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    Home » Recipes » Sides

    Tuscan Tuna & Cannellini Salad (Insalata di Tonno e Fagioli)

    Published Apr 9, 2017, modified Mar 6, 2021 by Nicole Shroff / This site uses cookies. See the privacy policy linked in my footer. This site generates income via ads/ 16 Comments /

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    This easy tuna and bean salad from Tuscany, is a healthy and delicious light meal.

    This salad is a typical dish from Tuscany. This cuisine is noted for its simplicity and use of fresh seasonal ingredients.

    Beans are a popular ingredient in the region and are consumed throughout the year in favourites such as Pasta e Fagioli, Ribollita, and Fagioli all’ucelletto. 

    The salad is healthy and rich in flavour. It is incredibly easy to put this together and quite rewarding.

    Often served as an antipasto, this salad can also be enjoyed as a light meal as temperatures begin to rise. The delicate taste of tuna with lemon juice, parsley and onions is very refreshing.

    Cannellini beans

    Cannellini are a variety of kidney beans, creamy white in colour, with a creamy, slightly nutty, mild flavour. They are popular in the cuisine of central and southern Italy.

    They highly nutritious, fat free, and an excellent source of fibre, iron, magnesium and B vitamins.

    Canned cannellini

    For this salad I used canned cannellini beans (rather than the dry variety) and tuna, as they work perfectly well here. They are inexpensive and easily available in most supermarkets. I always keep a few cans in the pantry for a quick easy and healthy meal.

    Dry cannellini

    If you have the time, dry beans do taste better but they need to be soaked, ideally overnight, before cooking. They require a few hours to cook, but you can add a variety of other ingredients to the pot to infuse more flavour, such as onions, herbs and garlic.

    Cooks tips:

    • Always buy fresh dry beans as older, stale beans will take forever to cook (and sometimes not cook at all).
    • You could make a large quantity of beans, then freeze them in small bags for quick defrosting, to use later.

    Don’t like fresh raw onions?

    If you find the taste of freshly cut raw onions a bit strong, soak them in a bowl of cold water with a teaspoon of vinegar for approximately 10 minutes before draining and adding them to the salad.

    How to serve

    Serve with bread to soak up the dressing.


    ⭐️ Are you making this recipe? Do let me know how it turned out in the comments! And please give it a star rating below!

    Instagram – I love seeing your creations, so post a picture, tag @endofthefork and hashtag #endofthefork

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    ariel view of tuna bean salad on Italian blue and yellow plate

    Tuscan Tuna & Cannellini Salad

    Nicole Shroff
    This easy tuna and bean salad from Tuscany, is a healthy and delicious light meal.
    5 from 3 votes
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Mains, Side, starter
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 498 kcal

    Ingredients

    Metric | US Customary
    • 2 cans cannellini beans rinsed and drained
    • 2 cans tuna in oil
    • 1 red onion finely sliced
    • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped

    Dressing

    • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • salt to taste
    • freshly ground black pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl, break up the tuna into large pieces and add the beans.
    • In a separate medium size bowl, prepare the dressing by mixing the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper.
    • Mix well and pour over the tuna and beans.
    • Add the onion and mix.
    • Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes or till ready to serve.

    Notes

    Cooks tips:
    • Always buy fresh dry beans as older, stale beans will take forever to cook (and sometimes not cook at all).
    • You could make a large quantity of beans, then freeze them in small bags for quick defrosting, to use later.
    To store:
    Keep the salad in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 24 hours

    MEASUREMENT NOTES

    The ingredients here on EOTF are set out in grams & milliliters and in US cups & spoons.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 498kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 37gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 775mgPotassium: 216mgFiber: 11gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 150IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 149mgIron: 6mg
    Did you make this recipe? I'd love to know how it turned out! Let me know by leaving a review below, or snap a photo and share it on Instagram tagging me @Endofthefork.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. eileenbakingsense

      May 27, 2017 at 2:40 pm

      Such a healthy and easy recipe. I’m definitely making this for lunch this week.

      Reply
    2. The Olive Blogger

      May 13, 2017 at 8:01 pm

      Ohhh yummy I have to add this to my next antipasto plate! My hubby and I enjoy them every once and awhile for dinner, and this salad would be perfect! So simple!

      Reply
    3. Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day

      May 05, 2017 at 7:16 pm

      Oh my gosh, I used to eat salads like this all the time but forgot about it! I don’t eat fish anymore, but it still looks so good. Maybe I can figure out a veggie version.

      Reply
    4. The FoodOlic

      May 05, 2017 at 11:54 am

      What a refreshing way this plate is! I would totally see myself making this for lunch, it’s got all the proteins you need to get through the day, plus I’m sure it’s YUMMY!

      Reply
    5. Amy

      April 20, 2017 at 4:14 am

      This sounds delicious! Thanks for the tip about soaking the onions to tone down their potency a bit!

      Reply
    6. Lynne Curry

      April 17, 2017 at 3:22 am

      Those Italians really get tuna! And simplicity, just the way you say. A great protein-packed salad!

      Reply
    7. Lynn | The Road to Honey

      April 14, 2017 at 11:27 pm

      I was in Italy 6 months ago and fell in love with the country as well as the cuisine. We didn’t have time to visit Tuscany which is okay with me because that means another trip to Italy is a must. Such a beautiful and healthy dish.

      Reply
    8. Gloria Duggan

      April 14, 2017 at 10:50 pm

      Tuscany is one place that is on my “want to visit” list. My optician is from Italy…and we talk it about all the time. Love the sounds of this salad. Beans and tuna are such a great combination….this is perfect for the upcoming grilling season.

      Reply
    9. The FoodOlic

      April 13, 2017 at 10:56 am

      I’m not a crazy fan of those bean soups but I love them in such a way!! Plenty of fresh extras that makes the beans stand out! This is a fantastic bean salad that would corrupt any bean sceptic out there! Wonderful!

      Reply
    10. FredNonterah

      April 12, 2017 at 10:33 pm

      This is definitely a healthy salad full of flavor. Will be great for dinner! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    11. Traditionally Modern Food

      April 12, 2017 at 9:48 pm

      healthy salad like this are so welcome. i have never used cannelli beans before guess i should look for it on my next grocery trip

      Reply
    12. GiGi Eats Celebrities

      April 12, 2017 at 1:53 pm

      Anything TUSCAN I am game for!

      Reply
    13. Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed

      April 11, 2017 at 3:02 pm

      What a delicious salad, I love cannellini beans and tuna. I’m always on the lookout for healthy lunch ideas, thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
    14. Alicia Taylor at Taylorlife.com

      April 11, 2017 at 2:23 pm

      That looks so simple and talk about protein packed. Can you use red kidney beans in this instead of white ones? I have red ones and am looking for a quick dinner.

      Reply
      • Nicole

        April 11, 2017 at 3:16 pm

        Cannellini (or white beans) have a more subtle flavour and a creamier texture than red kidney beans. Substituting with red kidney beans will change this dish but will still taste nice.

        Reply
        • Alicia Taylor at Taylorlife.com

          April 11, 2017 at 4:31 pm

          Thanks 🙂

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