High Protein Mediterranean White Bean and Tuna Salad

If you ask me, a good pantry salad is one of life’s simple pleasures.

This Mediterranean-inspired dish brings together protein-packed tuna and creamy white beans with bright lemon and fresh parsley. The red onion adds a bit of bite while capers bring that briny, salty flavor we love.

It comes together in minutes with mostly pantry staples and a handful of fresh ingredients. A drizzle of good olive oil and a pinch of red chile flakes round everything out.

It’s an easy lunch or light dinner that works any time of year, no cooking required.

What Kind of Tuna Should I Use?

For this Mediterranean salad, you can use either canned tuna in water or oil-packed tuna, though oil-packed tends to add more flavor and richness to the dish. If you’re going for a lighter option, water-packed tuna works just fine and lets the other ingredients shine through. When it comes to quality, solid or chunk tuna holds up better in salads than flaked tuna, giving you nice, hearty pieces throughout. You can also splurge on jarred Italian or Spanish tuna if you want to take this salad to the next level, but regular canned tuna from your grocery store will still make a delicious meal.

Options for Substitutions

This Mediterranean salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Tuna: You can use canned tuna packed in water or oil – both work great. If you’re out of tuna, canned salmon or even cooked chicken breast make good alternatives.
• Cannellini beans: Great northern beans or navy beans are basically interchangeable here. Chickpeas also work if that’s what you have in your pantry, though they’ll give you a slightly different texture.
• Red onions: Yellow or white onions can step in for red onions. If raw onion is too sharp for you, try soaking the chopped onions in cold water for 10 minutes before adding them to the salad.
• Parsley: Fresh basil or cilantro can replace parsley if you want to switch up the flavor profile. Dried herbs won’t give you the same fresh taste, so stick with fresh if possible.
• Lemon: In a pinch, you can use lime juice and zest, or even red wine vinegar (start with 3 tablespoons and adjust to taste). The citrus really brightens this salad though, so try to stick with lemon if you can.
• Red chile flakes: Leave these out entirely if you don’t like heat, or add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a similar kick.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with this salad is skipping the step of letting the red onions sit in lemon juice – this quick pickling process mellows out their sharp bite and prevents them from overpowering the other flavors.

Another common error is not draining and rinsing the cannellini beans thoroughly, which can leave your salad tasting too salty and sitting in excess liquid instead of having a fresh, clean flavor.

When it comes to the tuna, make sure to drain it really well and break it into chunks rather than mashing it completely – you want distinct pieces of fish throughout the salad, not a paste.

Finally, don’t add all the olive oil at once; start with a few tablespoons and add more gradually while tasting, since the tuna and beans will release some moisture as the salad sits.

What to Serve With White Bean and Tuna Salad?

This Mediterranean salad is pretty filling on its own, but I love serving it with some warm pita bread or crusty baguette slices for scooping. It also works great stuffed into pita pockets with some fresh lettuce and sliced tomatoes if you want to make it more of a sandwich situation. For a lighter meal, serve it over a bed of mixed greens or arugula, which adds a nice peppery bite that goes well with the lemon and beans. You could also pair it with some marinated olives, roasted red peppers, or a simple cucumber and tomato salad to keep the Mediterranean vibe going.

Storage Instructions

Store: This salad actually gets better after sitting for a bit as the flavors meld together. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just give it a good stir before serving since the olive oil might settle at the bottom.

Make Ahead: You can prep this salad a few hours ahead or even the night before. The lemon juice helps keep everything fresh, and the beans soak up all those Mediterranean flavors while it sits. Just wait to add the parsley until right before serving if you want it to stay bright green.

Serve: This salad is best enjoyed cold or at room temperature. If you’ve had it in the fridge, let it sit out for about 10 minutes before eating so the olive oil loosens up and the flavors come through better.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1200-1350
• Protein: 90-110 g
• Fat: 30-40 g
• Carbohydrates: 135-150 g

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup red onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 1/2 lemons (freshly squeezed)
• 12 oz tuna (drained well, I use Wild Planet Skipjack Tuna)
• 30 oz cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
• 3/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp red chile flakes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• salt (to taste)
• 2 tbsp capers (drained)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for drizzling, I like Bertolli Extra Virgin)

Step 1: Prepare the Pickled Red Onions

• 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 lemons, freshly squeezed

Thinly slice the red onion and place it in a small bowl.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the onions and stir to combine.

Let the onions sit for at least 5 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients—the acid will soften the onions and mellow their sharp bite, creating a more balanced flavor throughout the salad.

I find this quick pickling step makes a huge difference in how well the salad tastes, especially if you’re making it a few hours ahead.

Step 2: Combine the Base Ingredients

• 12 oz tuna, drained well
• 30 oz cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained tuna, rinsed cannellini beans, and the chopped fresh parsley.

Gently fold these ingredients together, being careful not to break up the tuna too much—you want some texture and flakes throughout the salad, not a mushy consistency.

This creates your flavor foundation before adding the acidic and spiced components.

Step 3: Build the Dressing and Season

• pickled red onions with lemon juice from Step 1
• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• 1 tsp red chile flakes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Pour the pickled red onions with all their lemon juice into the tuna and bean mixture from Step 2.

Add the capers, red chile flakes, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Toss everything together gently but thoroughly to distribute the flavors evenly.

I like to taste as I go here—the chile flakes and capers can be quite punchy, so you may want to adjust them to your preference before adding salt.

Step 4: Taste and Final Adjust

• salt to taste

Taste the salad and add salt to your preference, keeping in mind that the capers and tuna already contribute some saltiness.

If the salad needs more brightness, squeeze a bit more fresh lemon juice over it.

If it seems dry or you want to enhance the olive oil flavor, drizzle in a touch more extra virgin olive oil.

Let the salad rest for at least 10 minutes before serving so all the flavors meld together beautifully.

High Protein Mediterranean White Bean and Tuna Salad

Delicious High Protein Mediterranean White Bean and Tuna Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 12 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1275 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup red onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 1/2 lemons (freshly squeezed)
• 12 oz tuna (drained well, I use Wild Planet Skipjack Tuna)
• 30 oz cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
• 3/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp red chile flakes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• salt (to taste)
• 2 tbsp capers (drained)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for drizzling, I like Bertolli Extra Virgin)

Instructions

 

• Thinly slice the red onion and place it in a small bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the onions and stir to combine. Let the onions sit for at least 5 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients—the acid will soften the onions and mellow their sharp bite, creating a more balanced flavor throughout the salad. I find this quick pickling step makes a huge difference in how well the salad tastes, especially if you're making it a few hours ahead.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained tuna, rinsed cannellini beans, and the chopped fresh parsley. Gently fold these ingredients together, being careful not to break up the tuna too much—you want some texture and flakes throughout the salad, not a mushy consistency. This creates your flavor foundation before adding the acidic and spiced components.
• Pour the pickled red onions with all their lemon juice into the tuna and bean mixture from Step 2. Add the capers, red chile flakes, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss everything together gently but thoroughly to distribute the flavors evenly. I like to taste as I go here—the chile flakes and capers can be quite punchy, so you may want to adjust them to your preference before adding salt.
• Taste the salad and add salt to your preference, keeping in mind that the capers and tuna already contribute some saltiness. If the salad needs more brightness, squeeze a bit more fresh lemon juice over it. If it seems dry or you want to enhance the olive oil flavor, drizzle in a touch more extra virgin olive oil. Let the salad rest for at least 10 minutes before serving so all the flavors meld together beautifully.