Pesto Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Fabulous - and a great way to dress up regular 'ol tuna salad! I did cut back on the pesto a bit and added some minced garlic. I made a wrap sandwich out of this and added some roasted red pepper and crisp romaine lettuce. Perfect with a side of cherry peppers. Thanks DC Girly Girl for another great recipe!

Hats off to the creator of this, girl you ROCK!!! I am not even a fan of tuna, but this was fabulous. I served on little garlic parmesan italian toast, and it was to die for. I can't wait to try it with pasta! Thanks again! Oh, I nearly forgot, I did add some pine nuts, cause I love them, and cut back on the mayo. DIVINE!!

This recipe is phenomenal! I will never eat tuna the old boring way again. The only thing I did differently was add a small crushed garlic clove (I neeeeeed garlic in everything!) and it was perfection!

This is the BEST tuna salad I've ever had. I made it exactly as listed and had with a mutli-grain baguette for a nice work lunch. It would also be great mixed with some crunchy veggies and pasta for a salad. Wonderful!

Delicious! I ended up turning this into a pasta salad (adding in whole wheat rotini) when some guests came over, and there was nothing left in the bowl afterwards! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.

WOW! I would have NEVER thought of this combo! Very tasty! Even threw in a little roasted red pepper.

I love tuna but make the worst tuna salad. Not anymore! The pesto+sun-dried tomato combination is perfect! Thanks!

Great new way of doing tuna! I too was left with half a jar of pesto and leftover sun dried tomatoes... funny how that seems to be the case. :) I too added garlic like one of your reviewers. I had it toasted with a bit of cheddar cheese as well. Gorgeous!

I think of this recipe as a gift from above. Thank you. Like others have said, it is quick and easy to make with excellent results. I loved it. I think you could have probably used less pesto, but for me, it was great. I even through in some jalapenos for some "pow".

This recipe is no short of fantastic. It is super fast to make and very rich in taste. It will go both for lunch or for a light dinner. I have combined it both with baguette and with pasta and it works out great with either one. Enjoy!

WOW! This is just freaking awesome. My husband was sick and wanted to avoid dairy products and such. I had all the ingredients already (and that pesky pesto needed to get USED!) He passed by and tasted the tuna salad as I was making it, and was TOTALLY taken aback by how awesome it tasted. I was too. I had almost exactly 1/4 cup of pesto left, and I actually used 12oz of tuna, therefore doubled the sundried tomatoes. It tasted fine, despite the lack of extra pesto. I will DEFINITELY make this again.

I was very excited to try this recipe when I first saw it, but I found the tuna a bit strange with the rest of the ingredients. In my opinion, I think chicken would be much better in this recipe and I will definitely try this again with chicken instead of tuna. Don't get me wrong, I love tuna salad. I eat it as a sandwich at least once a week and, obviously, there are reviewer whom really like this with tuna. I, unfortunately, am not one of them.

Love this recipe. Thank u for sharing it. Made 3 batches after the first one was tasted. I made some changes though, added 1 red onion and a teaspoon of garlic powder. Used only a tablespoon of mayonaise.

I make my own sundried tomato basil pesto and just mix it w tuna. Very original, I like it!

The sundried tomatoes were extremely overbearing I think if I ever attempt this again I'd use roasted red pepper or nothing

"It wasn't a total waist." That was my husbands response. My kids, who love tuna - "ick" and even I couldn't get over the overwhelming pesto taste just from a finger dipping. We made a fresh batch of our traditional tuna salad rather than eat this.

This was extremely good! I put this on bread that had whole cloves of garlic baked in it. I also added a clove of minced garlic to the recipe. I made my own pesto using the Pesto recipe from this sight. Trader Joe's is a great source for basil, either fresh or the whole plant. This tuna recipe is a new favorite!

This was very good, I loved the combination. I'm always looking for something new with my Tuna.

Pretty darn tasty! I added roasted red peppers and garlic to the mix, and served on artisan bread with a slice of a nice white cheese, lettuce and tomato. It looks (and tastes) like something from a fancy cafe!

This was a nice change from the usual tuna but I wasn't thrilled about the pesto taste. I liked it and may use less pesto next time. The sundried tomatoes were really nice in the tuna.

