The Pickled Ingredient That Electrifies Tuna Salad

One of the reasons why tuna salads are so tasty is because of the slew of flavorful ingredients in a traditional tuna salad recipe that blend deliciously with the fish. Among these are bitter celery, sharp-tasting onions, and sweet pickle relish. But if you want to put a pickled twist on your tuna salad that will add a pop of color and elevate its flavor profile, add pepperoncini peppers to your dish. This yellow-green chili pepper will add a vibrant yellowish hue to your salad, as well as some subtle spice, sour flavor, and extra texture. 

Pepperoncini are typically sold pickled, which contributes to their tanginess. If you're worried about heat, these peppers register on the Scoville heat scale anywhere between 100 to 500, so are very mild and sit only slightly higher than green bell peppers. But when you add pepperoncini to your tuna salad, they'll give your dish more kick from their flavor, bite from their crunch, warmth from their spice, and electric shine from their yellowy brightness. 

Mixing julienned pepperoncini into your tuna salad will definitely give it an aesthetic and flavorful boost. But if you want even more flavor in your dish, you should mix pepperoncini juice into your salad as well. Pepperoncini peppers come jarred in pepperoncini juice, and the liquid is composed of vinegar, salt, and its own juices, mixed with other seasonings that may have been added during the pickling process. This combination of ingredients in pepperoncini brine gives it lots of flavor that you can infuse into your tuna salad.

To incorporate pepperoncini juice in your tuna salad, simply mix the liquid with your tuna, mayonnaise, and other seasonings and toppings. Your final dish will become loaded with flavor. Pepperoncini won't just elevate your tuna salad, though. They are also the slept-on ingredient for a more robust chili, and they're a flavorful addition to an Italian beef sandwich. But if you're having your first experience with pepperoncini by mixing it into your tuna salad, make your meal even more delicious by serving it alongside the perfect dippers.

Your pepperoncini tuna salad will taste great on its own. But if you want to enjoy your tuna salad with an accompaniment, there are some great options that will deliciously complement your pepperoncini-imbued salad. Serve some crackers alongside the dish to enjoy some more crunch with every creamy bite of your salad. If you want some extra crispiness and more flavor in your side dish, serve your pepperoncini tuna salad with crunchy plantain chips that will bring a roasted nutty flavor.

Want to have some bread with your meal? Add fluffy and buttery naan to balance the savory flavors in your pepperoncini tuna salad. You can also layer your tuna salad on top of crispy and juicy romaine leaves. After you enjoy your meal and realize pepperoncini were the ingredient that your tuna salad always needed, you'll be delighted to know that there are even more unexpected ingredients you should put in a tuna salad.