Amplify Tuna Salad With An Unexpected Aromatic Addition

While adding fresh herbs and spices has already been established as a great way to upgrade your tuna salad, ginger in particular has a lot to give to such a dish. On its own, ginger possesses aromatic elements capable of amplifying almost any dish, but this root is especially influential in tuna salad. Its distinct warmth perfectly accents the rich creaminess of the tuna and the freshness of the salad as a whole.

Whether you're adding the ginger in as-is or making it the star of a dressing to be mixed into the dish, this versatile ingredient is sure to please. While ginger dressings incorporating garlic and lime juice produce the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess, condiments like soy sauce (or tamari) and peanut butter will also enhance your tuna salad. If dressings aren't your style, fresh, pickled, and crystallized ginger will elevate tuna salad with their own flavors.

Fresh ginger is a tuna salad game changer, and not just because it's easily grated without a dedicated tool. Shredded and even sliced ginger root contributes pops of fiery flavor and bursts of crunchiness that breakup the dish perfectly. Fresh ginger is so flavorful that it might overpower other elements of the tuna salad, so be sure to taste as you go.

A flavorful alternative to fresh ginger is pickled ginger. After being cut into chunks, pieces of pickled ginger can be mixed into tuna salad to add a briny pop of sweetness reminiscent of sushi. Pickled ginger would also pair well with ripe avocado and toasted sesame seeds.

To lean into ginger's subtle sweetness, crystallized ginger is a great option for tuna salad. When paired with Dijon mustard, pecans, curry powder and other spicy elements, the crystallized ginger balances the savory, spicy, and earthy flavors at play. Such a tuna salad would become the star of the show when served with pita bread.

Just because tuna salad will always taste better at restaurants doesn't mean that your homemade tuna salad will never be delicious and mouthwatering in its own unique way. The strength of ginger is that it can be paired with countless other accenting flavors to craft the perfect batch of tuna salad. You just have to experiment a little.