If you’re looking for something light but still satisfying on a warm day, this White Bean Tuna Salad is just what you need. It’s full of clean flavors with no mayo in sight.
Some summer days are so muggy you feel like the air is thicker than cane syrup. We havea lot of those steam bath days every summer. The kind of heat that makes you lose your appetite for anything remotely warm, and you automatically start looking for recipes like this one.
This is my take on a classic Italian combination. Tuna and white beans are a centuries-old pairing from Tuscany, where they call it Insalata di Tonno e Fagioli, and you’ll find some version of it at nearly every cafe in the region. It works there for the same reason it works here: the ingredients are almost always in the pantry, and the result is always satisfying. If you enjoy that kind of Italian pantry cooking, my Italian Sausage and White Beans Skillet is another one worth keeping in your rotation.
This White Bean Tuna Salad is a welcome change from the usual creamy tuna salads. When we have one of those sticky weather weeks, it hits all the right notes. It’s refreshing, it has plenty of protein to keep you going, and it requires no cooking whatsoever.
It follows the same keep-it-simple approach I take with my Black Bean and Corn Salad. No fancy ingredients, just straightforward flavor that holds up well in the fridge.
Recipe Snapshot: White Bean Tuna Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: none
Resting Time: 1 hour (minimum)
Total Time: 15 minutes (plus resting time)
Servings: 6
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Cooking Method: none
Primary Ingredients: Cannellini beans, tuna, celery, bell pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar
Skill Level: Easy
DO MORE WITH CHATGPT
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Love this light and healthy salad. A classic combination of tuna and beans. So easy to make and good for lunch (especially when you’re hungry and don’t want to spend time cooking).“
— Ann
What Makes This Recipe Special
This salad skips the mayo entirely in favor of a simple dressing of olive oil and red wine vinegar. That swap makes the flavors cleaner and brighter, lets the tuna and beans shine through, and keeps the salad from feeling heavy even on the hottest day of the year.
Cannellini beans have a creaminess that other beans don’t quite match. Combined with quality oil-packed tuna, you get a salad with real substance. One serving delivers nearly 18 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber, so it really keeps you going until your next meal.
It also gets better with time. An hour in the refrigerator is the minimum, but a full overnight rest lets the dressing absorb into the beans and mellows all the flavors. It’s one of the most reliable make-ahead salad recipes you can have in your repertoire.
Key Ingredients
This post may contain affiliate links. Lana’s Cooking is reader-supported and earns a tiny commission at no extra cost to you when you shop from our links.
- Cannellini beans — Cannellini beans are simply white kidney beans. They’re a little creamy but hold their shape and absorb the dressing very well. Be sure to rinse and drain them thoroughly before adding them to the salad.
- Tuna packed in oil — Please consider using tuna packed in oil for this recipe. It has such great flavor! I’ve never cared for the water packed tuna. It just tastes, well…watery. Tuna packed in oil is rich in flavor and delicious! And truly, it’s not much higher in calories than water-packed, especially if you drain as much oil as possible. For a recipe like this, I try to find a good Italian tuna, but any brand will work as long as it’s oil-packed.
- Shallot — A brief soak in red wine vinegar before adding to the salad softens its sharpness considerably without losing the flavor.
- Celery and red bell pepper — These provide the crunch and fresh color that keep the salad from feeling heavy.
- Olive oil and red wine vinegar — The simple dressing. Good-quality extra virgin olive oil is worth using here.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
The recipe is solid on its own, but there are several ways to make it your own.
- Add cherry tomatoes — Halved cherry tomatoes are a nice addition, especially when they’re in season. They add a little sweetness, and their juice mixes well with the dressing.
- Swap the herbs — Fresh basil or dill both work well in place of parsley. Basil leans more Italian; dill gives the salad a different character that some people prefer just as much.
- Use different beans — Great Northern beans, navy beans, and chickpeas are all good substitutes for cannellini. Chickpeas, especially, have a firmer texture and a slightly nuttier flavor, which holds up nicely with the vinegar dressing.
- Add greens — A handful of baby arugula or spinach folded in right before serving turns this into a more complete meal. The peppery bite of arugula is especially good with the red wine vinegar dressing.
- Make it meatier — Double the amount of tuna if you want a salad with more protein and more substance. It works just as well with two cans as it does with one.
How to Make White Bean Tuna Salad
STEP 1. Finely dice the shallot and place it in a small bowl with the red wine vinegar. Let it sit while you prep the rest of the vegetables. Once everything else is ready, drain the shallot and discard the vinegar.
STEP 2. In a large bowl, gently combine the rinsed and drained beans, celery, bell pepper, parsley, green onions, drained tuna, and the soaked shallot. The keyword here is gently. You want distinct beans and visible chunks of tuna, not a mash.
