Your Tuna Salad Will Get An Instant Boost From One Simple Addition

Tuna salad tends to divide an audience, with haters endlessly denouncing it and supporters staunchly defending it from slander. If you've clicked this link, I assume you're either already pro-tuna salad, or that you want to be and you're looking for a way to zhuzh it up and craft yourself a meal more suited to your tastes. Honestly, even the staunchest supporter should shake things up every so often. Variety is the spice of life, after all — and it turns out that garlic can be, too.

There are endless unexpected ways to use garlic in a dish, and just as many ways to cook up the garlic you may have lying around the kitchen. Roasted garlic is perfect for your tuna salad as it tastes sweeter and mellower than when raw. The simplest method involves cutting off the top of a bulb of garlic and sticking the whole thing, skin and all, into an oven. Tuck the bulb into a little aluminum foil blanket to keep it insulated and safe from scorching. 

Roast your bulb at a slightly lower temperature; around 350 degrees Fahrenheit for up to an hour should do it, or you could try 400 degrees for slightly less time. The cloves should be soft and squishy all the way through. Wait for the bulb to cool, and you can squeeze the cooked cloves right out with ease. You can roast individual cloves, too, but they're more likely to burn — so if you do want to try it, just completely cover them in oil first.

Now that you've got your garlic nice and roasted, it's time to make a next-level tuna salad. You can add the garlic cloves whole for a chunkier texture, or mash them into a fine paste if smooth and creamy is your vibe. You could toss in just a clove or two if you prefer a milder taste, or add half a bulb — or even the whole thing! Who's going to stop you? It's all about personal preference.

Make the rest of your tuna salad as usual, or consider using this as a chance to try out a different brand of canned tuna or mayonnaise. Our personal favorite is the famous Japanese Kewpie mayo that's taken America by storm thanks to its tasty ingredient list. It includes tangy rice wine vinegar and just the egg yolks rather than whole eggs for extra richness, and it goes great with tuna.

You could add even more ingredients to bump up your tuna salad's flavor profile and texture, like crushed potato chips or diced raw onion. Radish or kimchi are also ingredients that give your tuna salad needed crunch, and the latter pairs perfectly with savory garlic notes. Don't be afraid to go strong and be bold. Who knows? You may just find yourself making your newest favorite tuna salad recipe.