Tuna and White Bean Salad

This Italian Tuna and White Bean Salad is fresh, bright, and packed with flavor. Made with cannellini beans, tuna in olive oil, herbs, and lemon basil vinaigrette- it’s fresh, satisfying, and comes together in 15 minutes with pantry ingredients.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: tuna salad, tuna white bean salad

Servings: servings

Author: Elena Davis

Ingredients

For the Salad

2 7-ounce cans tuna in extra-virgin olive oil lightly drained
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans rinsed and drained
½ cup red onion diced
1 cup baby arugula roughly chopped (or romaine or mixed greens)
½ cup Castelvetrano olives roughly chopped
¼ cup flat-leaf Italian parsley finely chopped

Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

¼ cup fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
1 garlic clove finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon honey optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, garlic, honey (if using), and sea salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Stir in the sliced basil and set aside.
Prepare the salad base. In a large mixing bowl, add the drained cannellini beans, diced red onion, chopped olives, arugula, and parsley.
Add the tuna. Gently add the tuna to the bowl, breaking it into large chunks with a fork so it keeps some texture.
Dress the salad. Pour the lemon basil vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
Taste and adjust. Taste and add additional salt, lemon juice, black pepper, or olive oil if needed.
Serve. Serve immediately or let the salad rest for about 10 minutes so the flavors meld together. Finish with extra olive oil and fresh herbs if desired.

Notes

Use tuna packed in olive oil. It’s richer, more flavorful, and authentic to Mediterranean cooking.
Rinse the beans well. This removes excess starch and keeps the salad light and fresh.
Let it sit before serving. Just 10 minutes helps the beans soak up the vinaigrette.
Finish with good olive oil. A final drizzle elevates the whole dish.

Nutrition