Want to throw together a quick tuna salad for lunch but don’t have any celery? Have no fear! I’ve developed a delicious tuna salad without celery recipe that uses ingredients you likely already have in your pantry or fridge.
Tuna salad is one of the easiest and tastiest things to have for lunch and it doesn’t need to stick to the same “celery and onion” method in order to turn out fantastic.
While the vast majority of tuna salad recipes do call for celery and some of them even call for hard-boiled eggs (this is far too much, if you ask me), not everyone always has these ingredients in their refrigerators and they can actually be a bit divisive for some.
That’s why I’ve made a tuna salad without eggs or celery recipe for everyone to enjoy!
Neither celery nor eggs are necessary in creating a delicious tuna salad (and I keep the mayo relatively light comparatively, as well) so long as you have enough going on to keep the flavours interesting. So if you’re searching for a quick, easy tuna salad recipe that doesn’t use celery or eggs, then look no further!
How to Make Tuna Salad Without Celery or Eggs
Tuna salad is one of the easiest salads to make and it can come together in a flash. Much like in my chicken salad recipe, this one obviously doesn’t use celery or any ingredients like eggs.
In fact, the only things that are in this tuna salad are canned tuna, onion, red pepper, dill, mayo and a bit of whole grain mustard, a splash of vinegar and a few dashes of tabasco sauce. All that’s required is to mix it all up and then enjoy right away or save for later!
So, to begin with, we need to prep your tuna. I recommend simply using canned tuna in brine. For tuna salad, the brined tuna is all that’s needed as the ones packed in olive oil tend to a) be more expensive and b) be pretty flavourful on their own so they don’t typically need to be a part of a dish like tuna salad. Save the oil-packed kind for something like a salad Nicoise.
Open the cans and then drain the brine from the tuna by pressing down on the lid over the tuna flakes and pouring it into the sink. Then add it all to a large mixing bowel
Next, you need to add half of a finely diced onion. Any kind of onion will do — I call for a yellow onion in the recipe because that is what I typically have on hand at home but a red onion or a white onion will also work great here.
You can even sub in a finely diced shallot or some sliced green onions. Anything you have on hand will do — this recipe is great to riff on and you don’t need to follow it to the absolute letter!
Then, finely dice a red bell pepper. I like red peppers for the sweetness and vegetal flavour it lends to the tuna salad.
This is a great substitute for celery as I think it adds a bit more flavour and complexity along with texture to your tuna salad. It also gives the salad some colour, which is always welcome.
You can use a green, yellow or orange pepper here, too, if that’s what you’d like.
Now add a healthy amount of finely minced fresh dill. I think that dill and tuna go together perfectly and I always go a bit heavy with this herb, but if you don’t like it (as I know that dill can be a polarizing flavour), add some finely chopped parsley instead. Like I said, this tuna salad without celery recipe can easily be updated to suit your tastes.
In the bowl with the tuna, onion, pepper and dill, add in a splash of apple cider vinegar (or any other vinegar or lemon juice you have on hand) to add some much-needed acidity to the dish.
Then, spoon in a small scoop of whole grain mustard, which goes exceptionally well with the flavours. I love whole grain mustard in this but, again, use dijon or something else if you don’t have it.
Then, add a few dashes of tabasco sauce for a slight bit of heat (this is optional if you don’t want any heat in there).
All that’s left is to add the mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. I call for a bit less mayo than many tuna salad recipes because I, personally, cannot stand tuna salad that is completely weighed down with mayonnaise.
I always recommend adding less than you may think you need because you can always add more, but you cannot take it away!
Now, simply mix everything together until it’s all evenly combined!
You can eat the tuna salad right away (I love making tuna melts with it!) or it will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days. This makes it an excellent choice to prep ahead for some lunches throughout the week!
Tuna Salad Without Celery or Eggs
This quick and easy tuna salad is perfect for a tasty lunch and uses easy-to-find ingredients that are already likely in your refrigerator
Ingredients
- 2 cans tuna flakes in brine
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons dill, minced
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 5-6 dashes tabasco sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 129Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 163mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 9g
Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
As you can see, making tuna salad without celery cannot only be done, but it is incredibly easy and delicious. Super quick to throw together, this tuna salad recipe is sure to become one of your favourites!
Are you hunting for a perfect tuna salad recipe without celery or eggs? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
