Tuna White Bean Salad

This Tuscan-inspired Tuna Salad with White Beans is fresh, protein-packed, and full of Mediterranean flavor with peppery arugula, juicy tomatoes, herbs, capers, and a tangy vinaigrette. Ready in about 15 minutes!

This Tuscan Tuna Salad with White Beans is one of those quick, throw-it-together meals that somehow tastes far better than the effort involved. Creamy white beans, tuna, peppery arugula, crunchy radishes, tomatoes, and fresh herbs are tossed in a bright vinaigrette for an easy, satisfying meal in just 15 minutes.

This recipe came to be while we were remodeling our kitchen. Actually, Brian was remodeling and I was mostly watching-but I still like to say "we," although he'd beg to differ. 😉 With the kitchen torn apart, I found myself relying on simple pantry ingredients and meals that required very little cooking.

And this tuna and white bean salad quickly became a favorite. Add capers or olives for a salty, briny bite, and avocado if you have one on hand. Simple, fresh, and exactly the kind of meal I want when cooking feels like too much.

Ingredients in Tuscan Tuna Salad

• Tuna - Good-quality albacore tuna gives the salad plenty of savory flavor and protein; tuna packed in olive oil would also be delicious here.
• White beans - Creamy cannellini or Great Northern beans make the salad hearty and satisfying.
• Arugula - Adds a fresh, peppery bite; baby spinach or mixed greens can be substituted.
• Tomatoes & radishes - Cherry tomatoes add juicy sweetness while crisp radishes add crunch; cucumber can be substituted for the tomatoes.
• Fresh herbs & scallions - Italian parsley or basil and sliced scallions add freshness and savory flavor; substitute thinly sliced red onion for the scallions.
• Capers or olives - Optional, but highly recommended for a salty, briny Mediterranean punch.
• Vinaigrette - Olive oil, red wine, champagne, or sherry vinegar, Dijon or whole-grain mustard, honey, shallot, salt, and pepper create a bright, tangy dressing. Add a little fresh garlic if you like.
• Optional additions - Avocado, microgreens, or sprouts add extra freshness and texture.

Anyhow, I had to clear everything out from the cupboards and vacate to another kitchen and promised myself that this month I’d try to use up some of our forgotten pantry ingredients because as you can imagine, being a recipe developer, it was getting a little out of hand. To put it mildly! 😉

So today, I was pretty proud of myself using up several pantry items in this one recipe!

Plus, it ended up tasting sooooooo good! And it was such a snap to make. So I thought I’d share, in case you too have a pantry problem. 😉

How to Make Tuscan Tuna Salad

1. Make the vinaigrette. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, or shake them in a jar until emulsified. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and vinegar to your liking.

2. Assemble the salad. Divide the arugula between two bowls and top with the white beans and tuna. Add the radishes, tomatoes, parsley, scallions, capers, and optional avocado or sprouts.

3. Dress and serve. Spoon the vinaigrette generously over the salads, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

Make these in bowls or in mason jars for packable lunches. ( see recipe notes)

The key to a good pantry meal in my book is adding enough fresh ingredients so it doesn’t actually feel like a pantry meal. Or look like one!

So comb through your fridge and see what fresh veggies you have. Raw crunchy veggies are best here- like radishes!

If tomatoes are not quite in season, feel free to sub thinly sliced asparagus, shredded carrots or beets or even cucumbers. Olives are a nice addition too!

And of course, for vegans, you can leave the tuna out and just use more white beans. Or sub another kind of bean in addition to the white beans, like chickpeas. Feel free to add nuts or seeds!

More recipes you may enjoy

• Tuna Pasta with Olive Tapenade & Fresh Tomatoes
• Tuscan Tuna Salad with Arugula & White Beans
• 30 Fresh & Healthy Summer Dinner Ideas!
• Delicious Easy 10-Minute Tuna Salad

Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments below!

xoxo

Tuscan Tuna Salad with Arugula ad White Beans

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 7 reviews

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine
• Prep Time: 15
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 2 1x
• Category: Beans, fish, healthy dinner, salad
• Method: tossed
• Cuisine: Mediterranean
• Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, high fiber, high protein

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Description

Fast and easy recipe for Tuscan Tuna Salad with arugula, white beans, radishes, tomatoes and a simple  vinaigrette. A quick and easy pantry meal that can be made in 15 minutes!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1/2x1x2x

• Vinaigrette (serves 4)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vinegar (red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon very finely chopped shallot (optional, or add finely mince garlic clove)
• 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard or dijon
• Tuscan Tuna Salad (serves 2)
• 2 big handfuls baby arugula
• 1/2 can ( 14 ounce) of white beans ( about 3/4- 1 cup) rinsed, drained
• 1 can (5 ounce) white albacore tuna, drained
• 3 radishes, grated, finely sliced or cut into matchsticks
• 10 cherry or grape tomatoes ( or sub 1 turkish cucumber)
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley ( or 2 tablespoons basil)
• 1-2 scallions, sliced (or sub red onion)
• 1 tablespoon capers or sub olives! ( optional but delicious)
• Optional: avocado and microgreens or sprouts

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Instructions

1. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl (or shake in a jar) and set aside.
2. Place arugula in two bowls, divide beans and tuna and add to the bowls. Garnish with radish, tomatoes, parsley, scallions, capers and optional avocado and sprouts.
3. Spoon dressing over top and season with salt and pepper.
4. Enjoy!

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Notes

Feel free to make this ahead, waithing to dress before eating. OR make these in mason jars- layering in this order: white beans, tuna, tomato, radish scallions, parsley, dressing and topping with the arugula.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 368
• Sugar: 3.3 g
• Sodium: 494.9 mg
• Fat: 18.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 24 g
• Fiber: 7 g
• Protein: 28.6 g
• Cholesterol: 36.1 mg