Pesto Is The Mayo-Free Alternative To Try In Tuna Salad

If canned tuna with mayo has gotten a little bit predictable for you, reach for a jar of something brighter, herbier, and unexpected — pesto! A couple spoonfuls of jarred or homemade basil pesto is an instant route to flavorful, mayo-free tuna salad that is even more versatile than the traditional creamy versions.

For the base, this may be a good time to use canned tuna in water over oil, because the pesto already has oil in it. If you prefer the softer texture of oil-packed tuna, just be sure to drain it well so the final product does not end up greasy. Combine your favorite can with a spoonful or two of pesto, and that is about it — but of course, adding extra ingredients to your taste is the biggest perk of this dish.

Take a bite and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. If the texture is a little too crumbly but the seasoning feels right, add an extra drizzle of olive oil to bring it all together. Is the flavor a bit on the rich side? Add a squeeze of lemon juice or splash of red wine vinegar for acid, so you avoid the biggest mistake everyone makes with tuna salad. For a more creamy tuna salad without mayo, add in a spoonful of Greek yogurt for a dish that has the best of both worlds.

This tuna salad is definitely delicious with a classic basil pesto Genovese, but there are so many other options. Try blends made with sun-dried tomatoes, any number of herbs, nuts, and greens, or even an inexpensive, creamy avocado pesto. And though this dish is great piled onto toasted ciabatta, rolled into a soft flatbread, scooped up with crackers, or served on top of fresh greens, the pesto makes it elegant enough for dinner, too.

You can also use pesto tuna to make both pasta salad or a warm dish. Both warm and cold versions may need a bit of extra olive oil and lemon juice to properly coat all the noodles with a saucy consistency. Then, load in your favorite pasta additions to make it a more satiating meal — shredded parmesan cheese, miniature balls of fresh mozzarella, toasted walnuts, peppery baby arugula, grilled corn, charred summer squash, and halved cherry tomatoes are all delicious choices. You can also skip the pasta completely, and substitute it with creamy and protein-rich white beans or hearty garbanzos.

Pesto tuna salad also happens to make for a refreshing, high-protein, and flavorful breakfast. Stuff it between toasted English muffins, or even form it into breaded tuna cakes and use them to replace the Canadian bacon in a classic eggs Benedict.