Do you know Subway’s tuna salad or how to prepare it at home? Whenever I’m in the mood for a healthy and delicious salad or sandwich filling, Subway’s tuna salad is my favorite go-to.

Almost everyone is a lover of Subway and this may be because their sandwiches are to die for, especially those with tuna salad fillings. I’m a huge lover of Subway’s, and their tuna salad is one option I can’t resist. Today, I will be giving you the Subway’s tuna salad recipe so you can make this on your own if you don’t have the time to get one from the source.

Tuna salad is basically a blend of tuna and mayonnaise, which are the two major ingredients. Other ingredients include pickles, grains, and relish. The tuna used in the salad is usually pre-cooked, canned, or packaged in water or oil.

When this spread is placed on a bread slice, it becomes a tuna salad sandwich. Tuna salad can also be served on top of lettuce, avocado, tomato, crackers or by itself.

Although mayonnaise is often used, healthier alternatives such as mashed avocado and a squeeze of lemon juice can be used in the preparation of tuna salad. The beauty of tuna salad is that different recipes exist. With the addition or subtraction of one ingredient, you can still expect to enjoy a filling meal.

Salad dressing options are also allowed.

Stories abound that the origins of tuna salad can be dated back to 1907, where it was first documented. By 1914, dozens of recipes had been released already. In essence, tuna salad has been eaten for over 100 years now.

Light meals like salads—which are often ordered and bought from restaurants like Subway when you’re on the go—can also be prepared from the comfort of your home. One such example is the healthy Subway salad, full of vegetables and tuna fish and drizzled with mayonnaise.

There is, of course, a standard build for the Subway salad. Subway tuna salad ingredients consist of basically five vegetables, namely: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, and onions.  You are free to add or subtract toppings as you wish. The mayonnaise manages to give the meal a creamy taste that can’t be resisted.

Subway tuna salad is one meal that is not only healthy and delicious like I said earlier on, but also delightful. The dressing is just perfect and incredibly tasty. Subway’s tuna salad cannot simply be ignored, and that’s probably why you want to learn how to make tuna like Subway can.

Subway tuna salad is a simple-to-prepare and light meal that can be eaten as a snack. With the simplest of ingredients that you can usually find in your fridge, this is one salad that can easily be made at home.

You can take it to picnics or prepare it for the kids to enjoy. It is also a good dinner choice. This is one meal you can afford to have cravings for if you’re looking to get a boost of protein.

Many are curious as to how Subway’s tuna salad tastes so darn wonderful, and are seeking to know how to prepare it from home. So, we’ll be looking at a recipe for tuna salad, and not just any—this is for Subway tuna salad.

How to Make Subway Tuna Salad

Subway tuna salad can easily be prepared at home with no stress at all. Below is a step-by-step recipe on how to make a perfect subway tuna salad.

Subway salad recipe

Serving size: 4-6 people

Ingredients:

  • 5 ounces (2 cans) of light chunk tuna (in water, drained)
  • 4 lettuce leaves, torn
  • 1 big ripe tomato
  • ½ red onion
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • 1½ tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • 1 cucumber, just a portion
  • 1-2 fresh green bell peppers
  • 1½ tablespoons pickle relish
  • A teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Directions:

  1. Wash hands properly before you start to cook.
  2. Assemble all the vegetables. Wash the onion, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and green pepper thoroughly before you slice them. This can be done with the aid of a vegetable washer, or manually using the kitchen sink.
    Slice onion, cucumber, lettuce and tomato into thin rings.  (If preparing for kids, take care to mince the vegetables nicely so they can chew with ease). Finely chop the pepper also. Combine the sliced vegetables in a salad bowl with the already torn lettuce leaves. Set aside for later.
  3. Next is the draining of the tuna from the can. Open the can with the aid of a can opener and pour drained content into the mixing bowl. Now, add the pickle relish and mayonnaise and mix together with a spoon or spatula.
  4. Stir vigorously for about 3 to 4 minutes until all the chunks are completely broken down. You can also make use of a food processor or a blender to ensure a smooth blend, as blending gives a smoother texture which is highly desirable. For a subway tuna full of chunks, you can add more tuna chunks to the mixture of mayonnaise that has been blended.
  5. Scoop your tuna mixture into the veggie salad. This can be arranged carefully to give it a beautiful aesthetic design and it can be kept in the refrigerator for later. Better still, mix well, and if there’s any excess dressing, put that in there too to chill.
  6. Your subway tuna salad is ready! Serve and eat as a salad or use it as a filling for a Subway sandwich. Just find some bread slices, toasted or plain, and fill the insides with mustard before you slather on your tuna salad.

