The Korean Staple You Should Be Adding To Tuna Salad

Like you, we're always in hot pursuit of new ways to upgrade tuna salad. This humble lunchtime fave is versatile, inexpensive, and uses a long-lasting canned protein, so there's a lot to love. Regular tuna can get ho-hum after a while, however, and regular mayo and relish only go so far in jazzing up your noon repast. One of the reasons why tuna salad always tastes better at restaurants is because professional chefs are pros at seasoning food in novel and delicious ways. To that end, we submit for your approval: kimchi.

This quintessential Korean condiment is made of fermented cabbage spiked with radish, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, and a host of seasonings. It's funky, bold, spicy, and full of eye-popping flavor. Going in an Asian direction with your tuna salad may not have crossed your mind before, but we're here to tell you to embrace the change. Not only does kimchi contain good bacteria that promotes gastrointestinal health, but it's also just plain yummy and will save your canned fish from boredom.

One of the best things about kimchi tuna salad is that you can be as bold as you'd like in preparing it. On a time crunch, or feeling timid about new flavors? A can of drained albacore, a few healthy spoonfuls of jarred kimchi — you'll find the best selection at an Asian grocer, but your regular supermarket probably sells it, too! — and some mayo are all you need to get going. Japanese kewpie mayo is a favorite in kimchi tuna recipes due to its creamier consistency and more umami-forward flavor.

If you are feeling adventurous and have some extra time for recipe prep, the sky's the limit when it comes to crunchy and yummy fillers in your tuna salad. Diced cucumber? Sesame seeds? Daikon and carrot? Green onion and ginger? The answer to all these is, "yes, yes, yes!" You can play with the flavor further by incorporating fish sauce, gochujang, soy sauce, and/or wasabi oil into your blend.

When the kimchi tuna salad is ready, you can eat it as-is with greens or crackers, spread it between toast for a brave new take on a tuna sando (try avocado in the place of cheese!), or pile the tuna high on a jacket potato for a British-Korean fusion that's filling enough for dinner. No matter how you serve it, you'll come back again and again for this delicious spin on tuna salad.