Upgrade Your Tuna Salad With One Sweet Ingredient

Tuna salad is a dish that can be upgraded with a variety of ingredients from condiments and vegetables to spices, so there's no reason to stick with the typical options like mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish. Out of the many options to upgrade tuna salad, there's one that will provide a contrasting texture and flavor that you might not expect. Take a note from some varieties of chicken salad, and add dried cranberries to your next tuna salad.

Dried cranberries will offer a subtle sweetness to your tuna salad, which is a nice contrast with other common ingredients like zesty red onion, vegetal celery, and even the rich mayonnaise that usually goes into the bowl. The tuna is flaky, while many other mix-ins add crunch to tuna salad, so the cranberries will give a chewiness for varying bites. After all, there's a reason why many New Yorkers are obsessed with a tuna cranberry sandwich from a popular spot called Court Street Grocers. And it's also a great way to give substance to your tuna salad if it's a last-minute lunch and you're short on other mix-ins like celery.

Most home cooks likely whip up tuna salad without precisely measuring any ingredients — it's all about going by the look and taste. But if that's not the case for you, Ocean Spray dried cranberries (or another brand) can be tossed into any version of the classic dish. Try it with our everything green tuna salad recipe to add a pop of color and touch of sweetness. Our simple yet refined tuna sandwich recipe can also benefit from the dried cranberries. About ⅓ cup of dried cranberries per six servings is the right amount, but you can add more to taste if needed. Fold the ingredient into the salad with the other mix-ins until it's well combined.

There are also some additional ingredients that pair well with the dried cranberries. Sliced apples are a go-to ingredient to lean into the sweet fruitiness and provide crunch to pair with the chewiness. Chopped walnuts or sliced almonds also pair well with the dried fruit. A little acidity from lemon juice or a dash of red wine vinegar can help balance out the flavors. And don't skip the red onion, because it will give the dish sharpness to temper the cranberries' sweetness.