This tuna salad sandwich with sauerkraut packs a nutritional punch with lean protein, natural probiotics and fresh veggies. A delicious and healthy anytime lunch!

I've been craving tuna and sauerkraut lately, ever since making a simple tuna sauerkraut salad. I also love a good sandwich. Like one of those nice thick, fresh deli type sandwiches on crusty bread.
Solution: tuna salad sandwich with sauerkraut. So simple, but so satisfying. And this one travels well too if you want to make in advance.
If you're looking for other healthy sandwich ideas, try this avocado chicken salad or these healthy turkey burgers. 🙂
🌿 Ingredients
To keep things simple for quick lunch prep, I used just a handful of ingredients in this recipe:
- Canned tuna
- Celery, red bell pepper, red onion
- Mayonnaise
- Salt & Pepper
- Bread
- Green leaf lettuce
- Sauerkraut
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
The great thing about sauerkraut is that it's available in nearly all large grocery stores now, not just natural foods stores--and it is one of the healthiest ready-made grocery items you can buy. Just make sure it's the kind in the refrigerated section--not the ones on the shelf that use vinegar (there are no live probiotics in those.) If you plan ahead, you can even make your own sauerkraut at home. 😉
📝 Instructions
So the key to this recipe is getting everything chopped and prepped beforehand. Once all of your ingredients are ready to go, it literally takes just minutes to make the tuna salad and assemble the sauerkraut sandwiches.
Assemble the tuna and sauerkraut sandwiches
Toast your bread if you'd like, and wash off some green leaf lettuce.
Assembly is super simple--bread, lettuce, tuna salad and sauerkraut. Done. Super awesome, super healthy sauerkraut sandwiches.
📋 Substitutions
You can use any of the following substitutions in this recipe:
- Celery - substitute cucumber if you don't have any celery on hand
- Red pepper - substitute any other kind of bell pepper (orange, yellow, green) or feel free to leave out; you can also use roasted red pepper
- Red onion - white or yellow onions also work great, as do scallions
- Canned tuna - substitute canned salmon if you'd like
- Green leaf lettuce - red leaf and Romaine lettuce also work great, or just leave out if you don't have any greens on hand
- Gluten free - substitute a crusty gluten-free bread (I like the Canyon Bakehouse Heritage Style breads)
📖 Variations
Here are a few variations on this recipe you can try:
- Tuna and beet kraut sandwich - use beet sauerkraut instead of regular sauerkraut; it's delicious!
- Tuna kimchi sandwich - switch out the sauerkraut with kimchi for an extra spicy kick 🙂
🔪 Equipment
I used the following equipment to make this recipe:
- cutting board
- chef's knife
🍱 Storage
Once assembled, this tuna sauerkraut sandwich will stay fresh for up to 24 hours in a food storage bag or covered container in the fridge.
🎉 Top tip
This sauerkraut sandwich recipe makes a great meal prep lunch! Simply make the tuna salad in advance (it'll store well for 4-5 days in the fridge.) In the morning, toast your bread if desired, and assemble your sandwiches with lettuce, sauerkraut and your pre-made tuna salad.
Enjoy!
🍳 Recipe
Tuna Salad and Sauerkraut Sandwich
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 stalks celery
- ½ small red bell pepper
- ¼ small red onion
- 5 ounces canned tuna I like Wild Planet’s canned tuna which is lower in mercury
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 slices bread or gluten-free bread, any kind
- 2 leaves green leaf lettuce or other lettuce
- ¼ cup sauerkraut or homemade sauerkraut (see notes)
Instructions
- Prep: Finely chop the celery, red pepper and onion, and wash the lettuce leaves; set aside. Place the tuna in a large mixing bowl and use a fork to separate into flakes.
- Mix: Add the vegetables and mayonnaise to the tuna as well as salt and pepper to taste, and mix well to incorporate.
- Assemble: Place one slice of lettuce, half the tuna salad and half the sauerkraut on each sandwich, slice in half and serve.
Hector Rafael Barrionuevo
Allison,
Your recipe for the tuna and sauerkraut was delicious ! Loved the texture-enhancing celery .... An the visual presentation of the steps and ingredients is clear and attractive.
Have you tried making flan ? I want to find a way to make it without all the sugar need for the caramel 🙂
Awesome, healthy food blog !
Allison
I'm so glad you liked it Hector! Thanks for taking the time to write. Oooh--healthy flan: now you're talking. I'm definitely going to have to work on this one;)