Tuna and white bean salad, or Insalata di Tonno e Fagioli, is a nutritious, protein-packed Italian dish that serves as a summer staple in kitchens all throughout the Italian peninsula. And the best part? It’s incredibly easy to put together!
After a few trips to Italy, I DESPERATELY tried to recreate the beautiful tuna and white bean salad I ate at an oceanside café. After a few failed attempts (thanks to overcomplicating things!), I leaned into the Italian virtue of simplicity and succeeded in bringing this delicious dish to life! With its ever-so-summery ingredients, including crisp Bibb lettuce, tender white beans, chunks of good-quality tuna, and an added sweet sharpness of fennel and onion, it’s a “don’t miss” warm-weather recipe. Add this to your table with some bread on the side, like my Garlic Naan Bread, or pile each bite onto a piece of Crostini, and you will have the perfect summer lunch or dinner spread!
This tuna and white bean salad will impress even the toughest Italian food critics. So, go all out and listen to “On an Evening in Roma” as you enjoy a little slice of Italian paradise in your own backyard!
What Ingredients Are In Tuna and White Bean Salad?
- Bibb lettuce – this sweet, delicate lettuce variety creates the perfect base to enhance all the following flavorful ingredients.
- Fennel – fennel is a core ingredient in Italian cuisine, and for good reason! Its sweet anise flavor and crunch add a signature crunch to the salad.
- Vidalia onion – Vidalia onions, also called sweet onions, provide a mild, slightly sweet (hence the name!) crunch to the salad.
- Cannellini beans – high in fiber and protein, cannellini beans are tuna’s perfectly matched, creamy counterpart.
- Tuna – look for jars or cans of tuna in olive oil. High-quality tuna is SO essential here! I recommend the Tonnino brand’s Tuna Ventresca in Olive Oil (this is not an ad).
- Lemon – the acidity of the lemon juice balances out the tuna, beans, and olive oil to freshen everything up beautifully. I recommend using fresh lemon juice.
- Extra virgin olive oil – drizzle with a high-quality EVOO. Quality is crucial since the dressing for this salad is so simple.
How to Make Tuna and White Bean Salad
This salad is easy to make while packing a flavor punch! This is an outline only! See the recipe card below for the full recipe with instructions and quantities.
- Make single-layered beds of Bibb lettuce on two dinner-sized plates.
- Thinly slice the fennel bulb using a mandolin. Evenly spread the slices over the beds of lettuce.
- Cut the Vidalia onion into paper-thin slices. Sprinkle the onion slices over each plate to evenly spread them out.
- Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Spread the beans out on each salad.
- Drain your tuna and break it up into slightly smaller pieces. Add these to the center of each plate.
- Squeeze each half of the lemon evenly over each plate. Beware of seeds!
- Generously drizzle olive oil over each plate.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
What to Serve With Tuna and White Bean Salad
This salad is packed with flavor and protein, so when paired with the right accompaniments, it can serve as a hearty side salad or a perfectly satisfying main dish. Either way, I recommend adding some crusty bread on the side, like a baguette or a loaf of ciabatta or focaccia, to keep the Italian theme going.
I also recommend diving into the tried and true pairing of a hot bowl of soup and a side salad. This match made in heaven can be mixed and matched in infinite delicious ways while not overwhelming the simplicity of the salad. To pair with my tuna and white bean salad, I recommend this comforting Tuscan Soup recipe, which is packed with vegetables and harmonizing Italian flavors, or a cup of Chicken and Rice Soup with a big squeeze of lemon to complement the fresh, citrus-ness of the salad.
More Tuna Recipes You’ll Love!
Easy Weeknight Dinners
Tuna Avocado “Bruschetta” Toasts
Dressings, Sauces & Dips
Creamy Italian Tonnato Sauce
If you’ve tried this tuna and white bean salad recipe or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating while you are here!
Tuna and White Bean Salad
Equipment
- Mandolin (or sharp chef's knife)
Ingredients
- 15.5 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 12 ounces jarred or canned tuna in olive oil, drained
- 2 small heads Bibb lettuce, separated and washed
- 1 large fennel bulb, cored
- 1 small sweet onion
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lemons
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- On two dinner-sized plates, make a one-layered bed of Bibb lettuce.
- Cut thin slices of fennel using a mandolin. Evenly spread slices on each plate.
- Cut onion into thin slices using a mandolin. Spread onion slices on plates evenly.
- Sprinkle Cannellini beans on top of veggies.
- Place tuna chunks on top of beans, spreading evenly between both plates. Large chunks of tuna are fine!
- Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon on top of each salad.
- Generously drizzle olive oil over each plate, about ¼ cup each.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.
Notes
- High-quality tuna is a must here! I use jarred Tonnino tuna in olive oil (this is not an ad).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This salad is so summery and delicious!
Totally agree! 🙂
Grace