek yogurt, mayo, ranch, or my personal favorite: Cucumber dill tzatziki
  • 1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, place drained tuna, chopped celery, apple, onion & cucumber.
  2. Then add sweet dill relish, dried dill, yogurt/mayo/ranch/tzatziki (your choice), olive oil & lemon juice. Mix well to break up tuna & to coat everything evenly.
  3. Add salt & pepper to taste.
  4. Cover & refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.
  5. Serve with bread, crackers, saltines, or just eat it straight!
https://patriciaspatticakes.com/2014/01/green-apple-cucumber-tuna-salad-html/

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