This Cannellini Bean Tuna Salad recipe is drizzled with a delicious Tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette, making every bite dreamy. It's a fantastic side, and can hold its own as a hearty main course salad.
I often see white bean salads with tuna on menus at Italian restaurants, and I usually order them. I love the flavor and texture combination so much that I created on to have at home whenever I want. 🙂
And I am in a Cannellini bean phase. I'm really having fun experimenting with these super delicious beans.
What are Cannellini Beans?
- Cannellini beans are an Italian, kidney-shaped white bean, and are therefore often referred to as White Kidney Beans.
- They have a slightly nutty, earthy flavor and a creamy and smooth texture when cooked.
- Cannellini beans retain their shape and texture well when they're cooked, so they’re perfect to use in recipes for salads, soups and stews.
Cooking dried Cannellini beans is the perfect weekend cooking project! Cook a ton of them and then you'll have them at the ready for all sorts of recipes!
We recently made a fabulous Vegetarian Cassoulet and Sausage and Chicken Cassoulet with these beans, and today I'm happy to share this super delicious Cannellini Bean Tuna Salad.
What's in this recipe?
In addition to the Cannellini beans, this salad has so many wonderful ingredients to give it a mix of textures and flavors in every bite.
- tuna
- olive oil
- red onion
- spinach
- capers
- lemon
- fresh basil
- Piquillo peppers -- These are sweet peppers with no heat. If yo can't find them, you can use another sweet, mild roasted red pepper.
With a delectable Lemon-Caper Balsamic Vinaigrette, this Cannellini Bean Tuna Salad recipe is absolutely bursting with warm, delicious flavors.
It's a lovely dish to serve for a light lunch or a scrumptious brunch. And it totally holds its own as a hearty main course.
Hope you love it!
And here are a handful more recipes with cannellini beans to enjoy.
More main course salads:
- Apple Chicken Salad Recipe with Cranberries
- Shredded Chicken Cobb Salad
- Chopped Mexican Salad with Pepitas
Cannellini Bean Tuna Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked Cannellini beans (see notes)
- 1 (7 ounce) can solid white tuna in water, well drained
- ½ cup basil leaves, washed and dried, roughly chopped
- 1 cup packed spinach leaves, washed and dried, roughly chopped
- 1 cup roasted red peppers (I like Piquillos) roughly chopped (see notes)
- 1 cup red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup capers
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, tuna, basil, spinach, peppers, onion and capers.
- Make vinaigrette. In a small bowl, use a whisk to blend the oil with the vinegar and lemon juice.
- Assemble. Pour the vinaigrette over the bean mixture and season the salad generously to taste with salt and pepper.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Allison
This sounds DELICIOUS!
Lana
Valentina, another beautiful recipe! I usually have roasted red peppers in the fridge (make them fairly often for my girls, as they are such a big part of Serbian cuisine, if something like that exists:) and yesterday I picked up 3 bunches of spinach for .99c at Market World store here in Torrance (LOVE ethnic markets!)
I will accompany you on your trip, knowing that you will offer tasty, fresh, and healthy recipes every time:)
sippitysup
I think beans make a meal unto themselves quite well sometimes. GREG
Melanie
Wait, I am TOTALLY in a weirdly-obsessed-with-cannellinis-phase too! I just sauteed some cannellini beans with garlic+olive oil for dinner and it was strangely satisfying. Yum!
valentina
Melanie, two more cannellini bean recipes coming your way this week!
averagebetty
Haha! We have so much in common. I LOVE cannellini beans too!
Suzy
The perfect spring lunch right here!
valentina
Thanks!
Kate Hackworthy
This salad looks so filling and flavor-packed!
valentina
It is. Thank you.:-)
Shivani Raja
This looks so beautiful - I love canellini beans!
valentina
Thanks so much!
Noelle
Cannellini beans are one of my favorite beans at the moment, tuna salad with them? yes please! Great recipe 🙂
valentina
Thanks so much, Noelle!
Natalie
Looks so delicious and healthy! Perfect for a balanced dinner!
valentina
Yes! Thank you, Natalie. 🙂
Eha
Have loved the tuna/cannellini combo for many years . . . glad to see how you prepare . . . little differences to try . . . don't think I have used spinach I love nor always added peppers. As I don't use tins actually have a pot of the beans cooking in the kitchen at the moment so the evening meal may yet be changed with a smile . . .
valentina
Thanks you, Eha. I've always loved the cannellini and tuna combination too. It's sort of an unexpected, but perfect blend. And how nice to have beans on the stove. By the way, if I haven't mentioned . . . I love your writing style -- it's always so poetic. 🙂
Eha
Thank you for such a lovely statement , Valentina. I write as I speak . . . usually with a big smile on my face, as these reads and comments are a small break from paidwork on the computer. As I write from my heart and absolutely with no ulterior motives I oft have a feeling 'Oh, will they understand all of this is in light-hearted, friendly fun' !
