White Bean Tuna Salad (Italian-Inspired)
White Bean Tuna Salad is a vibrant Italian-Mediterranean-inspired dish packed with protein, crisp vegetables, fresh basil, and zesty lemon flavor. This white bean salad is very light and satisfying. It’s also one of our “easy-to-make” salads that comes together in minutes, making it perfect for quick lunches, simple dinners, and meal prep.
White Bean Tuna Salad (Italian-Inspired)
Once in a while, we crave simple salads like our White Bean Tuna Salad simply because we get tired of sandwiches for lunch. Don’t you? And it’s because this salad has enough protein and fiber to keep us full all day long. It’s an ideal salad for weekday meal prep.
This recipe happens to be one of our mom’s. You may already know her recipe for Refreshing Tomato Salad with Tuna; it happens to be one of our favorite salads. Be sure to try that one next.
For this White Bean Tuna Salad, we used Great Northern beans, but this salad is so versatile you can use navy beans or cannellini beans as well. Tossed with flaky tuna, sliced red onion, crisp celery, along with capers, kalamata olives, fresh basil, and lemon juice. It always turns out…OMG!
And, no cooking involved. This salad is so simple and easy to make. There is so much flavor packed into every bite – everyone will love this salad!
Best of all, each serving gives you 39.5 grams of protein and 7.5 grams of fiber.
For more protein-packed salads that are ideal for meal prep, be sure to try our Chickpeas Salad, Grilled Balsamic Chicken Salad, and Greek Quinoa Salad next!
Ingredients Overview:
For our White Bean Tuna Salad recipe, you will only need the following ingredients:
- WHITE BEANS: You will need 1 can (15-ounce) (425g) of Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained.
- TUNA: We used our favorite Natural Catch Tuna, 4.4 ounces (125g) packed in extra- virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- CELERY: You will need 2 thin stalks of celery, and thinly slice them. They offer fresh crunch and flavor to this tuna and white bean salad.
- LEMON JUICE: All you need is 1 lemon ( with 1/2 lemon juiced) and the other half, sliced into wedges.
- FRESH BASIL: For the best flavor with this white bean tuna salad, use 5 to 6 fresh basil leaves, and thinly slice them.
- CAPERS: We prefer capers to add a natural saltiness to this salad – and additional flavor. And, you only need about 1 Tbsp. capers is enough.
- KALAMATA OLIVES: We added only 4 to 5 Kalamata olives with pits removed and sliced. They add additional flavor – but subtle enough – no one will complain.
- RED ONION: We love red onion, and only about 1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onion will give you that fresh flavor in every bite.
- EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: Choose good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. You will only need 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil – and maybe extra, to taste.
- BLACK PEPPER: Only some fresh cracked black pepper is added on top of the salad, before you chill it, then serve.
How to Make White Bean Tuna Salad (Italian-Inspired)?
Before you begin, it’s a good idea to gather all the ingredients for this recipe on the counter. Then this salad comes together easily and in minutes. Plus, our full recipe card is located at the bottom as well.
- Open the can of white beans, transfer to a small colander, rinse them under cold water, then drain. Transfer them to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Add the sliced celery and red onion. Toss in the capers and olives and fresh basil leaves. Use a spoon to mix the mixture to combine.
3. Next, open the can of tuna and drain some of the olive oil. Then transfer the tuna to a mixing bowl. Squeeze half of a lemon over the mixture. Gently toss the mixture to combine. Taste the salad, and add more lemon juice to your liking.
4. Transfer the white bean and tuna salad to a serving bowl. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil over the entire salad. Top with fresh cracked black pepper. Transfer to the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes or more before serving.
5. Just before you serve, taste again and adjust for more lemon juice to your preference. Top with some additional freshly chopped basil, as garnish. Then serve.
Recipe Tips!
- Servings: This recipe will make 4 servings. For more servings, you can easily double all the ingredients.
- Make Ahead! Our white bean tuna salad is ideal to make ahead hours before serving. The more it marinates, the better it gets.
- Budget-Friendly: This salad is cheap to make with a few pantry ingredients, like beans and tuna.
- Keep Chilled: Refrigerate this salad until you’re ready to enjoy. This salad will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Vegetarian: Omit the tuna, and double the beans.
- Add Some Fresh Greens! You can easily add a bed of fresh greens, even a mixture of your favorite lettuce, and lay the white bean tuna salad on top. It will make a lovely presentation when serving guests.
- Swaps! You can substitute red onion for shallot or green onion. If you don’t have any lemons on hand, you can use white vinegar.
For Storing…
Best to cover the bowl with clear wrap and transfer it to your refrigerator. Keep it chilled; it will stay fresh for up to 3 days. After that, discard and make a fresh batch.
Craving More Protein Salads?
Here are a few more high-protein salads from 2 Sisters Recipes:
Don’t forget! If you make our White Bean Tuna Salad, let us know and leave a comment, and don’t forget the stars⭐! We’d love to hear from you! It helps all our readers who read comments, and it helps us too!
White Bean Tuna Salad (Italian-Inspired)
White Bean Tuna Salad is a vibrant Italian-Mediterranean-inspired dish packed with protein, crisp vegetables, fresh basil, and zesty lemon flavor. It is one of our "easy-to-make" salads that comes together in minutes, making it perfect for quick lunches, simple dinners, and meal prep.
Ingredients
- 1 can (15-ounce) (425g) Great Northern Beans - rinsed, and drained
- 4.4 ounces (125g) Tuna (in extra virgin olive oil) - with some of the oil drained
- 2 thin stalks of celery - thinly sliced
- 1 lemon - (1/2 lemon juiced) and other half slice into wedges
- 5 to 6 fresh basil leaves - thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp. capers
- 4 to 5 Kalamata olives - pits removed and sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion - thinly sliced
- 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil - and extra to taste
- fresh cracked black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- First, gather all the ingredients for this recipe on the counter.
- Open the can of white beans, transfer to a small colander, and rinse them under cold water then drain. Transfer them to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Add the sliced celery, and red onion. Toss in the capers and olives and fresh basil leaves. Use a spoon to mix the mixture to combine.
- Next, open the can of tuna and drain some of the olive oil. Then transfer the tuna to a mixing bowl. Squeeze half of a lemon over the mixture. Gently toss the mixture to combine. Taste the salad, and add more lemon juice to your liking.
- Transfer the white bean and tuna salad to a serving bowl. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil over the entire salad. Top with fresh cracked black pepper. Transfer to the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes or more before serving.
- Just before you serve, taste again, and adjust for more lemon juice to your preference. Top with some additional freshly chopped basil, as garnish. Then serve.
Notes
Good quality Tuna in extra virgin olive oil is usually very flavorful, and doesn't require any salt added. Plus, the capers will give enough salt to this salad as well. You can add additional capers to your liking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 servings Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 413Total Fat: 21.3gSaturated Fat: 3.7gCarbohydrates: 21.2gFiber: 7.5gSugar: 2.2gProtein: 35.9g
Happy and Healthy Life! 🙂
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Weeknight Dinners Made Easy
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