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A close up photo of a serving tuna white bean salad on a plate with a fork. Next to this is a glass of water, sprigs of basil and parsley, and a bowl of kosher salt.
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5 from 1 vote

Tuna White Bean Salad with Spinach, Olives, and Basil

This is my go-to salad in the summer, something you can always throw together for an easy but satisfying meal.
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Entree/Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose
Servings: 4
Author: Abigail Chipley

Ingredients

For the Dressing

For the Salad

  • 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup green olives (such as Castelvetrano), pitted and slivered
  • 1 (5 ounce) water-packed tuna (see note), drained and broken into large pieces
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • 2 ounces (about 4 cups) baby spinach, for serving (optional, or swap in arugula or scoop into Pita Bread)

Instructions

  • Make the dressing: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, Aleppo pepper, and a pinch of salt.
  • Mix: To the bowl with the dressing, add the cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and olives. Stir to coat with dressing, then gently fold in the tuna and basil, being careful not to break up the tuna too much. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, Aleppo pepper, and lemon juice if desired.
  • Finish and serve: Divide the spinach among four plates and top with the tuna salad. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Notes

  • Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil, olives, and Aleppo pepper used in this recipe.
  • For longer storage: Leave out the tomatoes and basil and refrigerate overnight. Stir in the tomatoes and basil just before serving.
  • Best tuna for this recipe: Because the olive oil used to pack tuna isn’t always the best quality, I prefer using water-packed tuna and adding my own high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. That way, I control both the flavor and the amount of oil. I try to use wild-caught Yellowfin whenever possible (look for the dolphin-safe label).
  • A Note on Tuna Safety: Chunk light tuna, which comes from the smaller skipjack or yellowfin species, has less mercury than albacore. The FDA/EPA advises that women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children consume no more than 6 ounces of albacore a week; up to 12 ounces of canned light tuna is considered safe. (Talk to your healthcare provider if you have concerns about eating canned tuna.)

Nutrition

Calories: 187.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.6g | Protein: 8.2g | Fat: 15.4g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.9g | Cholesterol: 12.8mg | Sodium: 233.2mg | Potassium: 304.3mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 1.9g | Vitamin A: 2384.6IU | Vitamin C: 28.3mg | Calcium: 51.5mg | Iron: 2mg

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