I hadn’t had Tuna Salad in years, but I was immediately drawn to a Tuna Salad recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook. The old recipe brought back warm memories of lunches with friends and family where Tuna Salad was a prominent part of the meal.
The recipe did not disappoint. The recipe made a classic tuna salad, and was very quick and easy to make.
Here’s the original recipe:
The recipe called for “one small cup chopped celery or cucumber.” When I made the recipe, I assumed that a “small cup” was the equivalent of a 6-ounce tea cup – or about 3/4 cup. I used enough mayonnaise to bind the other ingredients together – about 1/4 cup. And, I skipped the extra mayonnaise garnish.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Tuna Salad
2 5-ounce cans tuna
3/4 cup celery or cucumber, chopped (I used celery.)
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Put the tuna in a bowl, and use a fork to flake. Add celery or cucumber, onion, and mayonnaise; stir to combine. If desired, serve on lettuce leaves.
A Hundred Years Ago 
I make tuna salad regularly, although I add a bit more to mine: depending on what’s on hand, it could be grapes, raisins, hard-boiled egg, apple.
They’d be good additions.
I love a good tuna salad. Better yet, tuna casserole. Yum.
hmm. . . Now you have me wondering if I’ve ever seen a recipe for tuna casserole in a hundred-year-old cookbook. I don’t think that I have. They probably became popular mid-century.
That does bring back memories.
Hopefully good ones.
Perfect for a ladies’ tea room lunch, right? It looks very pretty.
Wow, I hadn’t thought about those old-fashioned tea rooms in ages. This would be perfect for a tea room lunch.
The last time I had lunch with my grandmother at a tea room, we had tuna salad on lettuce, and tea in vintage tea cups.
It sounds lovely. What a nice memory.
This recipe is just like the tuna salad my mother prepared. I loved it and still fix it the same way myself.
It’s how I would make tuna salad, too. It’s a nice basic recipe that has stood the test of time.
Simple, but always delicious!
Sometimes simple is best.
Some things never change! This one is a classic!
I agree – this is a classic.
I love Tuna. My Mom used to make it with Carrots.
mmm . . . carrots would be a nice addition.
A basic that is so easy to customize. Lunch tomorrow!
I like how you described this recipe – it’s easy to customize. Hope you enjoyed the Tuna Salad.
Tuna salad is one of my favorite lunches and this post made me smile as I thought about the pleasure of tuna for lunch. As a sandwich, just by itself, or tossed in a garden salad it never disappoints. I use this recipe plus stir in sweet pickle relish, always delicious!
Tuna is so versatile. Sweet pickle relish would be a nice addition to this recipe.
You should try the bread sandwitch made with tuna , mayo and with some iceberg lettuce! So yummy 😋