Add A Unique Punch Of Flavor To Tuna Salad With One Tangy Ingredient

It's easy to add color and texture to a lackluster tuna salad with bright veggies. However, if you're looking to give a unique punch of flavor to your next batch, then sauerkraut is at your service. Tangy, sour, and salty, sauerkraut is a pickled vegetable like no other. Traditionally stuffed into a Rueben sandwich or scattered over a bratwurst, these fermented shreds of piquant cabbage lend dishes a tangy lift and brightness. 

Sauerkraut sings in a tuna salad because it does a couple of jobs. First, it punches up the creamy, neutral notes of a basic mixture of canned tuna, mayo, and crunchy add-ins with a pickled salinity. This adds characterful depth and complex flavor with little effort. Simply scoop a couple of spoonfuls from the jar and stir through your salad to evenly distribute the shreds of cabbage throughout the salad. Using store-bought kraut, over a homemade variety, is particularly effortless and means you'll benefit from the vast array of different flavors available, such as a basic recipe made with white cabbage and sea salt or fancier options combining red cabbage with garlic, dill, or caraway seeds. 

Secondly, sauerkraut lends tuna salad a scrumptious texture and instantly adds heaps of satiating volume. Packed with fiber, this tangy powerhouse is typically additive free too. Made of a simple mixture of salt and cabbage that ferments in its own pickling liquid, sauerkraut is the epitome of food made simply.

Stuff your tuna salad into a pretzel bun with a scattering of cheddar before searing it in a skillet to make the ultimate tuna melt. The salty, chewy flavor of the pretzel dough will beautifully complement the tangy fizziness of the kraut and the creamy texture of the dressed tuna. If your cabbage is overtly tangy, try adding a drizzle of honey over your tuna mixture to balance out the sourness or use a creamy, mild-flavored cheese, like Brie, in the filling. Alternatively, you could work with the intensity of the kraut by pairing it with flavorful breads that have a stronger character, like sourdough or rye.  

Sauerkraut is a fermented food, which means it's packed with gut friendly bacteria that boosts the immune system. Moreover, studies have shown that some of these friendly bacteria, known as probiotics, such as Lactobacillis helveticus, may improve mood by alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression. If you don't have any sauerkraut on hand but crave its briny brightness, consider adding green olives to your tuna salad. Kimchi is also an option, however bear in mind that this Korean-style pickled cabbage also contains spices and other aromatic ingredients, such as fish sauce and red chili paste.