Tuna and White Bean Salad
A no-cook, high-protein lunch built from tins. Tuna, white beans, lemon and red onion. It keeps well, so it is good for taking to work.
Method
- Slice the red onion as thin as you can and put it in the lemon juice while you do everything else. Five minutes in the acid takes the raw bite off it.
- Rinse the beans well until they stop foaming. This is what makes them taste clean instead of tinny.
- Tip the beans and tuna into a bowl. Break the tuna into chunks, do not mash it.
- Add the onion with its lemon juice, the olive oil and the parsley.
- Fold gently, season, and taste. It usually wants more lemon than you think.
A no-cook, high-protein lunch built from tins. Tuna, white beans, lemon and red onion. It keeps well, so it is good for taking to work.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 520 mg
Values are estimates based on USDA FoodData Central and vary with brands and portioning.
Chef notes
This is my desk lunch about once a week. It costs almost nothing and it actually fills you up. Two real tips. Buy tuna in olive oil, not spring water, because the oil is half the flavour. And do not skip rinsing the beans, that cloudy liquid tastes metallic and coats everything. It gets better after an hour in the fridge as the beans soak up the dressing.
Substitutions
- Cannellini beans: butter beans or chickpeas — Tuna: tinned salmon, or leave it out and double the beans for a vegan version|Parsley: dill or basil
Serving suggestions
Scoop it up with crackers or pile it into a pitta. A few olives or sun-dried tomatoes make it more of a meal.
Storage
Keeps in the fridge for three days and honestly improves overnight.
Reheating
No reheating. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Sieve for rinsing beans
Variations
- Spicy
- add a chopped green chilli or a spoon of harissa
- Crunchy
- stir in diced celery and cucumber
- Creamy
- swap the olive oil for a spoon of Greek yogurt
Why it works
Soaking the sliced onion in lemon juice pickles it very slightly, which mellows the sharpness that raw onion leaves in your mouth. The beans bring fibre and starch that hold the dressing, so it does not go watery in your bag.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use dried beans?
Yes, cook and cool 1.5 cups first. Tinned is the five-minute route.
Is it okay for meal prep?
Very. It lasts three days and tastes better on day two.
How do I make it vegan?
Skip the tuna and add a second tin of beans or some chickpeas.
Tags
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