Southern tuna salad for the best sandwiches to bring to work or school

Cooktop Cove: Southern tuna salad for the best sandwiches to bring to work or school

By Matt Jenner

A good tuna sandwich is one of the best lunches around. After all, canned tuna is low in fat and carbs, and high in protein. This Southern-style tuna is a deluxe version of the traditional tuna salad for sandwiches, which usually involves just mixing a little mayo with the fish.

Ingredients such as chopped hard-boiled egg, sweet relish and diced celery add texture and flavor, while a creamy combo of mayo and Dijon mustard provides zip. For even stronger, tangier flavor, replace sweet relish with chopped dill pickle, or add extra Dijon mustard. Watching your carbs? Use leaf lettuce as a wrap for the tuna instead of bread or a roll. With no cooking time, it's ready for sandwiches, dips or lettuce roll-ups in a flash.

Deluxe Southern tuna salad

2 to 4

15 minutes

0 minutes

15 minutes

One 7-ounce can white albacore tuna, drained

1 large hard-boiled egg, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 tablespoon sweet relish

3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chopped chives

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Flake the drained tuna into a medium bowl with a fork.

Add the hard-boiled egg, celery, relish, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard and chives. Mix until fully combined.

Add the mayonnaise, and stir until well-combined.

To serve, spoon onto individual plates alongside crackers or vegetables for dipping, if desired.

To assemble as a sandwich, scoop tuna salad onto a slice of toasted bread. Add leaf lettuce, sliced tomato and sliced red onion as desired, and top with another slice of toasted bread.