Ok...I did this recipe with cooked shrimp that I bought from Walmart. I'm low carbing and was looking for something different to do with the shrimp. Followed the recipe otherwise except I added some Old Bay Seasoning. DELICIOUS!!! But then I went stupid and added some relish. DUMB CHOICE. It's still decent but I should have stopped while I was ahead. If you use shrimp instead of tuna...remember this isn't tuna salad and leave well enough alone. Lesson learned... I will make this again next week and follow directions. Hint: Buy pesto ($2.50) and sun-dried ($1.15) tomatoes from Central Market bulk area. It's soooo much cheaper but the quality is still amazing. Update: I just made this recipe again but went by the recipe but with shrimp that I chopped up(manually) and it taste great. I still added a dash of Old Bay which gave it a kick. The only thing missing is a little citrus zing. I didn't have any lemon or lime but I think that would have added the perfect touch. Although I love it with the shrimp I'm still a little scared to try it with the tuna. Which is weird because I'm usually open to try all types of new things and I know it's less expensive than shrimp. I'm sure I'll try it with tuna eventually. Thanks for the great recipes!

Who would've thought the jarred and canned stuff in my fridge and pantry could come together to make such amazing tasting tuna salad? Not me. Next time I'll double it. I could eat this two..three times a week.

I added pine nuts, as suggested above, and cut out all the mayo. It was great!

I love this recipe but the kids didn't.

Excellent! My husband & I both loved this! I started out decreasing the pesto, but ended up adding the whole amount - it is delicious, both on multigrain bread & wheat crackers! I did add about 1.5 tsp minced garlic. I can't say enough how great this is, definately deserving of 5 stars!

I am rating this 4 stars because it's way too much pesto as most other reviewers have noted. I used half the pesto and served this on toasted ciabatta. Oh my goodness, this is a gourmet sandwich! Delicious!! Even my husband (who *hates* tuna) finished his sandwich and went back for seconds. I recommend the "Pesto Sauce" recipe from this site to use in this yummy sandwich.

Loved it! I used fresh tomatoes and cheader cheese, and it was great.

I can't tell you how many times I have made this now after discovering the recipe over a year ago. I've made it using canned salmon. It is just sooo good!

wow. really, really good. I was a little timid to try it out b/c it sounded so weird, but it's VERY VERY good. I lessened the ingredients quite a bit (except for tuna & tomatoes) , b/c it was a little much for a little can of tuna. It is yummy though! thanks!

Interesting combination of flavors. Different from the usual tuna salad. Only used 2T. of pesto/sun-dried tomatoes (as I think 1/4c. would of been too much). This would make a good addition for a finger sandwich assortment for a bridal/baby shower.

Really, really wonderful and excitingly new! I've never tasted anything like it. I actually used three cans of tuna, stuck to the 1/4 cup pesto (just regular, I didn't have basil pesto), threw in an extra tomato or so and used probably just 1 Tbsp mayo, eyeballing the quantities. I put it in a warm pita for a scrumptiously light dinner.

Wow! What a way to mix up the plain old Tuna Sandwich. I did not have sun dried tomatoes so I used some sweet roasted red peppers instead and it was great! I make a tuna melt with fontina cheese. Yummy!

Attempted to make this for lunch tomorrow and just ate it all, lol. Wanted it super low carb and low cal, so I used 4 oz of fresh tuna (broiled), 3 tsp of low fat mayo, several leaves of fresh basil & garlic powder. Instead of jarred pesto w/oil I used 1 tsp. dry pesto powder w/water. Yum-o! Remaking now for lunch. :p

I made this and I really like it. It is totally different from my plain tuna salad. I will start making this often!

Sadly you can tell this recipe has been around for a while. Tuna no longer comes in 6 oz cans. :( Everything is smaller and costs more these days. Sounds delish and I have everything in my pantry to make this.

Delicious! Not very low fat, but certainly worth a few extra calories ;)

This is an excellant recipe! It is every bit as good as the previous reviewers said. I would not change a thing. I found a recipe for basil pesto on this site and the next time I think I will try making my own. Store brands are expensive and I thing I will be making this recipe alot. Thanks, The Peev

Nice variation for tuna. Good warm as tuna melts on ciabatta rolls.

This was just okay for me. I used a 12 oz can of tuna with as much dressing as this recipe called for and it was plenty moist for my taste. I had to doctor it up a bit to get some flavor going. I addded some garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Served on Italian roll with tomatoes and lettuce. Nice for something different.

I made this for a family get-together in Prior Lake, MN. If you like tuna salad sandwiches you will love this unique mixture. One comment was that it was a bit too oily, but that could be remedied by using water-packed tuna, rather than oil-packed tuna.

I was disapointed since it had good reviews. I stayed exact with the recipe, will not make again.

Not bad, but I'm a first time pesto and sun dried tomato user. The fishy taste from the tuna is gone, that's a plus. It is quite interesting. I had it with triscuits. I'd probably make it again.

Good alternative flavor for the typical tuna sandwich

This is very good. Three pieces of pesto frozen in ice cube trays makes the 1/4 cup of pesto you need. I used dried sun-dried tomatoes that I chopped fine and rehydrated with hot water. Added some snipped chive for something fresh. Wonderful - will make again.

