Jazz Up Your Classic Tuna Salad With The Tang Of Dried Cranberries
When you think of quick, easy, and fulfilling lunch recipes, tuna salad in its various forms is probably going to be included in that list. It's highly likely, then, that you already have and follow your own traditional tuna salad recipe. But traditional can sometimes translate to boring. So, how can you jazz up your classic tuna salad without too much of a fuss? There is a simple addition you can add to make this dish sing. Just add dried cranberries to the salad, which are sure to elevate the flavor with their delicious tanginess.
Fortunately, tuna salads are easy to experiment with. There are a number of unexpected ingredients you can put in tuna salad, so why not try the crowd-favorite ingredient, dried cranberries? Owing to their particular kind of sweet-tart tanginess, cranberries can also be used in several clever ways. Tuna salad is one of the many dishes that make a great plain canvas for the uniqueness of dried cranberries.
Why dried cranberries work well with classic tuna salad
It is no secret that a truly delicious dish offers a mix of numerous flavors and textures in layers that one can relish. As such, classic tuna salad is a base that can be elevated with the addition of many different flavors. For example, squeeze in some lemon juice for a sour flavor, sprinkle in apples and nuts for a crunchy texture to add to the soft gooeyness of the salad, dice up some chopped pickles for tartness, or include dried cranberries for a sweet tang that isn't too overwhelming. Cranberries are a great addition to tuna salad not only because of the sweet flavor they impart on the dish but also because of the textural contrast they add to each bite.
Apart from the ease of making it, tuna salad is also universally popular because it is a healthy meal option. WebMD describes the many benefits of tuna salad. These include lowering the risk of heart disease, reducing the risk of cancer, preventing eyesight problems, and being a healthy inclusion in a weight loss plan. Cranberries, too, offer many health benefits, per the Cranberry Institute, and therefore are the perfect complement to a healthy tuna salad. The benefits of cranberry include reducing the chances of urinary tract infections and promoting both gut and cardiovascular health. Hence, tuna salad and cranberries are a beneficial match made in heaven.
The best ways to eat a cranberry tuna salad
Now that you are convinced of the merits of combining dried cranberries with tuna salad, here are a few things to keep in mind before you recreate the dish at home. The quantity of dried cranberries should depend on the intensity of flavor you are looking for. This can range from ¼ of a cup to ½ a cup of cranberries. You can have this delicious concoction on its own, put it in a sandwich, use it as a cracker topping, or use it as filling for pita pockets, a tortilla, or even a wrap. You can also stuff tomatoes or peppers with this tasty filling.
For an even healthier version of this tuna salad, you can simply substitute the mayo with either light sour cream or Greek yogurt. You can also experiment with adding more healthy ingredients to the mix such as veggies like celery or carrots and fresh fruit, such as apples and grapes. This will make the overall dish interesting and healthy at the same time.