Aegean White Bean Tuna Salad
This vibrant and flavorful Aegean White Bean Tuna Salad offers a delightful Mediterranean experience, perfect for a light lunch or a satisfying side dish. Enhanced with Kalamata olives and fresh lemon, it's a refreshing twist on a classic.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Chill time (recommended) 25 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Servings 6
Calories 325 kcal
- 3 5-oz/142 g cans light tuna in olive oil, fully drained (~12 oz/339 g drained weight total)
- 3 15-oz/425 g cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained & rinsed (~27 oz/765 g drained weight total)
- 1½ cups about 240 g chopped red onion
- ½ cup about 70 g pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup loosely packed chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup 60 ml fresh lemon juice, divided
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 –1½ tsp red pepper flakes to taste
- ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt to taste (add gradually; olives are salty)
- 1 Tbsp 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil, optional, for drizzling
Macerate onions: Toss red onion with 1 Tbsp of the lemon juice; let sit 10 minutes.
Salad base: Flake fully drained tuna in a large bowl. Add beans; fold gently.
Flavor: Add macerated onions (with their juice), olives, parsley, remaining 3 Tbsp lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and black pepper; mix gently.
Season/consistency: If needed, drizzle 1 Tbsp EVOO; salt gradually until balanced.
Chill/serve: Cover and chill 20–30 minutes; serve.
Nutrition (per 1 of 6 servings, with 1 Tbsp EVOO total; estimates)
-
Calories: ~325 kcal
-
Protein: ~26.2 g
-
Carbs: ~31.3 g
-
Fat: ~10.3 g
-
Fiber: ~7.9 g
- Sugars: ~2.4 g
Note: Sodium varies widely by brand/olives; add to facts if you have labels.
Nutritional information is estimated and based on the ingredients and quantities listed, including an assumption of 1 tablespoon of optional extra virgin olive oil used for the entire recipe. Actual values may vary depending on specific product choices, draining practices for tuna, and the amount of optional olive oil added. 