White Bean Tuna Salad
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Published
This White Bean Tuna Salad recipe is inspired by Stanley Tucci’s favorite, with a few additions of my own, like lemon, capers, and feta cheese. It’s protein-packed from the tuna and beans, balanced with sweet cherry tomatoes and crisp cucumber, then dressed with olive oil and simple seasonings. This salad is nutritious, delicious, cost-effective, and super easy to make!
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Easy White Bean Tuna Salad
Unlike my classic tuna salad, you won’t find any mayonnaise in this recipe. Instead, the dressing is more Mediterranean-based, relying on olive oil, lemon juice, feta cheese, and a couple of simple seasonings to make every bite inviting. The creamy cannellini beans soak up all that flavor, and the fresh veggies add plenty of crunch and contrast. I also add capers to this salad because those salty, briny tiny flavor bombs make every bite have a wow factor!
This tuna & bean salad is also very forgiving. Add more or less of each ingredient to suit your taste, enjoy it cold or at room temperature, on its own, with pita bread, or mixed in some cooked pasta. Bonus, there’s no cooking! Just drain, chop, and toss together. This is a big lunchtime winner. I like it best after it’s chilled for an hour, but you can definitely serve it right away if you’re in a rush. Make it once, and you’ll understand why Tucci sings its praises.
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Use room temperature ingredients. Tuna straight from the can and beans rinsed with warm water will absorb flavors better than chilled.
- Slice the onions thinly. Thinly sliced onion will give the salad crunch and punch, without overwhelming the other salad flavors. However, if you’re quite sensitive to the taste of raw onion, you can place the sliced onion in a bowl of ice-cold water for 10-15 minutes to ‘shock’ the onion and mellow the sharp flavor. Pickled red onions work in place of the raw onions, too.
- Don’t skip the acidity. Fresh lemon juice and zest keep the salad bright, while red wine vinegar adds an extra layer of tang that complements the lemon and balances the rich tuna, beans, and feta.
- Fresh basil isn’t just a garnish. Basil’s herbal freshness brings the salad together. Fresh parsley can also be added. A little addition (¼ teaspoon) of dried oregano mixed into the dressing works, too.
- Use exact measurements—or freestyle it! You can follow the exact measurements, or if you’re feeling like a rebel, just eyeball everything like Stanley Tucci does. This tuna white bean salad is a very forgiving recipe.
- Let it chill. For the best flavor, let the salad chill in the fridge for an hour before serving. This allows all the flavors to mingle and become more blended. Overnight is even better!
White Bean Tuna Salad
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 5 oz. can tuna, packed in olive oil
- 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed with warm water
- 1 small English cucumber, cut into half moons
- 10 small cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced, then cut in half (pickled onions work, if you don't like raw)
- ½ cup fresh basil, julienned
- 2 Tbsp capers
- 1 small lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked pepper
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Dump the tuna, beans, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and basil in a mixing bowl. Gently toss to combine.
- Add the capers, lemon juice and zest, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and feta cheese. Gently toss again.
- You can definitely enjoy this right away, but for best flavor, cover and chill for an hour. It’s even better the next day!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make White Bean Tuna Salad Step by Step
Gather all of your ingredients.
Mix the salad: Add one 5-ounce can of tuna, one 15-ounce can of cannellini beans (drained and rinsed with warm water), 1 small English cucumber cut into half-moons, 10 halved cherry tomatoes, ¼ thinly sliced red onion, and ½ cup julienned fresh basil to a large mixing bowl. Gently toss everything together, taking care not to break up the beans or tuna too much. You want the tuna distributed throughout the salad but still have some visible texture
Make the dressing: Add 2 tablespoons capers, the zest and juice of 1 small lemon, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, and ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese. Toss gently again until the beans and vegetables are lightly coated and the feta and basil are evenly scattered throughout the salad.
Taste and serve: Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning as needed. Depending on how salty the tuna, capers, and feta are, you may want a little more lemon juice or black pepper rather than additional salt.
This white bean tuna salad can be served right away, but the flavor gets even better after it rests. For the best results, cover and refrigerate it for about 1 hour so the beans and tuna have time to soak up the lemony dressing. Give it another gentle toss before serving, as some of the dressing may settle at the bottom. The salad is also especially flavorful the next day.
Serving Suggestions
Just before serving, I like to finish off this white bean tuna salad with a drizzle of olive oil for richness and shine. This salad is satisfying enough to enjoy as a light meal on its own (I count 1 cup as a serving), but it’s versatile enough to serve many different ways, including on crackers, crusty bread, or garlic bread for a quick snack, as part of a grain bowl, mixed into pasta like my spaghetti aglio e olio (another of Tucci’s favorite dishes!), tucked into a sandwich wrap, or as a side to grilled hotdog kabobs or anything else off the grill.
Storing Leftovers
Any leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Stir to recombine the dressing as it may settle at the bottom of the bowl during storage.
Meal Prep
While you can enjoy this white bean tuna salad right away, I think it’s best to make it ahead and let it chill for at least an hour. The flavor gets deeper with time after everything has a chance to meld together!
More Easy Bean Salad Recipes
- With its tangy dressing and fresh parsley, this Three Bean Salad is anything but boring.
- My Cumin Lime Chickpea Salad packs bright, garlicky flavor into an easy 15-minute side.
- Pinto beans, black-eyed peas, corn, and crisp vegetables make this Texas Caviar wonderfully hearty!
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
