Tuna Apple Salad

This is a light and creamy pasta salad filled with flaky tuna, crunchy bites of apple, celery, and onion, and just enough dressing to coat the pasta and pull everything together. This pasta salad with tuna and apples is terrific for a light summer lunch or dinner.

Apple Pasta Salad

I am all in favor of fully loaded pasta salads. Tender noodles and lightly roasted vegetables come alive with a zesty dressing in this Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad. Pasta salads with more vegetables than pasta? Just pass me a fork.

For a girl who never really enjoyed tuna until she was in her thirties, I’m sure making up for lost time. I adore a hearty tuna pasta salad and love how versatile they can be.

Tuna pasta salads are pretty awesome with the addition of jalapeno and cheddar cheese and Mediterranean flavors work well too with olives, tomatoes, tuna, and fresh parsley tossed in a tangy herb dressing. 

So, when I was craving a tuna salad and my eyes fell on the honeycrisp apple in the fridge, I decided to try something new. Lucky for me, this new apple pasta salad combination is a win!

Tuna Apple Salad

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

Salad Ingredients

• elbow macaroni
• canned tuna 
• red onion 
• celery
• apple

I typically use a honeycrisp or granny smith apple in this recipe.

Dressing Ingredients

• mayonnaise
• apple cider vinegar
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• sugar

Tuna Macaroni Salad

Start by cooking the pasta according to the directions on the package, adding a generous tablespoon or so of kosher salt to the water as it cooks.

Drain the cooked pasta into a large colander. Rinse well with cold water to halt the cooking process.

Stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked pasta and stir well to coat.

Add the tuna, red onion, celery, and apple to the bowl with the pasta. Stir again.

Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir again just before serving.

Full disclosure, we’re a family divided on this apple tuna salad. I very much enjoyed it and my two older boys did as well, eating it for a few days in a row while I was tweaking the recipe.

My husband and youngest were not fans of this one. For lack of a better description, they decided that the apples were just too “weird” in this one. Me? I’ll eat their portion happily!

For a few more great pasta salads, add these to your summer meal plan. This Potluck Pasta Salad is filled with bell pepper, pasta, tomatoes, olives, red onion, and cheese. It’s delicious warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Pasta salad with berries and spinach tossed in a light balsamic vinaigrette? Oh yes, we do that too and you’re going to love it when you try it.

What’s not to love about a Bacon Pasta Salad filled with chewy bites of bacon and chunks of hard-boiled eggs? This creamy pasta has a bright, smoky dressing made with just a few ingredients and it’s a perfect match for the bacon and eggs.

Tuna Apple Pasta Salad

5 from 2 votes

This is a light and creamy pasta salad filled with flaky tuna, crunchy bites of apple, celery, and onion, and just enough dressing to coat the pasta and pull everything together.

Pin Print Review

Servings: 8

Ingredients 

Pasta Salad Ingredients

• ▢ 10 ounces elbow macaroni
• ▢ 10-14 ounces canned tuna well-drained
• ▢ ½ small red onion finely minced, about ½ cup
• ▢ 2 celery ribs sliced very thin, about ½ cup
• ▢ 1 large apple chopped into ½-inch pieces, about 1 cup

Dressing Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sugar

Instructions

• Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, adding a generous tablespoon or so of kosher salt to the water as it cooks. Drain the cooked pasta into a large colander. Rinse well with cold water to halt the cooking process.
• Stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked pasta and stir well to coat.
• Add the tuna, red onion, celery, and apple to the bowl with the pasta. Stir again. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir again just before serving.

Notes

I typically use a honeycrisp or granny smith apple in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal · Carbohydrates: 30g · Protein: 12g · Fat: 11g · Saturated Fat: 2g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g · Monounsaturated Fat: 2g · Trans Fat: 0.03g · Cholesterol: 19mg · Sodium: 170mg · Potassium: 172mg · Fiber: 2g · Sugar: 4g · Vitamin A: 46IU · Vitamin C: 1mg · Calcium: 17mg · Iron: 1mg

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