Herby White Bean Tuna Salad.
This white bean tuna salad is loaded with fresh herbs, roasted red peppers and pickled onions. Dressed in a tangy olive oil dressing and served on sourdough toast, it’s the perfect make-ahead lunch!
Hiiii I’m back with lunch again!
In a perfect world, I would make this for lunch once a week! Or let’s be real: a few days a week. It’s basically a tuna and white bean salad loaded with roasted red peppers, pickled onions and tossed in a delicious dijon vinaigrette. With tons of fresh herbs.
It practically screams FLAVOR!
One of my goals for 2022 was to create more lunch recipes for you! And for myself. I’m always looking for variety, satiety and ease when it comes to lunch. Bonus points if it’s something I can make ahead of time.
While a lot of my lunches tend to include the same flavors – things like mustardy, briney, tart salads and more, I still want to find that versatility and variety that I crave.
Like my chickpea tortellini salad from a few weeks ago – it has a few similar ingredients, but it’s different enough that I can make this and that and feel like I’m not eating the same thing for lunch. You know?!
I’m a crazy person and that’s what is important to me. If I get bored, I’m over my meals!
So. My mom made tuna salad often when we were growing up. I loved it for lunch. The only thing I didn’t love was that she put diced celery in hers. I get it – I’m all about the texture and crunch. But I just can’t with celery.
She would leave a bit for me without celery (win!) and I’d usually do sandwiches. She made a classic mayo-based tuna salad and it was delicious. Not too wet, which is perfect. I rarely (read: never) order a mayo-based tuna salad from a deli or restaurant because it’s often so creamy that I can’t handle it.
Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with tuna in olive oil. We never had that growing up. I started using it on salads, or even using plain tuna packed in water and making my own red wine vinaigrette with herbs.
It was SO GOOD!
One thing I never tried was a full blown tuna salad in olive oil. While you definitely won’t find celery in mine, you will find incredible things like roasted red peppers and white beans. I like to use pickled onions for mine – thinly sliced red onion or shallot works too though.
The white beans are so super creamy. They have great texture against the tuna, The red peppers and soft and briney. And the herbs! I like to use dill, parsley and chives. Basil is good too. I use equal parts to make up roughly ⅓ cup and toss them in. This makes the entire thing taste SO fresh and light.
The vinaigrette for this is my favorite. I use the oil from the jar of roasted red peppers which is one of my most favorite hacks. I actually have a super easy pasta recipe coming for you in a few weeks that uses a jar of roasted red peppers, including the oil! And while you can use the whole jar like that to make a roasted red pepper sauce (the recipe is in Everyday Dinners!), I have another option for you coming soon.
In the meantime, use the oil in that jar to make a dressing! It will blow your mind.
Aside from that oil, I keep the vinaigrette rather simple. A bit of dijon, some salt and pepper, garlic and olive oil. Super delicious and really allows the ingredients with the tuna to shine.
Of course you can make this ahead of time for the week! It gets more delicious as it sits. Those are always my favorite recipes.
My number one way to eat this? On toasted sourdough, open faced. The chewy, crunchy bread is the perfect complement.
However! You can also enjoy this on a traditional sandwich, in a wrap, with crackers, in lettuce cups or even on top of a greens salad. The options are endless and it’s very delicious.
Finally, it is incredibly satisfying! The tuna and white beans are a powerful combo that keep me feeling full.
It is the best!
Herby White Bean Tuna Salad
White Bean Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 ounces tuna packed in water, drained
- ⅓ cup chopped roasted red peppers
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh herbs, like dill, parsley and chives
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion or pickled onions
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon oil from the jar of roasted red peppers
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
- Combine the beans, tuna, roasted red peppers, herbs and onions in a bowl.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, oils and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the tuna and white bean salad.
- Toss everything together and taste. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve on toast, in a sandwich, on salad, in lettuce cups or with crackers. This stays great in the fridge for 3 to 4 days!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Lunch lover!
12 Comments on “Herby White Bean Tuna Salad.”
gracias, muy buena ensalada
I would love to open a “toast” food truck! It’s my favorite thing to eat.
Also the “use the end of jar bits for what I need” is my jam!
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Really some of the best on the internet. Thank you for compiling the same.
https://www.beds4u.uk/
I make something similar but instead of red wine vinegar I use fresh squeezed lemon juice and grated lemon zest for a nice bright summer/ mediterranean kick. Or for a semi fancy luncheon use a ring mold about the size of a tuna can and layer the ingredients starting with the beans on the bottom, then peppers, tuna and onion pouring your herby dressing over top. If your ring is not full enough add a layer of diced roma tomatoes or a peeled, seeded and small cubed cucumber. You could serve it with slices of sourdough cut into long “fingers” and toasted for a rustic crostini.
Do you have nutrition information for this recipe?
On point! Love tuna and white beans and everything about this.
Really not a fan of peppers, roasted or raw. Any suggestions for a substitution that would still add flavor to this?
Absolutely delicious! I read your recipe and tried to copy it but added my personal touch. You are right about tuna in olive oil, it just makes it extra special. Just make sure it’s a quality canned tuna. I omitted the Dijon and added marinated artichokes from Costco, added a bit of the juice, red pepper flakes and used garbanzo beans since it’s the only beans i have in my pantry. Wholly Molly!!! It came out absolutely delicious. The crunch of the toasted sour dough made it 100% legit. Thank you for this inspiration. Love it!
I’m not usually a tuna person but this was great. Your blog has become a favorite after I bought your Everyday Dinners cookbook.
Looks good ! What nutrition information for this recipe?
HOLY CRAP!
I was out of lunch ideas so decided I would give this a try. Honestly I thought it would be fine but when I took a bite I literally said “holy crap! That’s good!” I had to force myself to put it in a container for lunch tomorrow. Otherwise I would have eaten the entire bowl. I’m shocked at how delicious it is!
I made this last night and had it for lunch today, oh my word-it’s so delicious. My red wine vinegar turned so I used apple cider vinegar as a substitute. Fresh herbs I used were parsley and dill and I used fresh red onion. Also used 3 cloves of garlic and lemon zest. I mashed avocado on toasted sourdough and topped with the salad. Thanks so much Jessica, I added it to my recipe box 💚!!