Tuna Salad Rolls with Pickled Carrots

Turn simple tuna salad sandwiches into a tasty, casual dinner by adding a few unexpected flavors. If you like pickled vegetables, try pickled, shaved carrots as a topping for the tuna. Give the salad a little tang with plain Greek yogurt, some spice with chopped jalapeno, and a bit of sweetness with dried cranberries. Instead of lettuce leaves, add some green with earthy, savory cilantro.

This recipe makes two six-inch sandwiches—enough for two hearty servings. Or, slice the rolls in half for four servings and provide a platter of pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, and sharp cheese as accompaniments.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

For the Carrots

• 3 large carrots
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tsp salt

For the Tuna Salad Rolls

• 2 5-oz cans wild caught tuna in water, drained
• 1 large jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 small celery rib, chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 6-inch crusty sandwich rolls, such as ciabatta or baguette
• 3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves with small stems

Whole Foods Brand Skipjack Tuna 

Drained Tuna 

Preparation

For the Carrots

1. Peel the carrots, then use the peeler to continue shaving very thin ribbons of each one onto a cutting board or plate.

Shaved Carrots

1. Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl, whisking until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Add the carrots, pressing down to submerge. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 2 hours.
2. Drain well before using.

Carrots in Pickling Brine

Pickled Carrots

For the Tuna Salad Rolls

1. Combine the tuna, jalapeno, celery, onion, and cranberries in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the yogurt mixture to the tuna mixture, stirring well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

Tuna Mixture Ready to Dress 

Tuna Salad Ready to Chill

1. Divide the tuna mixture onto the bottom halves of the toasted rolls. Pile drained carrots on each and top the carrots with cilantro.

Tuna Topped with Pickled Carrots

Sandwiches Topped with Cilantro

To serve, place the tops on the rolls and slice each diagonally in half.