Finely dice the celery into 1/4-inch pieces and mince the red onion and pickles into small, even pieces—this ensures they distribute evenly throughout the salad and don't create unpleasant texture bites. Mince the garlic clove finely and chop the chives. Measure out the salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika into a small bowl, then have your lemon juice and mustard ready.

Transfer the cottage cheese to a food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy. This creates the ideal texture for binding all the ingredients together and gives the salad a more cohesive, luxurious mouthfeel rather than a chunky consistency. If you prefer a slightly thicker salad, you can blend it for just 30 seconds for a more textured result.

Open the tuna and drain it thoroughly, pressing gently with the back of a spoon to remove excess water without breaking up the chunks. Transfer the drained tuna to a medium mixing bowl and flake it slightly with a fork to break up any large pieces. I find that tuna in water has a better, firmer texture than oil-packed varieties, and draining it carefully prevents a watery salad.

Add the blended cottage cheese from Step 2 to the tuna in the bowl, then add the dijon mustard and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine, then fold in the celery, red onion, pickles, and garlic from Step 1. Finally, add the chives and sprinkle in the salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Mix gently until everything is evenly distributed—be careful not to overmix, as this can break down the tuna further and make it mushy.

Taste the salad and adjust seasonings if needed. If desired, add a few dashes of hot sauce for a subtle kick that complements the richness of the cottage cheese. Serve immediately on your choice of bread for a sandwich, with crackers for a light snack, or nestled in crisp lettuce leaves for a low-carb option.