Not Your Mom's Tuna Salad Sandwich

I have lots of fond memories of eating tuna salad sandwiches with my Grandma.  We would be eating lunch after a morning of swimming at the pool, and she would always make me a special sandwich without any celery (I still refuse to eat uncooked celery).  C's childhood tuna salad memories weren't quite so fond, and so it took me a while to convince him that tuna salad sandwiches were a worthwhile lunch option.

This is not your typical tuna sandwich - it's sort of a cross between a tuna melt and a tuna tartine.  I was inspired by Ina Garten's Tuna & Hummus Sandwiches and Gwyneth Paltrow's Tuna Melt recipe with Gruyere.

I don't post a whole lot of lunch recipes, but this is great for a weekend lunch at home.  It doesn't take any longer to prepare than your traditional tuna sandwich, but it packs a whole lot more flavor.

Not Your Mom's Tuna Salad (Makes 2-4 servings, enough for two standard sandwiches or 4 tartines)
5-oz. can solid white tuna packed in olive oil
Zest of one lemon
Juice of half a lemon (about 2 Tablespoons)
1 teaspoon capers, drained
4 slices of bread and butter pickles, minced (or 1-2 gherkins pickles, minced)
2 Tablespoons of Vegenaise 
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper

Serving options: 
4 slices of whole grain bread
Vegenaise and/or Dijon mustard for spreading on the bread
Gruyere cheese, grated
Sliced tomatoes
Bread and Butter Pickles

1. Combine the tuna, lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, pickles, Vegenaise, mustard, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a bowl.

The nutrition facts for one serving of tuna salad, assuming you get 2 servings for 2 standard sandwiches:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 98 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  201 Calories from Fat  108

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  12.0g 19%

Saturated Fat  2.0g 10%

Cholesterol  25mg 8%

Sodium  662mg 28%

Total Carbohydrates  4.8g 2%

Sugars  3.6g

Protein  14.0g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% • Iron 0%

You can eat your tuna salad on two pieces of bread like a normal sandwich, or you can create broiled tartines that are even better.  When you make the tartines and add the tomatoes and cheese, the tuna salad stretches to make 4 servings (unless you're hungry and want 2 tartines, which is entirely possible).

To make the tartines:

Preheat the broiler.

Spread the four slices of bread with some Vegenaise and/or Dijon mustard and add some sliced tomatoes on top. Distribute the tuna salad equally among the 4 slices of bread.  Top with grated Gruyere cheese and some freshly ground pepper.

 

Broil for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Serve with some extra bread and butter pickles.