White Bean and Tuna Salad
Canned cannellini beans and good tuna tossed in a lemon and olive oil dressing with red onion, capers, and fresh parsley. Italian pantry cooking at its most practical — no mayo, no cooking, ten minutes, legitimately satisfying.
Ingredients
Meat & Protein
- 2 cans tuna in olive oil 5 oz each, drained — yellowfin or albacore, olive oil pack preferred over water pack
Produce
- 0.25 red onion very finely diced
- 1 lemon juiced
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 1 can cannellini beans 15 oz, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp capers drained
- 3 tbsp olive oil good quality extra virgin
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Seasonings & Spices
- 0.25 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly cracked
Instructions
- Make the dressing: whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and Dijon mustard in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Add the drained cannellini beans, drained tuna, red onion, capers, and fresh parsley to the bowl. Toss gently to combine — you want the tuna to stay in larger flakes, not shredded. Taste and adjust salt, lemon, or pepper as needed.
- Serve as is, over arugula, or scooped onto crusty bread. Finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Notes
Tuna packed in olive oil makes a noticeably better salad than tuna packed in water — it stays flakier and has more flavor. Brands like Genova or Wild Planet are worth the extra dollar or two. If you only have water-packed, drain it well and add an extra tablespoon of olive oil to the dressing.
This salad holds well in the fridge for up to three days and actually improves overnight as the beans absorb the dressing. Store without the parsley and add fresh just before serving.
To serve two different ways from one batch: eat half as a salad over arugula tonight, scoop the rest onto toasted sourdough for lunch tomorrow.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!