Ina Garten Uses This Simple Ingredient To Make Her Tuna Sandwiches Shine

Hostess extraordinaire, inspiring chef, and kitchen confidante of celebrities, Ina Garten has her pulse on simple ways to make even the most basic foods more delightful. One of those staple dishes is a humble sandwich mainstay: tuna salad. Garten likes to liven up tuna's flavor profile, which can lean toward one note and potentially a fishy one, with an herbaceous punch by adding a generous handful of freshly chopped dill.

In a "Barefoot Contessa" episode on Food Network, Garten adds dill to her Spanish tuna when making a tuna melt sandwich. Dill may not be the green addition that immediately comes to mind when you think of tuna salad, where tidbits of celery usually reign supreme. But the addition of this delicate herb almost veers toward licorice territory, pushing this common sandwich filling beyond basic to zingy. What's more, the fresh dill cuts through the potentially cloying mayo binder, lightening up a sandwich that can tend to feel heavy or stodgy, making it a bright upgrade for your tuna salad.

Ina Garten is a firm believer in two kitchen tenets: using top-shelf ingredients that make foods shine and cooking foods people enjoy eating at home. Both of these concepts are evident in her take on tuna salad as her go-to canned tuna is Spanish or Italian, packed in oil, typically in glass jars, for next level flavor. The jarred tuna may be pricier, but its flavor is both rich and mild and this prized iteration usually features large meaty chunks. When combined with the grassy dill, Garten's tuna salad instantly goes from mid to luxury.

If tuna is part of your regular lunchtime rotation, you can keep it interesting by trying other riffs on this classic. Go beyond dill by adding smashed avocado, which lends a lush texture and richness while reducing the amount of mayo needed to bring it all together. Or elevate your tuna sandwich with the tang of pickled onions and celery, or consider tossing in apples, pepitas, or crushed potato chips for an unexpected crunch.