Updated on April 9th, 2023
Tuna salad is famously known for being a light and delicious leisure dish. Thanks to a few simple ingredients like canned tuna, mayonnaise, onion, and celery, it’s the perfect balance of creamy and crusty. Pack it with avocado halves for a healthful, quick lunch, roll it in cabbage, or offer it in a toast. Mayonnaise is one of its main ingredients, which is also more of a binder.
Tuna Salad Nutrition Facts
For an ingredient as important as mayo in tuna salad, it could be easy to assume that finding a substitute for it would be like a camel passing the needle’s eye. However, most people find difficulties utilizing mayo in tuna salads, and they also think that they can’t make a replacement—however, substitutes such as sour cream and pesto. Finally, understanding how to utilize these substitutes is quite critical.
What is Mayo?
Mayonnaise, commonly referred to as mayo, is a thick, creamy spread or seasoning popularly used on toast, steaks, salads, and Potato chips. Mayo was created in 1756 on the Spanish island of Minorca to commemorate the successful French invasion of Fort St. Philip during much of the Seven Years’ War. The common method of preparing mayonnaise by whisking oil drip-by-drip into an egg yolk mixture was pioneered by French chef Antonin Carême.
Mayonnaise is straightforward when done correctly, and it can be adapted to fit your flavor and nutrition. For example, you can use conventional mayonnaise, tofu mayonnaise, eggless mayonnaise, dairy-free mayonnaise, or a pinch of leafy greens and ginger in conventional mayonnaise.
Mayo Uses in Recipes
Mayo is commonly used in various dishes by those who enjoy condiments. Mayonnaise can be used as a stand-alone sauce or binding agent in various salads, such as potato, pasta, tuna, and chicken salad. It can also be used as the base ingredient for other sauces, such as tartar sauce, remoulade, ranch, and Thousand Island dressing.
To produce a basic fry or burger sauce, combine it with fresh basil, ground spices, spicy sauce, mustard, shredded cheese, chipotle, curry powder, soy sauce, or ketchup. It works well as a dip and, of course, a sandwich filler.
Instead of butter, mayonnaise is spread outside grilled cheese to create a golden, savory pastry. Mayonnaise is both fat and eggs, and hence some bakers use it as a fat and egg substitute in recipes.
With its excellent flavor and creamy qualities, mayo makes for a great blend in several foods and recipes, such as the following:
- Spinach stuffed chicken breasts
- Classic macaroni salad
- Light and fluffy spinach quiche
- Moist banana muffins
- French onion dip from scratch
- Bacon cheddar deviled eggs
- Mexican corn on the cob (elote)
- Easy mayonnaise biscuits
- Basic chicken salad
- Blueberry crisp
- Broiled tilapia parmesan
- Jen’s heavenly egg salad
- Jalapeno poppers
- Dad’s creamy cucumber salad
- Slide-style mini burgers
Mayo Substitutes in Tuna Salad
Households who want to prepare tuna salad at home will find that most of the formulas offered do so with mayonnaise. However, it’s possible that you don’t have mayo on hand or that you’ve just run out of it, in which case you’ll need to make a change in your recipe.
As a result, this article will now move on to recommend several appropriate and high-quality mayo alternatives for your recipe. One thing to keep in mind when picking a substitute is that you want one that will mix well with the other ingredients in your recipe and help you achieve the “mayonnaise” effect in your tuna salad.
Sour Cream
Sour cream also termed soured cream, is a dairy product made by fermenting regular cream with lactic acid bacteria. In most kitchens, especially those in the United States, sour cream has become a mainstay. It’s kept on hand for quick dips, sauce thickening, creamy icing, and topping up mashed potatoes and stews. It’s usually used at the end of the cooking process or right before serving, but it can also crisp up and tender desserts.
Just about any recipe that calls for mayonnaise could benefit from the addition of sour cream. It also provides trace levels of various vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, riboflavin, and vitamin B12. You can use an equal amount of mayo as a substitute.
Pesto
Pesto is a popular Italian pasta topping from Liguria, specifically Genoa. Basil, extra-virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, pecorino cheese, pine nuts, garlic, and salt are traditionally smashed in a ceramic or stone mortar to create this flavorful sauce. It can be produced from scratch or bought ready-made.
It has more nuttiness than mayonnaise. To keep pesto from oxidizing, keep it refrigerated in a sealed container with oil on the surface. It can be used for 2-3 days, but the flavor of the basil changes and turns slightly bitter after that. To add color and aroma to toast and rolls, use pesto instead of mayonnaise.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is distinguished from other yogurts by the whey removed during the straining process. Lactose, a natural sugar found in milk, is found in whey, which is a liquid. A popular dairy product is a Greek yogurt.
A snack made with high-protein yogurt is more satisfying and hearty, and it’s also fantastic in smoothies or blended with fruit and whole-grain cereal for breakfast. Not to mention that whether making tacos, dips, or baked potatoes, plain Greek yogurt can be substituted for mayonnaise to reduce calories and saturated fat.
You may also use it for mayonnaise in your favorite homemade salad dressing recipes to increase the nutrient profile and deliciousness.
Mustard
Mustard is a spice prepared from mustard plant seeds. To prepare a mixture or sauce, whole, crushed, cracked, or bruised mustard seeds are combined with water, vinegar, lemon, wines, other fluids, salt, and often other flavorings and spices to produce a hue ranging from bright yellow to dark brown.
Mustard seed is abundant in protein and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and niacin, yet low in calories and cholesterol. Mustard is a member of the crucifer family, which includes turnips, radishes, horseradish, and watercress, spicy foods.
Salads and sandwiches can benefit from the citrusy flavor of honey mustard. On the other hand, Dijon mustard is spicier and bolder, making it a better choice for some recipes. You can also try various mustard varieties, such as yellow, French, or spicy brown mustard.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you eat tuna without mayo?
Sure! Everything is good in moderation, but tuna is a lean protein that can be used in various recipes, making it an excellent option for a nutritious dinner.
Is there such thing as healthy mayo?
“Healthier” mayonnaise choices include canola and olive oil mayonnaise. Both have more monounsaturated fats, which are good for your heart, but they have the same number of calories.
How do you make canned tuna taste less fishy?
You can make tuna salad taste less fishy by adding sugar, but it’s not the only option. Some people use grapes, while others use pickle relish, which has a delicious flavor.
Conclusion
While mayonnaise has a lot of amazing qualities that make it good for recipes, it might not be the most readily available for your desired flavoring in tuna salad. If you want some change in taste, make sure to check out the alternatives listed above. They’ll help you get a fantastic result for your dishes, especially if you’re running low on supplies.