This recipe is full of lean protein, healthy fats, and rich delicious-ness. So, so good. If you use commercially prepared pesto, be sure to check for hydrogenated oils. Good brands will just have extra virgin olive oil.

Thank you! What a great change for tuna! I didn't even measure the ingredients-just kinda eyeballed it and it was great both times I have made it because the ingredient combination is yummy!!!

Added some celery, loadsa pepper and some cayenne pepper...

I didn't think this would be too good but I tried because of the reviews and I love it. The flavors of the pesto and the tuna mesh well and the parmesan cheese was an enjoyable touch.

I enjoyed this, however I did not have pesto...will add hat next time and review it again.

Even my pickiest eater enjoyed these. I did use feta cheese.

Love it!

Yumm!!!!!

My father called it a $20 5th ave gourmet tuna sandwich. I served on toasted English Muffins with a piece of romaine lettuce. Tastes amazing!

I followed the recipe loosely with delicious results. I didn't have pesto but did have fresh basil so I used that instead. I also added a bit of mustard and chopped onion. Very good on paninis! I might try adding a little lemon juice next time too.

This was EXCELLENT !! I did add one roasted pepper and some fresh basil leaves chopped. My husband absolutely loved it. Put it on some great crusty Italian bread !!

Pretty good. Definitely a change from the traditional tuna salad. I used sun-dried tomato pesto and I made mini sandwiches (cut off the bread ends and cut the sandwich into 4's). Great as a sampler item!

Great idea with the pesto and sundried tomatoes. I followed the recipe accordingly and added a dash of curry powder, pinch of red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper, and parsley flakes. I love spice in my dishes. I added some egg noodles to make it a pasta salad, chilled it, and served with hot garlic bread when we were ready to eat.

Really good twist to an old classic! I like tuna and trying new things with this, and this has good versatility. Whether on a sandwich or a bed of lettuce, this is a tasty version that is almost sure to please anyone that likes tuna!

This is a great way to change a regular ol' tuna sandwich. I added extra sun-dried tomatoes and a little chopped fresh basil. Very good, especially for those tho aren't fans of tuna to begin with.

Super delish and versatile. Sandwich, wrap, or a pretty scoop in a bed of greens. My kids thought this was tolerable (which is high praise from them). And I thought that it tasted even better the second day. I am definitely adding this into the rotation. Update: Kids actually request this now.

I made it exactly as described. It was really good. Next time I will use less sundried tomatoes and pesto and add roasted red peppers. We ate it with garlic toast and although I loved it my husband thought it was overpowering. I would definitely recommend this recipe for tuna salad. This is a very unique flavor. I also want to try the exact same ingredients but instead of tuna I would add chicken.

Yum! Great alternative from the norm. I actually made a tuna melt with it. I used a french bread, buttered the sides, placed this mixture along with goat cheese on the bread and slightly browned both sides over medium heat... It was fantastic!

Made as directed. Awesome! A good snack to keep around the kitchen when you get the munchies. I used Triscuits. Thanks to the person who posted this.

For rating purposes, I like to make it exactly by the recipe that is given. However, the tuna was just too mushy. For 4 servings, I added an additional can of tuna to thicken it up. This dish was amazing! It was the perfect combination of tuna and pesto. I can't wait for my leftovers for lunch today. If you're looking to turn it into a sandwich, try a croissant with a few leaves of spinach.

SO yummy, and I don't even like tuna all that much! Will definatley make this again!

Too much pesto for me.... I just added 1T of pesto and thought it seemed a little much. May just be personal taste

I am always looking for ways to serve tuna since we always have a can or two in the pantry. This is excellent -- but I did use my own homemade pesto. We will definitely make this again!

I love tuna and this was a great alternative to the plain old mix. I had to "dilute" the pesto though because it was a bit strong by adding another can of tuna (maybe the brand I bought). also because of this, I had to add more mayo but can you have too much of that??!!!

Wow. Made this with Pesto Del Sol from this site, and the result was a very unusual and tasty dish--and a big hit in our house!

Really good! This would be a great way to serve tuna at a party (with some crackers or such). I added some crushed toasted almonds and chopped celery for some added crunch.

CD Girly Girl needs to get bored more often. I WISH I was that successfully creative with my rainy day creations. This was sooo tasty. Great job with this add.

I used sun-dried tomato pesto, and started with 2T and found it to be enough. This is *so* good! Thanks for livening up my tuna sandwich!

This recipe is good. I will make it again. I made wraps with it and added a few slices of avocado and cucumber for a refreshing light summer dinner. I don't think this needs anything else other than praise! Is fast, easy, light, and tasty. Maybe next time I will make it again a day in advance to let flavors to develop and prepare the wraps for a quick lunch or dinner the next day.

