Italian Tuna White Bean Salad

This Italian tuna white bean salad is rich, herby, and bright—with fresh lemon, red wine vinegar, and just enough crunch to keep you coming back for more.

Whether you realize it or not, tuna and white bean salads are very Italian. When I lived in the heart of Tuscany, I ran into them all the time. Every trattoria or grocery store had some iteration of the tuna-white-bean thing. And like any popular dish, there are literally a million different variations.

The winery I worked at made a super simple version that highlighted great canned tuna and their delicious nuovo olive oil, while some of the fancier enotecas added more flair with arugula, olives, or sun-dried tomatoes.

But the base of the recipe is always the same: quality oil-packed tuna, creamy cannellini beans, and flavorful extra-virgin olive oil.

In my version, I freshen the salad with plenty of dill, chopped parsley, and lemon. I like the bite of a tiny bit of red onion (but I soften it with a quick soak in vinegar), and for me, it’s just gotta have a little celery crunch. No one wants mushy tuna and mushy beans.

And that’s it. Lean into the simplicity!

If I have leftover sautéed kale, I love to pile this white bean and tuna salad on top for extra veggies. Or I’ll spoon it into little radicchio cups or endive spears, like I do with this roasted pear endive salad. It adds even more crunch—and makes a gorgeous presentation!

here’s how to make the tuna bean salad:

a few more recipe tips:

• This salad hinges on high-quality ingredients. I love, love, love Tonnino Yellowfin oil-packed tuna. It has big, gorgeous flakes and rich tuna flavor—without being fishy.
  • Albacore is generally more mild and flaky, while Yellowfin packs a punch.
• You can use canned cannellini beans, of course, but if you really want a great salad, you’ve gotta start with great beans. I’ll never stop singing the praises of Rancho Gordo beans, and the delicate, thin-skinned Marcella bean is my absolute favorite here.
• If you need help, I share all of my tips on how to cook dried beans here.
• Cook a full pound of dried beans, use half in this recipe and half in this kale white bean salad (recipe coming soon) for two totally different and delicious leftover-friendly salads to enjoy all week!

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