Quick and Easy Tuna and White Bean Salad

The Dog Days of Summer are upon us making it the perfect time to try a meal that is light, simple, and pleasantly cold.  When the temp is inching upwards towards the triple digits the last thing you want to do is heat up the oven or spend time slaving over a hot stove.

Tuna and beans are both great sources of protein and this Quick and Easy Tuna and White Bean Salad is perfect as an appetizer for 4 or as a main course for 2 people. 

If you have purchased our Easy Delicious Gluten-Free Skillet Meals cookbook you know from the information in the section ‘What Foods are Safe to Eat?’ that some manufacturers of canned water-packed tuna flavor their products with broths that contain wheat.

This recipe skips the requirement to check the ingredients label on your canned tuna by calling for tuna packed in olive oil which is both a healthy and delicious combination.  As a rule, tuna packed in oil almost never contains gluten-filled flavorings so rest easy and enjoy this surprisingly tasty recipe that is perfect for a hot summer day.  This salad is great by itself or it can be mounded on a bed of lettuce greens.

Quick and Easy Tuna and White Bean Salad

Ingredients

(1) 15-oz can white beans (Great Northern, Navy, or Cannellini), drained and rinsed with water

(2) 5-oz cans white albacore tuna packed in olive oil (do not drain the oil)

½ cup finely diced red onion

2 tsp dried parsley (substitute 2 TBSP finely chopped fresh parsley)

2 TBSP white wine vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp tarragon, dried

(1) 8-10 oz bag of lettuce greens (optional)

Instructions

1.  Drain the liquid from the beans using a colander or fine mesh sieve.  Rinse the beans with cold water and allow them to drain thoroughly.

2.  Transfer the canned tuna along with its oil to a medium mixing bowl.  Use a fork to gently break the tuna into bite-sized chunks.

3.  Finely dice ½ cup of red onion.

4.  If you are substituting fresh parsley for dried parsley then finely chop 2 tablespoons of the fresh parsley.

5.  Add the drained beans, the red onion, and the parsley (fresh or dried) to the tuna in the mixing bowl.  Fold gently to combine the ingredients, taking care to not break up the chunks of tuna too much.  The mixture should be chunky.

6.  Make the marinade.  In an extra-small bowl or 1-cup liquid measuring cup add the white wine vinegar, the salt, the pepper, and the tarragon.  Stir the marinade with a teaspoon to dissolve the salt into the vinegar. 

7.  Drizzle the marinade over the tuna and bean mixture. 

8.  Use a large-bowled plastic or metal serving spoon to gently distribute the marinade into the bean and tuna mixture.  Scoop gently from the bottom of the bowl to the top in a circular fashion until the marinade is well mixed into the tuna and beans. 

9.  Serve at room temperature in bowls.  You may also mound this tuna salad onto a bed of lettuce greens if desired.