Cranberry Tuna Salad – Slender Kitchen

Cranberry Tuna Salad will quickly become your favorite tuna salad recipes, filled with crunchy apples and celery, sweet and tangy cranberries, and a creamy dressing made with sour cream and mayonnaise.

Lately quick and easy lunches have had me stumped. Most days I am making some type of salad or wrap using leftover protein and veggies. However sometimes I want something different so I decided to create one of my favorite Whole Foods Cranberry Tuna Salads at home. The recipe itself is simple – some tuna, dried cranberries, a touch of apple and celery, and the secret ingredient – a couple tablespoons of sour cream. It takes a simple tuna salad to another level and will quickly be your new favorite healthy lunch. Seriously it is the best tuna salad around.

I promise you will be shocked at how simple and easy this is to whip up and how much better it is than a traditional tuna salad. In fact, it’s something I almost always make as an appetizer when we have friends over for brunch or drinks. Usually I will serve it on whole wheat crackers, cucumber slices, or wrapped on endive leaves with some sliced almonds or sesame seeds sprinkled over top. It’s also delicious stuffed into hollowed out tomatoes.

One quick note if you aren’t the biggest fan of tuna, I know you are out there. This salad works great with chicken (canned or shredded), salmon, and even chickpeas or tofu. For chickpeas, I like to mash them slightly with a fork so that they hold together more like a traditional tuna salad. Similarly with tofu, I like to mash it a little so it holds together better. And you can alwayse use vegan mayonnaise and sour cream for a completely vegan recipe. 

Here are some tips and notes for making this Cranberry Tuna Salad:

• Depending on how you like your tuna salad, you may want to add some extra spices to this mixture. For many people, tuna salad needs celery seed or celery salt, so throw that in if that is something you love. A reader also commented that she adds lemon pepper and it turns out delicious, so you may want to try that. Personally I love adding curry powder to tuna, so sometimes I toss some of that in as well. Mix it up with spices to make it exactly how you like it.
• If you like sweet and spicy combinations, throw in some diced jalapenos. They add a nice level of spice to the tuna salad and also add some extra crunch.
• When it comes to serving this tuna salad, the options are endless. You can go the traditional route and make a sandwich or wrap. It also makes a delicious salad over a bed of greens and it holds up really well as a mason jar salad to bring to work or school. Many times I also like to serve this as an appetizer on cucumber slices or stuffed into small tomatoes. Lastly, it makes a really good tuna melt served open faced on a slice of multi grain bread or on tomato slices for a lower carb option.
• While the sour cream isn’t completely neccessary, it really does add an extra level of creaminess and tartness to the salad. I highly recommend adding it, you’ll be shock by the difference it makes in a simple recipe like this.
• Make sure to season the salad really well with salt and pepper. Many times people think tuna salad is bland because they forget to add enough salt and pepper. It’s a simlpe thing but one that makes a huge difference.

Looking for more healthy lunch salad recipes?

If this recipe looks familiar, it’s because it’s been on the website for a few years but need some serious updating in terms of photos and content. Make sure to check out the story above for tips and tricks for making the salad and for fun ideas of how to serve it.