The above recipe is an easy-to-follow recipe on how to make Subway tuna salad. For a healthier and better salad, fresh tuna can be used instead of canned tuna.

Skipjack tuna is a common and highly recommended species to buy and make use of. This recipe is a simple one, and as always, I love variety. This recipe can be played with to give you different variations of the Subway tuna recipe at home. You’re welcome to try and add your own personal touch.

Other amazing variations of this Recipe

Still talking about varieties and add-ons, I’ll be sharing some easy tips on how to tweak this meal to suit your taste or anybody’s taste. To get a healthier version, classic-style version, or even a cheesy version, try out some of what I will be suggesting.

This recipe can’t just be limited to the classic mayo and tuna. For a healthier and flavor full tuna salad, the addition of fresh ingredients like fresh dill adds a great flavor boost.

Other add-in includes raisins and hard-boiled eggs (yes, this can be applied). Finely-diced crunchy celery and sunflower seeds would be a great addition too. Even finely shredded carrots are a welcome idea. For even more flavor, consider a touch of Dijon mustard plus a kiss of lemon zest and sea salt.

You can always put some cottage cheese into your salad to get a cheesy salad with a bout of extra creaminess. Cottage cheese contains tons of proteins and calcium and it’s thus considered an ideal replacement for mayonnaise. In the absence of cottage cheese, avocado, Greek yogurt, or Cannellini beans can be used as a substitute instead.

Don’t forget to make use of a food processor or blender to achieve the same thickness as the mayonnaise. If you happen to have them, green olives are another great addition to your salad. You can also consider granny smith apples, sliced or diced.

The ideas are numerous and the options to choose from diverse. All it takes is to put those ideas to work and bring out the inner foodie in you.

When it comes to dressings, a perfect salad dressing option is a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a tablespoon of balsamic glaze. Balsamic vinegar or a different kind of dressing can be used instead too.

Tidbits and Tips for Tuna Salad

  • Choose your favorite variety of tuna: For canned tuna, I use chunk light tuna (in water) or skipjack tuna if I’m using fresh tuna. You can also use spicy tuna instead of the regular canned tuna. So choose whatever works for you and if you have a favorite, feel free to use it.
  • Are you a vegetarian? Then you can simply get the vegan version of canned tuna and put ketchup instead of mayonnaise on it.
  • A hint of mustard: Just a touch of Dijon mustard to your tuna salad can make all the difference, as it’s really tasty. Yellow mustard or whole grain mustard can be used as well.
  • Fresh herbs for glorious flavors: Additions of herbs make the salad tastier. Examples of these herbs include fresh dill, chives, parsley, thyme, or even cilantro.
  • Ways to enjoy tuna salad: Tuna salad can be enjoyed in the sandwich form on a toasted bagel or bread. Scooped up with crackers, it gives a mighty taste. It can also be enjoyed over fresh greens, or on its own.

Another reason why I love subway tuna salad is that it is extremely nutritious. More so, it’s healthy and nutritious when made from your kitchen table with all the fresh ingredients you can get. It is a mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats but mind you—zero trans fat is involved in this mix.

Essential nutrients like sodium and iron are not left out.

The standard calorie count of the salad mounts up to about 310, at least if you’re wondering about the classic Subway tuna salad calories.  Of this, 215 are from fat.

The fat comes mostly from the tuna and mayonnaise, but looking beyond fat content, the subway tuna salad also offers some very important nutrients in relatively high quantities. These nutrients include protein, dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and lest I forget, omega 3 fatty acids.

But just in case you don’t follow everything I just mentioned, be rest assured that the meal is full of complementary ingredients which give the sum total of a healthy salad.

If you easily tire of tuna or just don’t like the taste but would love to give this recipe a try, rotisserie chicken or thin strips of streak would be a good substitute. Both would give an extremely tasty and delicious, but bear in mind that the taste won’t be totally the same as that made from tuna.

I’ve just said a lot about this dish and now, your Subway tuna salad recipe is within your reach. What are you waiting for? Why not give this a try and let the taste you get from it be a worthy testimony. Indulge in your tuna recipe and cure your cravings.

Author

Peter's path through the culinary world has taken a number of unexpected turns. After starting out as a waiter at the age of 16, he was inspired to go to culinary school and learn the tricks of the trade. As he delved deeper, however, his career took a sudden turn when a family friend needed someone to help manage his business. Peter now scratches his culinary itch on the internet by blogging, sharing recipes, and socializing with food enthusiasts worldwide.

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