Healthy Recipe, Mediterranean Tuna and White Bean Salad

When it’s too hot to cook and you’re not in the mood to dine out, a couple of pantry staples can be your salvation. Dump a can of tuna and one of white beans into a bowl with sliced onions, toss with good olive oil and a splash of vinegar or squeeze of citrus, season with salt and pepper to taste and dinner is served!

Root around in your fridge and you just may find you’ve got the fixings for a colorful and refreshing company-worthy meal. Start with the most flavorful omega 3-rich tuna you can get — ideally packed in olive oil. Mildly nutty, fiber-rich cannellini beans link to this classic combo’s Tuscan origins, but any white bean will pair just as well. And briny capers and olives, fresh tomatoes and herbs, and a sprinkling of feta add layers of bright, sunny flavors to fill you up without weighing you down. Serves 2-3. RECIPE HERE. – Susan Puckett

Ingredients

·         ½ red onion, thinly sliced

·         1 (5-ounce) can tuna, preferably packed in olive oil

·         1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or Great Northern white beans, drained and rinsed

·         1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

·         ½ cup halved kalamata olives

·         2 tablespoons capers, drained

·         1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)

·         1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

·         2 ounces feta cheese

·         2 or 3 generous handfuls spring lettuce mix

Instructions

1.      Place the onion slices in a bowl of ice water to soften the harsh flavor a bit while you assemble the rest of the salad.

2.      In a large bowl, combine the tuna (undrained, if using oil-packed), beans, cherry tomatoes, olives, and capers. Drain the onion slices and add them to the mix.

3.        Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or 2, if using water-packed tuna), vinegar, and basil or parsley. Toss gently and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.      Place a handful of lettuce on each plate and top with the tuna and bean mixture.

5.      Crumble the feta over the top, drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired, and serve.

Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.