If you've been eating sad desk lunches, this tuna white bean salad is for you. With creamy white beans, flaky tuna and a bright lemon dressing, this one gets better as the week goes on.
Tuna white bean salad has quickly become one of my favorite lunches. It takes about 15 minutes to make and can last in the fridge for a few days, making it ideal for meal prepping.
The salad is packed with fiber-rich beans, fresh veggies and herbs, and briny capers, all tied together with a bright lemony dressing. Other white beans recipes I love are White Bean Dip, Curried White Bean Soup and Three Bean Salad.
My best recipe tips
- When serving, I like to scoop this white bean salad with tuna into butter lettuce or romaine leaves, then eat the lettuce cups with my hands. Or scoop the mixture onto crackers.
- If you don't have capers, quartered Kalamata olives are a good substitution.
- Don't miss out on the fresh herbs. They really pull all of the flavors together. Instead of fresh dill, try a combination of thinly sliced basil and mint leaves.
How to make tuna white bean salad
** The complete instructions are in the recipe card below. **
- Prep the veggies: Chop the celery, red bell pepper and green onions, and halve the grape tomatoes. Mince the fresh herbs.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together the dressing ingredients or shake them up in a small jar.
- Combine ingredients: Mix the prepped veggies and herbs with the white beans, tuna and capers. Add the dressing and stir to combine.
Storage
Transfer the tuna white bean salad to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Pro tip
Eating it later?
The salad really soaks up the dressing. So, if you're planning to eat it a couple of days later, I suggest making extra dressing. Store it in the fridge, then stir it into the salad before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, feel free to start with dried beans, then cook them until tender. Jeanine of Love & Lemons has a great tutorial on cooking dried beans.
If you don't have red wine vinegar on hand, swap it with apple cider vinegar. Other good options are sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar or additional lemon juice.
While this recipe calls for tuna packed in water, oil-packed tuna is a fantastic substitution and has a rich and tender texture. Please note that the calorie and nutrition facts will change with this swap.
More lunch salads to try
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Tuna White Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cans (14 ounces each) white beans drained and rinsed (See Note below for bean suggestions)
- 1 can (4 ounces) canned tuna in water drained and flaked
- 2 celery stalks diced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoons fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons capers
- Salt and pepper to taste
The dressing
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
The salad
- In a large bowl, combine the white beans, tuna, celery, red bell pepper, green onions, tomatoes, parsley, dill and capers.
- Pour the dressing into the salad. Stir to combine throughly. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
The dressing
- In a bowl, whisk the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, grated garlic and salt. While whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil.
- Alternatively, add all of the ingredients to a mason jar. Seal the jar and shake well to combine.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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