White Bean Tuna Salad

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.

How to Make White Bean Tuna Salad:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this White Bean Tuna Salad recipe. 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.

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

• 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.

• 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.

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

Serve this White Bean Tuna Salad with:

• Loaded Roasted Eggplant Dip (Baba Ganoush)
• Quinoa Parmesan Crisps
• Quick Pickled Brussels Sprouts with Jalapeno
• Spinach Artichoke Squares

Want more easy pantry-inspired salad ideas?  Be sure to try my:

• Lemony Broccoli Barley and White Bean Salad
• Roasted Cauliflower Salad
• Italian Kale Salad
• Sicilian Cauliflower Salad

Get all my fresh and delicious main course salad recipes here! Main Course and Dinner Salads – From A Chef’s Kitchen