Pro Tip
Many times when I use raw onion or, in this case, shallots, in a recipe, I give them a little time to sit with some red wine vinegar before I drain them and toss them into the mix. It really mellows the onion’s flavor and takes away a lot of its strong bite. This step is completely optional, but I highly recommend it.
STEP 3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
STEP 4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. The rest time matters. The dressing soaks into the beans, and the flavors come together in a way they won’t if you serve it immediately.
Want to save this?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Recipe Tips
- Use a light touch throughout. The goal is intact beans and recognizable pieces of tuna in every bite. Once the salad breaks down, there’s no recovering it.
- Drain everything well. Excess liquid from the beans or the tuna can water down the dressing. A fine mesh strainer and a few extra minutes of patience are worth it.
- Don’t skip the rest time. An hour is the minimum. An overnight rest produces a noticeably better salad. If you’re making this for lunch, put it together the evening before.
- Taste right before serving. If it needs more acidity, a small splash of red wine vinegar does the job. If it looks dry after sitting in the refrigerator, a drizzle of olive oil brings it right back.
How to Serve
This salad works well on its own as a light lunch, but it’s also good alongside simple crackers or warm bread (pitas are great!) for scooping. For a more complete meal, spoon it over a bed of baby arugula or mixed greens. The dressing from the salad is more than enough to dress the greens underneath.
If you want something more substantial, the salad makes a fine filling for an Oven Baked Tuna Melt Sandwich. For a simple no-cook summer dinner, pair it with Fresh Salad Greens with Classic Vinaigrette and a few slices of good tomato for a meal that requires no stove at all.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Stir well before serving, and add a small drizzle of olive oil if the salad looks dry after sitting. This salad doesn’t freeze well as the beans and tuna both lose their texture in the freezer, so refrigerator storage only.
More Salad Recipes You’ll Like
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
White Bean Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large shallot finely diced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 31 ounces cannellini beans (white kidney beans) 2 cans, rinsed and drained
- 3 ribs celery finely diced
- ½ large red bell pepper finely diced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 green onions chopped
- 5 ounces solid white tuna packed in oil drained
Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the finely diced shallot in a small bowl with red wine vinegar. Allow to set while prepping the remainder of the vegetables for the salad. Drain the shallot and discard the vinegar.1 large shallot, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- In a large bowl, gently combine the rinsed, drained beans, celery, bell pepper, parsley, onions, tuna, and the drained diced shallot.31 ounces cannellini beans, 3 ribs celery, ½ large red bell pepper, ¼ cup fresh parsley, 2 green onions, 5 ounces solid white tuna packed in oil
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper for the dressing. Pour over the bean and tuna mixture and toss gently until everything is combined and coated with dressing.3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve chilled.
Notes
- Use tuna packed in oil for the best flavor; water-packed tuna produces a noticeably blander result.
- Soak the finely diced shallot in red wine vinegar for a few minutes, then drain before adding to the bowl. This softens the sharpness considerably.
- Fold the ingredients together gently to keep the beans intact and the tuna in recognizable pieces.
- Drain the cannellini beans and tuna thoroughly before using; excess liquid waters down the dressing.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. An overnight rest produces an even better salad.
- Taste before serving and adjust with a small splash of red wine vinegar or a drizzle of olive oil as needed.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Stir before serving and add olive oil if the salad looks dry.
- This salad does not freeze well.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Love this light and healthy salad. A classic combination of tuna and beans. So easy to make and good for lunch (especially when you’re hungry and don’t want to spend time cooking). I’ve just remembered I didn’t like the salad when I tried it for the first time. After a while, I decided to give it a chance and found myself simply unable to stop eating. My mom is a big fan too and says it tastes even better the next day.
Thank you for sharing!
You have changed my thinking on all things canned tuna Lana!
Once you try the oil-packed, you’ll never go back to the packed in water type. I promise :-)
This looks great; unlike others I’ve not made it before. I recently did have a chance to try some Wild Planet tuna though…so worth every single cent; it was amazing. This is going to be made!
I know you’ll put your own interpretation on it, too, Barb! I’d love to know what you think once you’ve made it.
You know I LOVE beans – this is GREAT!
Thanks, Kristen. This recipe also works well with cooked ham or chicken (really…almost any protein) if you don’t care for tuna.
This looks yummy and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the onion tip. I love salads with onion but dislike the sometimes overpowering taste the raw onion can give to cold salads. I will definitely try this with other recipes I make too!
You’re welcome, Heidi. That few minutes with the vinegar makes so much difference. It takes that stinging bite away and really mellows out the taste.
So happy to see this recipe. It is one of my go to salads….I am pinning yours…
Love, Mona
Thanks so much for pinning, Mona!
I have been making this salad for years but I think I will switch to your recipe.
thanks
Gloria
Yes, it is a classic isn’t it? Hope you enjoy this version, Gloria!