valentina
I do understand and I absolutely love it! Thank you for alwalys sharing your thoughts with us. 🙂 ~Valentina
Christina Conte
I can attest to the tastiness of cannellini beans and their nutrients are crazy high! I LOVE them and I know this salad would be a perfect lunch for me, too!
valentina
Ah yes, the nutrients! I love when something I love eating happens to be good for me too. 🙂 Thanks, Christina.
angiesrecipes
Another healthy yet very tasty salad! I love cannellini beans...they are so creamy and delicious.
valentina
Me too! Thanks so much, Angie. 🙂
kathryninthekitchen
Delicious Valentina.... I adore Cannellini Beans and use them in many dishes. This looks divine and perfect for our continued hot weather in Sydney. 💙
valentina
Ah yes, it's warm over there. As we are just entering spring, we're starting to have mostly warmer days too -- well, in Southern California, anyway. 🙂 Enjoy and thank you!
Ron
Valentina, we love tuna and big white bean salads in the summer. I don't think we've ever tried one quite like yours, but now we will. Might go with fresh rocket instead of the spinach as I'm not a fan. A very yummy dish I think. Thanks for sharing.
valentina
Thank you, Ron. I think the somewhat peppery flavor of the rocket would be fantastic with this. Enjoy!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
I make a tuna and cannellini bean spread that I serve with crostini so I can imagine the flavors you have created. Your salad sounds delicious and I'll be trying it soon, thank you!
valentina
Hi Karen, your spread sounds fabulous. I would love that! I hope you enjoy the salad. Have a great week 🙂
David
This is one of our favorites, although I have never had it with capers! Love that!
valentina
Thank you, David! If you like capers, they make this salad! 🙂
Nancy
I'm with David - I love the addition of capers to this salad! Valentina, how long would you say this salad holds? Could I make it a day or two before?
valentina
Yes!! I was eating it for 4 days! Probably best the 2nd and 3rd, but still tasty the 4th. I added fresh spinach on the 4th day. 🙂 Thank you, as always!
Marissa
This is just the kind of salad I'm craving now that spring has sprung! 😉 Love the sound of Lemon-Caper Balsamic Vinaigrette!!
valentina
Thanks so much, Marissa. I love that we are jumping into spring with these lighter dishes and flavors. Enjoy and I hope you have a lovely week.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Love salads like this! It always amazes me with just a few simple ingredients what a delicious meal you could make. This kinda salad is what I would whip up on Sunday for meal prep for the week ahead. Plus, I just love any kind of bean! Delicious, Valentina 🙂 Have a wonderful week!
valentina
Thank you, Dawn! I'm still envious you do meal prep. 🙂 Actually, this is a great one for that because we were eating the leftovers for days and it was still delicious. Guess I could call it accidental meal prep. Ha!
David @ Spiced
I always want my food to really burst with flavor, and this recipe sounds like it definitely fits the bill! I've never used cannellini beans in a salad like this, but I'm totally going to try it out now that we're heading into pasta salad season! What a fun twist. And that lemon vinaigrette sounds like the perfect topping for this recipe. Yum!!
valentina
Hope you like the beans in a salad. I love them in warm dishes too -- great in a white chili. Enjoy and as always, thank you, David! 🙂
mimi rippee
This is so funny because we just got back from a really long vacation (not complaining) and I always grab the good tuna and beans or sometimes pasta for an easy meal. I made it to the grocery store, but just didn't feel like "cooking" yet! Great recipe.
CathyB
Valentina, where is the link to the recipe so that I can review the recipe and print?
valentina
Hi Cathy, the recipe is at the bottom of the page -- you can scroll down to it, or click on "jump to recipe" just below the title at the top. Enjoy and thanks for checking it out. 🙂
Deborah A Ryan
I always keep cannellini beans in the pantry, they are such a versatile staple. Enjoying this fast and fabulous recipe. I'd serve this salad on a bed of crisp romaine for dinner.
valentina
Perfect on a bed or romaine. Enjoy and thank you, Deb. 🙂
sippitysup
Still beautiful. GREG
valentina
Thank you, my friend. 🙂
John / Kitchen Riffs
Tuna and white beans are dynamite together! Love this dish! And cannellini beans are definitely the "best" white bean!
valentina
Thanks so much, John. I agree! 🙂
Jeff the Chef
This salad has so many of my favorite things in it: I'm a huge tuna fan from way back. I love spinach, roasted red peppers, capers … and I'll put fresh, coarsely-ground black pepper on just about anything. White beans go great in this type of salad, and the whole thing is probably really good for you.
valentina
Thanks, Jeff. I love it too! And always a bonus when it's healthy. 🙂