Old Fashioned Tuna Salad with Sweet Pickle Relish

This easy old fashioned tuna salad recipe with sweet pickle relish and celery comes together in minutes and makes a delicious tuna salad sandwich for lunch or a light summer supper. With its short ingredient list and classic flavor, it’s the kind of simple pantry recipe that reminds me how satisfying uncomplicated food can be.

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with cooking more simply from older cookbooks — returning to straightforward recipes with fewer ingredients and familiar flavors. After years of collecting recipes, bookmarking ideas, and endlessly scrolling for inspiration, I’ve started craving something calmer and less complicated in the kitchen.

Part of it is wanting to avoid the overwhelm and paradox of choice that seems to follow modern cooking. Part of it is practical too: saving time, saving money, and making everyday meals feel easier and more enjoyable again. I’m discovering that many vintage cookbook recipes really do hold up beautifully.

I made this classic tuna salad for lunch today, and it was exactly the kind of easy summer lunch I’ve been craving lately.

One thing that immediately caught my eye in this recipe was the sweet pickle relish. I first experienced pickle relish in tuna salad years ago at a little restaurant here in Northern Wisconsin and was instantly smitten. Until then, I’d only known more traditional tuna salad recipes without it. That little touch of sweetness completely changed the salad for me, making it irresistible.

I was happy to see the optional relish included in this vintage recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (affiliate link).

The whole thing came together in minutes. I enjoyed it piled onto homemade white bread, but it would also be delicious spooned onto lettuce leaves, crackers, scooped into a tomato or avocado half, or tucked into a pita for an easy lunch.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Tuna Salad

• Ready in about 10 minutes
• Made with simple pantry ingredients
• Short, uncomplicated ingredient list
• Perfect for sandwiches or lettuce wraps
• Classic old fashioned flavor
• Great make-ahead lunch option
• Budget-friendly and satisfying

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Canned tuna, well drained and flaked — I used canned tuna packed in water, drained well. Chunk light or albacore tuna both work nicely in this old fashioned tuna salad recipe. If you’d like to change things up, canned salmon or even canned crab make delicious variations too.
• Finely chopped celery — Celery adds the fresh crunch that gives classic tuna salad its familiar texture. I like it chopped fairly fine so every bite gets a little bit. If you don’t have celery on hand, finely chopped cucumber, diced apple, or even chopped dill pickles can work in its place (if you prefer them to sweet pickle relish).
• Sweet pickle relish (optional, but highly recommended) — For me, this is the ingredient that makes the salad special. The sweet relish adds just enough sweetness and tang to brighten everything up. If you prefer a more savory flavor, you could swap in dill relish or chopped capers instead. Finely chopped bread-and-butter pickles also work beautifully.
• Lemon juice — The lemon juice lightens the richness of the mayonnaise and keeps the salad tasting fresh. Fresh lemon juice is lovely if you have it, but bottled lemon juice works just fine too. A splash of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or even pickle juice can step in if needed.
• Mayonnaise — Mayonnaise brings everything together into the creamy tuna salad we all know and love. Use your favorite brand. If you’d like a lighter version, you could use light mayonnaise or substitute part or all of the mayo with plain Greek yogurt. Mashed avocado would also create a different but delicious variation.

How to Make Old Fashioned Tuna Salad

1. Combine the tuna, celery, sweet pickle relish (if using), lemon juice, and mayonnaise in a medium bowl.
2. Stir until everything is well mixed.
3. Serve on lettuce leaves or use as a sandwich filling.

Tips for the Best Tuna Salad

• I used sweet pickle relish and wouldn’t skip it next time. It adds such a nice little pop of sweetness and tang.
• If you prefer a less creamy tuna salad, start with slightly less mayonnaise and add more as needed.
• If you like your tuna salad less lemony, start with one tablespoon and add more to taste.
• This tuna salad keeps well in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, making it perfect for easy lunches.

Tuna Salad Variations

• Substitute canned salmon or crab for the tuna.
• If using salmon or crab, omit the sweet pickle relish.
• Add 1 to 2 teaspoons capers to the salmon or crab variation for extra flavor.

How to Serve this Tuna Salad

This old fashioned tuna salad works well:

• Made into a sandwich. Homemade white bread made this especially nostalgic and comforting, but any bread you love will work beautifully. As wood pita bread or a wrap.
• Spread on crackers or cucumbers
• Stuffed into tomatoes or avocado halves
• On a bed of lettuce or atop a salad
• Turned into lettuce wraps

Recipe Source: Fannie Farmer Cookbook (affiliate link) (100th Anniversary Edition) by Marion Cunningham

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make tuna salad ahead of time?

Yes. Tuna salad keeps well covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

What kind of tuna works best for tuna salad?

Chunk light tuna and albacore both work well. Use your favorite or whatever you have on hand.

Can I make this tuna salad without relish?

Absolutely. The relish adds sweetness and tang, but the salad is still delicious without it.

What bread is best for tuna salad sandwiches?

White bread, whole wheat bread, sourdough, croissants, and sandwich rolls all work well.

More Thoughts on Simple Cooking

One unexpected benefit of cooking from older cookbooks has been rediscovering how freeing simplicity can feel. Fewer ingredients. Less fuss. Less decision fatigue. More trust in basic techniques and everyday foods.

I’m also making a small change here on the blog to simplify things further and make blogging more enjoyable again. Going forward, I’ll be stepping away from linking recipes directly to the WW app since the app now makes it easy to copy and paste any recipe from the web directly into the Recipe Builder.

If you’re also feeling overwhelmed by complicated recipes and endless online inspiration, cooking from vintage cookbooks can feel surprisingly refreshing. This classic tuna salad recipe is proof that simple ingredients and timeless recipes are often all we really need.

More Old-Fashioned Recipes I’m Loving Lately

• Easy Classic Deviled Eggs
• Easy Egg Salad
• Classic Macaroni Salad Made Lighter
• Laurie Colwin’s Simple Homemake Whole Wheat Bread
• Vintage WW Cottage Cheese Danish
• Easy Old-Fashioned Apple Brownies