Now THIS is interesting!!! If I didn't make it myself, I wouldn't have guessed I was eating a tuna sandwich. The flavors really come together to make an entirely different taste. I used fresh pesto and minced the sundried tomatoes. ALSO, I made a tuna pasta salad w/ this and it is highly recommended!!!!!!

Very tasty. I used lite mayo and may try less pesto next time to decrease the fat content but really takes tuna to another level. Used on the Orowheat Multi-grain sandwich thins.

I made this first with tuna and liked it. Then I made it with chicken and loved it! I served it on some toasted Alpine Valley Super Grains bread (any good multi-grain bread would work with some crisp iceberg lettuce. Just awesome! Thank you for a creative new way to look at tuna/chicken salad!

Delicious ~ I also had a half jar of oil packed sun dried tomatoes in the refrigerator, along with just about 1/4 cup pesto in a small jar so this recipe was a perfect one for me. I followed the recipe as written, I will definitely make it again.

For picky eaters in my family I used less than half of the pesto/sundried tomatoe combination. I personally think this recipe was great! Picky eaters were no so impressed. I used fresh bakery bread lightly toasted with melted Muenster cheese!

This is a great twist to a regular old tuna salad. I loved the pesto flavor and the sun dried tomatoes. I'll definitely be trying this one again.

Wow, this was SO good!!! I added in about a cup of chickpeas (mashed) into the mix (without changing anything else) and it turned out amazing!! I've already done the recipe twice and will definitely make it again!

I am a big fan of both pesto and sun dried tomato so this recipe seemed like a sure thing but the end result was terrible. Way too much pesto. I threw out the sandwich after the first bite. Trust me when i recommend cutting way back on the pesto unless you want a pesto sandwich

I doubled the amount of tuna used but kept everything else the same and it still was delicious!

Deeeelish. Awesome way to dress up a tuna sandwich. Thx DC Girly Girl!

this is a great alternative to the traditional. Has a great flavor..be careful the pesto can be really overpowering. delish..with tomato on whole grain.

Loved this recipe!! I'm also a low carber so was looking for something that was good enough to eat on it's own and this rocks!! I had a few extra ingredients lying around so I added some chopped celery, lemon juice, chopped fresh parsley, olives, chopped hazlenuts, and mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and pine nuts). It added extra crunchiness and was sooo yummy! I also halved the pesto and mayo amounts and didn't have any parmesan but it still turned out GREAT! Thanks so much! I'll be making this all the time now, yaay : )

Excellent for Non-Fish Lovers-- Taste of fish is completely masked with pesto and tomato-- To save some work, I pureed my sun-dried tomatoes and it "tricked" my kids into eating it without compromising the SD Tomato taste. Exellent Recipe!!

Add some crumbled feta and it's the best tuna salad ever.

Mmmm! Took some others suggestions and added some minced garlic and cut back a little on the pesto. Put it on toast and sprinkled on some mozzarella cheese and microwaved for 30 secs. Delicious! Definitely added some great flavors to a simple tuna melt!

I just made this and it tastes great! I'm going to put it on a salad with some black olives and avocado.

I like tuna salad, I love Pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, but this one really didn't work for me or my husband. I made the Pesto myself (don't like store bought ones in this country). At least I could use what was left of the Pesto for a pasta dish... not one to repeat

I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious!! I will definitely be making this again!

This was sooo good and different, i love trying new things like this. I added some blue cheeses as well and it was delicious!

A very different kinda of tuna salad, that meshes nicely and incorporates lots of my favorite elements.

Quick and easy. Loved it!!! I'm a beginner at cooking and it make me look like a pro!!

I made this for my best friend's baby shower and it was a hit! Some of the guests thought the food was catered, which is always a nice compliment! This is the best tuna salad I have ever tasted. The pesto sauce in combo w/ the sun dried tomatoes makes it so very unique. I have never been a fan of your "normal" tuna salad; this brings a whole new meaning. The ingredients are pricey but well worth it; fantastic!

Yummy.A very different tuna sandwich.

I can't tell you how many times I have made this now after discovering the recipe over a year ago. I've made it using canned salmon. It is just sooo good!

I loved this recipe, and you have to believe me when I say I hate canned tuna in all its forms. I was just looking for a semi healthy lunch I could choke down during my kid's nap time, thinking I could hide it with bread and lettuce and other filler but instead I got a tasty snack on wheat thins with absolutely nothing hiding the awesome. If my toddler likes this as an after nap snack I need to cheat the system and find a way to rate this a bajillion stars.

Loved this recipe and it was super easy. I served this with Club crackers. My husband wasn't fond of it, but my sister and her boyfriend loved it as well. And since it is so easy it was worth a try...will make it again.