Mediterranean White Bean and Tuna Salad

When it’s just too hot to cook, make a salad.  And if you’re going to make a salad, it might as well be filled with crunch, protein, colour, and the best vinaigrette to bring it all together.

This Mediterranean White Bean and Tuna Salad is that salad.  This is a meal, taking all the fresh components from the crisper in your fridge, and pairing them with what you happen to have in your pantry.

Keeping your pantry stocked with cans of beans, jars or cans of fish, diced tomatoes, jarred tomato sauce, dry pasta, condensed or evaporated milk, crackers etc means that so many great meals are moments away.  Plus, with grocery bills continuing to skyrocket, picking up all of the above when they are on sale is really a kindness to your wallet. 

A variation of this salad happens almost weekly over here, all through the year.  By playing with the different components, you can create an Italian Antipasto style salad, or a Greek Horiatiki version, or even a  Mexican Taco style salad.

The Basic Ingredients

The constants are the Beans. Feel free to use your favourite: chickpeas, cannellini, black beans etc.

Jarred Tuna.  I do recommend the jars of solid chunk tuna if you can find them, the quality of the tuna is just that much better. 

Fresh Vegetables: sliced cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, zucchini, bell peppers, red onions (pickled or fresh thinly sliced), shredded romaine lettuce, etc

Fresh Herbs, about 1/4 cup: For an Italian vibe, chop up fresh basil. For a Greek vibe go with fresh oregano and dill. For a Levantine vibe, through in chopped parsley and mint. For a Mexican salad chop up cilantro and oregano. For a French Niçoise Salad, use fresh chopped parsley, and dill, and maybe chervil or tarragon.

Deli Condiment add-ons: pitted kalamata, Castelvetrano olives or black olives for a Mexican vibe, halved artichoke hearts, capers, pickled radishes and veggies (think your favourite Shawarma plate). 

If you want to pull out all the stops for an Italian Antipasto salad, add cubed salami, and mini bocconcini cheese balls.  For a Greek salad crumble in your favourite feta cheese.  For a Mexican salad, fresh Queso, or even cubed Monterey Jack will be great.

To create the perfect French Niçoise Salad, add Niçoise olives, boiled or roasted baby potatoes, sliced in half, and hard boiled eggs, quartered.

How Much to Use

For a salad large enough to feed four, or for two to live on for a few days, aim for two 15 oz cans of drained and rinsed beans, and two jars or cans of drained tuna.  From there, prepared the vegetables as you see fit: use more of the ones you like, just keep adding till you have a large bowl prepared with all the ingredients you want to use.  Instead of stating how much of each ingredient, I find it best to let you decide which ones you want to use, and then let you prepare what you want.

If you are preparing this in advance and it will sit in the fridge for a while before dressing and serving, I suggest placing the heaviest and most watery ingredients first, and layer up till the lightest ingredients are on top.  Cover and chill.  Dress just before serving, tossing gently.

Master Vinaigrette

Once you have made this vinaigrette, you will have found the perfect vinaigrette for just about anything!  This can be used for grilled meats and roasted vegetables, and dressing just about any salad.  Yes, I have all sorts of specific dressings for individual salads etc like my Lime Vinaigrette, Lemon Poppyseed Vinaigrette, Champagne Vinaigrette etc, but if there is always one dressing in a jar in the fridge for last minute salads, it will be this one.  You will use olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, dijon, dried oregano, dried basil, and salt and pepper.  That’s it. But the flavour is just perfect, the most versatile dressing you’ll want.

Final Thoughts

Yes, this can be made in advance and lived on for a few days from the fridge.  Add cooked small pasta like orzo or macaroni and you will have a hearty meal the whole family will enjoy.  Count on 1.5-2 oz of dry pasta per person.  Dress with vinaigrette, but don’t drown the salad, you can always add more as you go.  The recipe for the dressing makes more than you need for one large salad, so you will have plenty for future salad moments etc.

 This salad will eat like a meal, but feel free to use it as a side to grilled fish, kebabs, lamb, even sausages or salmon.

This salad travels well, for potlucks or BBQ’s. 

Once you try this, you will also love my Horiatiki Pasta Salad, Tabbouleh Ispired Herb and White Bean Salad, Fattoush Salad with Grilled Halloumi, Tuna Peach and Bocconcini Caprese Salad

If you make this easy and bright Mediterranean White Bean and Tuna Salad, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.

Love Jen

5 from 1 vote

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Mediterranean White Bean and Tuna Salad

Supremely versatile, this salad that eats like a meal is totally customizable, depending on what you have in the fridge and pantry, or which cuisine you are craving. Take it in an Italian, French, Greek, or even Mexican direction with a few simple swap-outs.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword salad, tuna, white beans

Prep Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

Salad, for four

• 1 398 ml (15 oz) can of white beans, drained and rinsed, see Notes
• 2 glass jars or cans of solid or chunk tuna in water or olive oil, see Notes
• halved cherry tomatoes
• sliced cucumber
• shredded or chopped romaine lettuce, see Notes
• chopped parsley and basil
• pitted kalamata olives see Notes
• halved artichoke hearts
• sliced red onion, or pickled red onion, see Notes
• capers
• sliced scallions

Master Vinaigrette, whisk all together and make in advance

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp white or red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions

Master Vinaigrette

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium jar with a lid, seal and shake till well combined. Alternatively, you can whisk them all in bowl and then transfer to a container and store in the fridge till needed.

   If you make this well in advance, you will need to bring it to room temperature before using.

To Assemble Salad

1. Add the drained beans and tuna in a large bowl. Use as much of each vegetable or briney condiment, etc till you have a good serving bowl filled nicely. You should have about 1.5 cups or more per person. See Notes
2. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently.
3. This can be a side salad if you are grilling kebabs, sausages, lamb etc. Seal and store in the fridge and bring to a get-together.
4. Leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge.
5. Feel free to add cooked and cooled pasta (toss the drained pasta with a little of the dressing and then let it cool. Then fold it into the salad.
6. See the blog post for more serving suggestions, and alternate versions if you are wishing to give your salad a French, Italian or Mexican Vibe!

Recipe Notes

Instead of white cannellini beans, feel free to use chickpeas, black beans, brown rice, quinoa, or even cooked lentils.
All ingredients for the salad are approximate, feel free to use more of the ones you like, etc. You can use larger cans of beans or tuna as well.
Use Castelvetrano olives if you want to take this more Italian.
Pickled Red Onion recipe is here.