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Sometimes I want soup for lunch, other days when I’m working from home a bowl of pasta. But when I’m looking for something wholesome, flavourful and speedy either at home or to pack up and go recently I’ve been reaching for this Tuna and White Bean Salad with Sun-dried tomatoes. With ingredients you probably already have to hand, and with a handful of whatever soft herbs you have hanging out at the bottom of the fridge, you’ve got 4 days of tuna salad ready in just 10 minutes – delicious by itself or served with crackers!
Soaking Red Onions
Once you’ve sliced your onions, leave them to soak in a bowl of cold water whilst you’re preparing the rest of the recipe, then drain them and pat them dry on a piece of kitchen paper when you’re ready to add them to the bowl. Soaking your onions removes the raw onion ‘bite’ from the onions which would otherwise stay with you after lunchtime and well into the afternoon!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different kind of beans in this tuna and white bean salad? Do I have to use jarred beans?
In this post I explain why I prefer jarred beans to canned beans, but in a pinch you can use 2 x drained cans of beans in this recipe instead. Using either variety, you can sub the Queen Cannellini Beans for regular white beans or even butter beans. For the jarred kind, I prefer Bold Bean Co. or Belazu (both brands have sent be products to try in the past, but I buy them regularly because they’re just really good!)
What soft herbs will work in this recipe?
I’m a big fan of dill-with-fish, but chopped parsley or chives would also work here. Chervil would also be good if you happen to grow it, or tarragon if that’s your vibe.
Do I have to use sun-dried tomatoes? Can I substitute anything else?
I know, sun-dried tomatoes can sometimes be tough and try; here, quality matters! Jars labelled as semi-dried would work really well here as they tend to be softer and plumper (even if they’re not true sun-dried tomatoes) and I’m borderline obsessed with Isle of Wight Tomatoes’ Oak Smoked Tomatoes whenever I stumble across a farm shop or deli that carries them. The oil from them is also next-level for salad dressings and roasting potatoes.
How long will this tuna bean salad keep for?
Portions will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
This easy, tasty Tuna and White Bean Salad with sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, Dijon mustard, red onions and dill is the perfect make-ahead lunch option – ready in just 10 minutes!
Ingredients
Scale
1 small red onion
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
juice 1/2 lemon
1 x 570g jar queen cannellini beans
2 x 125g tins tuna (see note)
100g sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, roughly chopped + 1 tbsp of oil from the jar
large handful roughly chopped dill
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Thinly slice the onion into half moons and set aside to soak in a bowl of ice water.
In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and 1 tbsp of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes.
Rinse the white beans and drain them very well before folding them into the dressing.
Roughly flake in the tuna and add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, the dill, and a little seasoning of salt and pepper. Add the onions, drained and patted really dry on a piece of kitchen paper, and gently fold everything together.
Taste to see if you want to add any more salt or pepper, or even another spritz of lemon (you might need it depending on your brand of sun-dried tomatoes!)
Notes
I think tuna packed in brine has a better flavour, but I get it in water as I have a cat who goes ballistic for the leftover tuna water and the salt in brine would not be good for her! I know people are also big fans of tuna packed in oil which would work well here.
I'm a food writer, professional recipe developer and cookbook author living in the English Countryside. I love creating easy, accessable recipes filled with vibrant world flavours that are manageable on busy weeknights. Simple and delicious dinners, from my kitchen to yours!
One Pan Pescatarian: 100 Delicious Dinners – Veggie, Vegan, Fish
My second cookbook contains 100 delicious dinner recipes, all of which are either vegetarian, vegan or which celebrate fish and seafood - all cooked in either one pot or one pan.*
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