An easy salad recipe using canned tuna and canned beans makes quick work of dinner!
With pantry staples and refrigerator staples, you can make this light and delicious main dish salad any time!
It's summertime and all I want is quick, easy, light and refreshing dinners.
This salad is all that and more! I have been making this salad for years after I found it in an old Donna Hay cookbook.
We love it for lunch or a light dinner.
Beans are such a great addition to a salad, they can turn almost any salad into a main dish salad, or they add flavor and heft to a side salad - we love them so much I have a round up of 26! Delicious Bean Recipes!
Ingredients.
- Canned tuna - can also substitute canned salmon.
- Canned white beans - can substitute canned chickpeas.
- Parsley - sometimes I add some dill.
- Capers - can substitute kalamata olives.
- Lemon juice (fresh squeezed,) olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Cucumbers.
- Baby spinach - baby arugula, baby kale or any of lettuce will work.
Step by step instructions.
Drain the tuna, rinse and drain the beans and add them to a medium bowl.
If the capers are salted, rinse them and add them to the bowl.
Chop the parsley, juice the lemon and add that to the bowl. Add the olive oil and salt and pepper and toss to combine.
Let it stand for about 5 minutes for the flavors to mingle.
Slice the cucumbers and arrange them and the spinach leaves on a plate. Top with the tuna bean salad.
This is so easy and so good! I like to serve it with crackers or a crusty sourdough bread and a glass of white wine.
It reminds me of the tuna salad I used to get at this cute little cafe.
More light salads!
Recipe.
**As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Lemon, Tuna and White Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 14 oz canned tuna drained
- 14 ½ oz canned white beans rinsed and drained
- ½ cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers rinsed if they were salted
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- 2 small cucumbers thinly sliced
- 3 ½ ounces baby spinach
Instructions
- Place the tuna, white beans, parsley, capers, lemon juice, olive oil in a bowl and toss to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes to combine flavors.
- Arrange the sliced cucumbers and spinach on 4 plates. Divide the tuna salad among the plates.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in February 2013 and has been updated for 2022.
Jenny says
White beans and tuna go so well together. I also like the red pepper option as a substitute for capers.
Ann says
This salad sounds so refreshing! Perfect for a lighter meal or snack! Thanks for the share! Excited to give it a try!
Andrea says
Delicious! I love anything with tuna and this was fresh and easy. Thanks
Ada says
just made this for lunch. incredible.
thanks!!
Deb in Hawaii says
This salad sounds just about perfect right now. 😉 Thanks for sharing it with Souper Sundays this week.
Galestorm says
Thank you for posting this recipe. It is just what I needed for something quick and easy and I always have the ingredients on hand!
lostpastremembered says
It seems like we all are in the February slumps and trying to cook our way out of it... you certainly have with this yummy recipe. Looks wonderful!
grace says
rarely do i ever want to do anything but numb my mind in front of the tv, but that hardly ever happens. we must forge onward. 🙂
katiez says
Tried a comment - got an error - Whatever... Love the salad; could use the nap LOL
Melynda and Terry, we are the Browns! says
I hear you on the 10 hour nap! This salad looks lovely and delicious.
Amy says
It's amazing how often I end up at sushi or In and Out with the kids when Paul travels. Love easy salads like this.
shabby girl says
Easy, tasty, and a healthy meal! Perfect.
Marjie says
That is easy and fast. Sounds like something you'll want to remember in a couple of months, when it gets hot again!
Kalyn Denny says
This is my kind of salad!
La Table De Nana says
I'm trying to read your glass:)
Salad looks good and healthy:)
Barbara says
Now that's what I call an easy salad, Pam. Quick to make and healthy!
(Love the lemongrass post!)
Joanne says
I need more simple, tasty meals like this in my life! Sounds delicious.