White Bean Tuna Salad

Name: White Bean Tuna Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 jar (12-ounce) marinated artichoke hearts (chopped if desired); Olive oil (if needed to make 1/2 cup dressing from the marinade); 1 can (15-ounce) cannellini beans (white kidney beans) (or other white bean such as navy or Great Northern, drained and rinsed); 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (plus slivers for garnish); 1 tablespoon drained capers; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (to taste); 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice ((approximately 1/2 small lemon), to taste); 3 cans (5-ounces each) chunk light tuna (in water); Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste); Lettuce leaves; Lemon wedges

4.75 from 8 votes

Jump To Recipe

Nix the boring tuna salad lunch with this easy, light, healthful, Tuscan-inspired mayo-free White Bean Tuna Salad with artichokes! You can pull it together in about 30 minutes from items you probably already have in your pantry! Serve with my Pickled Grape Tomatoes or Giardiniera on the side! Delicious!

Tuna, White Bean and Artichoke Salad in serving bowl with serving utensils on blue background.

IN THIS ARTICLE / JUMP LINKS

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

Sometimes, people who cook for a living are so busy cooking for other people that they don’t always eat well. We need easy and healthy, too!

When cooking for a client, I don’t have time to sit down and enjoy lunch because I usually juggle five items at once. A quick bite here and there is pretty much it, so I typically take salads like this White Bean Tuna Salad with me.

Here’s why this white bean tuna salad is so perfect for me and why you’ll love it, too!

It can be pulled together quickly and easily.
It’s loaded with bold, vibrant flavors.
Most ingredients are probably already in your pantry.
It’s portable, so it’s a great grab-and-go lunch.

Salad in serving bowl with serving utensils.

How to Make White Bean Tuna Salad:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this White Bean Tuna Salad recipe, along with how to prep the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

Canned Tuna: Tuna–even canned–is a healthful addition to your diet. Even with rising prices, the price is hard to beat. Tuna is loaded with good, healthful Omega fatty acids your heart LOVES! Here’s the nutritional information on tuna from WebMD. I used chunk light water-packed tuna in this recipe, but oil-packed is fine, too. (The calorie count will be higher.) I think oil-packed tuna tastes better, but water-packed was what I had.
Canned Beans: Use cannellini (white kidney beans), navy, or Great Northern beans. Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are also a great option. Canned beans can be salty because of the liquid they’re packaged in, so drain them in a colander or sieve and rinse well.
Marinated Artichoke Hearts: I’m a fan of Kirkland Marinated Artichoke Hearts in the large jars, but DeLallo in the 12-ounce jars is also a good brand. Whenever possible, I like to save that liquid and reuse it in my recipe, such as in this White Bean Tuna Salad or another recipe, because it’s delicious! If using the large Kirkland jar, measure 1 1/2 cups of artichokes and 1/2 cup of the marinade for this recipe. If the brand you’re using doesn’t have quite 1/2 cup marinade in the jar, add some olive oil to make 1/2 cup.
Capers: Capers are the green, unripened flower buds of the caper bush. They’re available near the pickled products area of your grocery store.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Gather and prep all the ingredients.
Drain the artichokes and reserve all the marinade. You should have approximately 1/2 cup. If not, add olive oil to make 1/2 cup.

Dressing for Tuna, White Bean and Artichoke Salad

Combine the artichoke hearts (chop if desired), the drained and rinsed beans, red onions, capers and oregano. Toss to combine.

Ingredients for tuna salad in glass bowl before being combined.

Pour the reserved marinade over the artichoke/bean combination.
Add red wine vinegar and lemon juice to taste.
Add the tuna last to keep it from falling apart then gently toss.

Artichokes, beans and tuna in glass bowl.

Add more red wine vinegar and lemon juice if desired along with salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve tossed with sliced or torn lettuce, butter lettuce, spinach or arugula and lemon wedges. Garnish with a few slivers of red onion, and you’re done!
MAKE AHEAD: The salad will taste best within 1 to 2 days, but I enjoyed it just as much on day 3. When storing the salad in the refrigerator, don’t add any lettuce or greens because those will wilt.

Tuna, White Bean and Artichoke Salad in serving bowl on blue background.

Delicious! Pulled from the pantry, White Bean Tuna Salad with Tuscan flair tastes incredibly fresh!

Tuna, White Bean and Artichoke Salad in white serving bowl with silver serving utensils.

Chef Tips and Tricks:

To bump up the flavor of water-packed tuna, pour the artichoke marinade over the tuna and let that sit while prepping the rest of the salad.
To bump up the flavor of dried herbs like the oregano in this tuna salad, take a pinch of herbs between your thumb and index finger and rub your fingers together while sprinkling the herbs into your dish.

Tuna, White Bean and Artichoke Salad in serving bowl with serving utensils.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is tuna salad good for you?

Tuna is a healthy food. However, when many people make tuna salad, they make it with mayonnaise, which has a whopping 1440 calories, 160 grams fat, and 24 grams of saturated fat per cup, along with 50% of your daily recommended sodium intake.

What is the healthiest canned tuna?

The healthiest canned tuna would be white albacore packed in water with no added salt.

How long does White Bean Tuna Salad keep in the refrigerator?

The salad will taste best within 1 to 2 days, but I’ve enjoyed it just as much on day 3. If storing, don’t add lettuce or greens because those will wilt.