Tuna Salad Composée Recipe (2024)

This may look like an odd list of ingredients to add to tuna salad (mustards? pepperoncini? roasted almonds?), but it is the best tuna salad I've ever eaten. (OK, pan bagnat is another class of "tuna salad" entirely.) I whisked together the dressing (oil, mustards, vinegar, lemon juice, pepper) before tossing it with the tuna and other salad ingredients. I thought it needed a little less olive oil and quite a bit more lemon juice (I used a Meyer lemon). Wonderful!

Are we using fresh \ raw pepperoncini or the pickled \ bottled ones?

I used pickled/bottled "all-natural" pepperoncini from Divina. (Mezzetta brand contains yellow dye and sodium bisulfite; Divina uses citric acid and turmeric for similar effect.)

I've been making this for years since it appeared in te NYT Magazine. Much better than salad with celery and mayo. The ingredients can be varied. Use the peppers you have. I've used fresh green chilies like Anaheims or poblanos or even cubanelles. Just gauge the heat depending on the pepper variety. Scallions are important but shallots work OK. Capers are good, too. When we had a garden, I chopped some of my wife's homemade garlic dills which had a green chili in each quart.

I've been making a tuna salad like this for many years, inspired by an Italian sandwich joint in Chicago -- mine includes fresh basil instead of dill, and capers and thinly sliced sundried tomatoes instead of the nuts. But they seem like cousins, with fresh herbs, salty tang and crunch. It's hard to face the gloppy mayo version after learning there's another way.

I am going to assume jarred. When I make Mediterranean tuna salad I always used the jarred after I drain them. I get the ones already sliced so I only have to slice them a bit. Less work!

I prefer canned, wild-caught salmon. Include the skin and the spine (chop the spine until it's mush, both are high in calcium) freshly grated ginger, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper powder, honey mustard, deli mustard, horseradish sauce (the creamy kind), just a Touch of mayo, chopped cilantro, herbes de Provence (basil, thyme, winter savory, fennel seed and lavender flowers) a very small amount of cumin seed, balsamic vinegar, chopped celery, diced tomato, and chopped red onion.

This is gorgeous tossed with spaghetti too!

If you don't mind (or prefer) a smooth consistency, chop the almonds a bit in a food processor, then add another ingredients and process to the desired consistency.

I eagerly ate this while still standing in the kitchen. It was finished before my bread could toast! Used less EVOO and added half a chopped gala apple to balance the flavors and textures with sweetness and airiness.

Excellent just as is. Use the best real olive oil you can find, like Graza. Capers are a good addition, and add a layer of sour cream and onion potato chips on top for extra crunch. This is a good option for a tuna melt at the end of a long day. Serve with a creamy soup. Bon appetit y'all.

Absolutely delicious, i added capers and a bit more lemon juice.

I eagerly ate this while still standing in the kitchen. It was finished before my bread could toast! Used less EVOO and added half a chopped gala apple to balance the flavors and textures with sweetness and airiness.

Used Mama Lil’s peppers instead, lots more lemon juice, pistachios and pumpkin seeds. Delightful.

Loved this recipe. It needed the heavier side of freshly ground pepper. We used non olive oiled Tuna, and about half of the quantity of pepperoncinis, and it turned out great!

Harmonious blend of flavors. I used home pickled hot red peppers instead of pepperoncini only because I had them. It did add a bright red color to the dish. I ate it on a bed of lettuce and would eat it on a sandwich, on a cracker, or straight from the bowl.

I added capers and chopped cornichons as well, then put in some fresh sunburst tomatoes. The tomatoes offset the additional brine and brought the flavor to an A

This is delicious! I used tuna in water and it tasted great. Pickled pepperoncini adds a nice tart contrast and almonds add crunch. Yum!

Absolutely fast and delicious!!!!!

Used pickled red onion in place of peppers.

Didn't have pepperoncini, so I used pickled jalapeño and frozen dill. Still magical!

I used fresh medium hot peppers instead of pepperoncini, and filberts instead of almonds. I suggest putting it together first without the tuna and letting that sauce melt together for awhile before adding the tuna. It was delicious.

So yummy! So many flavors going on and love that I didn’t need to use any mayo. I also didn’t use “high quality” canned tuna and it still came out yummy. Will become a staple!

I used fresh medium hot peppers instead of pepperoncini, and filberts instead of almonds. I suggest putting it together first without the tuna and letting that sauce melt together for awhile before adding the tuna. It was delicious.

Just prepared this for lunch tomorrow and it turned out great. The crunch of the almonds with the dill and pepperoncini--it's a very nice combination. I only ended up using two tablespoons of olive oil, and the juice of one lemon (about two tablespoons). Very much looking forward to tomorrow's sandwich.