Tuna salad will instantly 'taste better' with 1 added ingredient

Tuna salad is either a love or hate type of food. Some people might have an aversion to the fishy smell, but a writer believes adding could convert even avid haters.

"For years, I thought I disliked tuna salad," Stella Totino confessed. "But it turns out I was just eating a bad version, bland, overly creamy, and loaded with unexpected chunks of celery." Now, after revisiting canned tuna as a go-to source of protein, she's not only embraced it, but elevated it, swapping mayo-heavy recipes for Italian-inspired versions and adding one ingredient that transforms the entire dish.

Capers add what the writer calls a "briny punch of freshness" that balances out the rich, fatty tuna.

"They bring salinity, a subtle pickled tang, and a depth of flavour that ties the whole salad together," she explained.

The result is a vibrant, savoury dish that's nothing like the bland versions of childhood lunchboxes.

Her go-to tuna salad includes minced shallots, chopped celery, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and either olive oil or a touch of mayo-always with a healthy spoonful of chopped capers.

The key, she says, is preserving the texture of the tuna by folding the mixture gently, allowing the capers to shine through in each bite.

Capers not only elevate the flavour but also help reduce the need for added salt.

Stella prefers the smaller brined variety, which is easier to control in terms of seasoning.

"You can always add more salt, but it's a lot harder to take it away," she added.

Whether served in a sandwich, atop a green salad, or scooped up with crackers, tuna salad gets an instant upgrade with this one inexpensive and widely available pantry item.

If your tuna salad has been lacking something you can't quite put your finger on, capers might just be the secret ingredient you've been missing.