Healthy tuna and bean salad recipe: a light yet filling dish perfect for the warmer months
This delicious and decadent Tuna, Bean and Green Olive Salad recipe combines the robust flavors of tuna chunks, tuna tonnato sauce, anchovy stuffed olives, an abundance of fresh herbs, crispy lettuce leaves and perfectly boiled eggs. It’s light and refreshing but also filling enough to be eaten as a main meal. To mop up the tonnato sauce, serve it with a side of fresh or toasted bread.
About the tuna tonnato sauce
Tonnato sauce is a classic Italian sauce from the Piedmont region and is famously paired with vitello tonnato, a dish of thinly sliced veal. Made with tuna, anchovies, capers, mayonnaise and olive oil, tonnato sauce is typically served cold and can also be paired with other meats, vegetables or eaten as a dip. Here it provides the perfect creamy base to the salad, adding oomph, additional flavour and texture.
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Recipe: Decadent Tuna, Bean and Green Olive Salad
Decadent Tuna, Bean and Green Olive Salad
Ingredients
For the tonnato sauce
- 145g tinned tuna chunks in oil, drained
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp capers, drained
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp olive brine
- Sea salt flakes and black pepper
Salad Ingredients
- 145g tinned tuna chunks in oil, drained
- 2 eggs
- 1 tin of haricot beans, drained
- 2 heaped tbsp chopped dill
- Large handful of chopped parsley
- 1 tin of green olives stuffed with anchovies
- 1 small – medium whole head of crunchy lettuce such as Cos or Romain
- Olive oil and lemon juice for the dressing
- Handful of Parmesan shavings
Instructions
- To make the tuna tonnato dressing: Combine all tuna sauce ingredients except the lemon in a blender and blend until smooth. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze in a good amount of juice. Stir, taste and continue to add lemon juice until you are satisfied.
- Boil eggs for 6 and a half minutes. Peel, slice in half and season with salt.
- Tear or chop the lettuce leaves into bite-sized pieces.
- Toss drained haricot beans, lettuce leaves parsley and dill together, drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
- Divide the tuna tonnato sauce evenly between two plates. Place the bean salad on top, followed by the tuna chunks and some green olives. Place the eggs on top. Garnish with parmesan shavings and optional dill and parsley.
- Serve any remaining olives on the side along with fresh or crusty toasted bread.
