Improve The Texture Of Your Tuna Salad With One Simple Step

Whether you're preparing for a picnic or putting a quick lunch together, tuna salad offers a high level of versatility matched with ease of assembly. The most important parts, though, are to deepen the flavor profile to complement the tuna, and to add some texture so you're not just left with a mushy pile of fish on bread. To prevent the latter issue, adding celery is a classic move, but there are few things more off-putting than a mouthful of celery strings in your sandwich. Luckily, we have a fix in the form of a vegetable peeler.

Running a vegetable peeler along the outside of a stalk of celery will remove all the strings, also known as collenchyma cells. These fibers serve to reinforce the celery ribs during the growing process, but are perfectly fine (and often preferable) to remove for eating. Just carefully peel the outer layer of each stalk to leave most of the "meat" of the celery intact. You can also try snapping off the end of the celery rib and pulling the strings off by hand, but this is a less efficient method, and you may lose more of your veggie in the process.

If you're in the middle of prepping your tuna salad and discover your celery has lost its crunch, fear not: There's an easy way to revive limp celery. Cut off the end, put it in a glass of water, and cover it with a bag. You'll find that your veggie perks up after at least 30 minutes.

While adding de-strung celery will improve the texture of your tuna salad, that should by no means be the end of your search for the perfect crunchy additions. There are many ways to add a crisp contrast to the fish, and what you choose is really only limited by the flavor profile you're looking for. Apples and walnuts are two simple ways to upgrade your tuna salad game if you're making a sweeter, more mild version, or looking to up the nutritional value of your meal. Apples add plenty of vitamins and a juicy crunch, while walnuts have plenty of healthy fats for a more satisfying meal.

If you're craving a little brightness and acidity along with extra crunch, pickled onions can elevate a basic tuna salad, providing balance to the mayo-heavy meal. These gems can be made at home or purchased for ready-to-eat convenience. If you want to go in a totally new direction and add a Korean-inspired twist to your lunch, kimchi is a great fermented addition to tuna salad and opens up all kinds of doors for further experimentation. Try substituting gochujang mayo for your regular brand; adding cucumber or black sesame for even more texture; or serving the tuna over rice rather than as a sandwich.