This is such an easy tuna salad recipe that looks like high-end cuisine. You will love this tuna salad with white beans over toast or romaine lettuce.
Quarantine has me digging deep into the recesses of my cupboard to make simple recipes. Tuna salad has been a staple in many houses for such a long time and with good reason, too! It’s so easy to prepare and it is a totally healthy, filling, and affordable dinner option.
I really liked this Food52 recipe for tuna salad with white beans so I decided to riff off it. The concept is really simple, so I made a delicious tuna salad recipe based off this.
The Tuna Salad Recipe:
First, the white beans. I marinate them in extra virgin olive oil and lots of crushed red pepper, flaky sea salt to taste, and plenty of freshly crushed black pepper. Of course, use whatever ground pepper you have on hand. There will be extra oil leftover from the beans which I use to drizzle on top of the tuna salad when it’s time to serve.
Next, the salad. I prepared the salad with solid, canned albacore tuna. I flaked the tuna into the dressing. Next, I mixed together mayonnaise, distilled white vinegar, and a little sugar. Finally, I add ground mustard and paprika along with a teaspoon of drained, rinsed capers. From there, I fold everything together and then fold in sliced celery and sliced Vidalia onion. I chose Vidalia because I wanted something a bit sweeter, but red onion or shallot or even a plain old yellow onion will work just fine.
Finally, I pile my white beans and tuna salad on top of warm, crusty bread. I just barely hard boil eggs (10 minute boil) and then slice into rounds and arrange on top.
The finished product is a beautiful tuna salad that will work so well on top of crusty bread or on top of romaine lettuce leaves. I loved how easy this recipe is and how elegant it looks on the plate.
Tuna Salad with White Beans
Equipment
- Pot
- Sieve or colander
Ingredients
Tuna Salad:
- 2 5-ounce cans solid albacore tuna no salt
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon capers
- 2 stalks celery trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
- ½ small vidalia onion thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
White Beans:
- 15 ounces canned cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper more or less to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Serving:
- 2 eggs
- 4 slices of warm, crusty bread
- Fresh parsley optional
Instructions
Prepare the White Beans:
- Combine the beans with the extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper and toss to combine. Allow to marinate for 20-30 minutes as you prepare the rest of the meal.
Hard-Boil the Eggs:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and lower the eggs into the water. Boil for 10 minutes (or desired time to boil). Remove and rinse with cold water. Peel and slice the eggs into rounds and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the Tuna Salad:
- Remove the tuna from the can and discard any liquid. Flake into bite-sized pieces.
- In a bowl, whisk together the distilled white vinegar and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add the mayonnaise and whisk until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and mustard. Add the capers and tuna and mix gently to combine.
- Fold in the celery and Vidalia onion and season again to your preferences.
To Serve:
- Pile the beans on top of the crusty bread and spoon the tuna salad on top. Arrange a few rounds of hard-boiled eggs on top and garnish with the parsley. Drizzle a bit of the remaining extra virgin olive oil from the beans on top of each dish. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
