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Sandra Valvassori

Sandra Valvassori

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Home โ€บ Uncategorized

Tuna and White Bean Salad with Cherry Tomatoes

Posted: September 18, 2018 | by Sandra Valvassori
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Tuna, white beans and cherry tomatoes on platterThis no-measuring, no-cooking dish, with tuna fillets big enough to pick up with your hands — along with perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes, creamy white beans and quick pickled onions — is the late summer meal I crave on busy weeknights. Now that tomato season is nearing its end, I have been adding sun-kissed cherry tomatoes to almost everything I make. You can omit them from this tuna and white bean salad once they are all gone for another year, but unlike regular tomatoes I find pretty decent ones are available all year round.

Tonnino tuna jar, tuna on plate

In this household, we are a little tuna crazy. We could have a tuna salad sandwich every single day without getting sick of it. Of course we don’t, due to health and environmental reasons, but I always have cans of tuna in my pantry to use in salads, sandwiches, and to add to pasta.

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However, for this tuna and white bean salad, whenever possible, I leave the cans behind and use the ultra-luxurious, jarred by hand, Tonnino tuna. This tuna is a splurge, for sure, but let me explain why you won’t mind the occasional splurge. Wild-caught, socially and environmentally responsible, each lovely jar is dolphin safe, and only small sized, yellowfin tuna with very low levels of mercury is used. Soaked in the purest olive oil, or spring water, the texture is tender, the flavour mild and light.

Cherry tomatoesย ย Ing for Tuna, white bean and cherry tomatoTuna, white beans and cherry tomatoes on platter

Aside from the plain olive oil-packed one I used here, Tonnino tuna is available in a variety of different flavours — lemon & pepper, oregano, jalapeรฑo, garlic — all delicious and irresistible. I have not tried Ventresca, which is the belly of the tuna, but rumour has it that its buttery, complex flavour is the crรฉme de la crรฉme. The jars are deceivingly small – I find there is quite a bit of tuna packed into them. One jar easily makes a good sized portion of this dish for two as a main, or 4 as a side. In Kitchener-Waterloo, you can buy Tonnino tuna here, or look for it at well-stocked supermarkets in your area.

Of course, you can use regular canned tuna and it will still be delicious. Just drizzle a bit of olive oil over the tuna for more flavour.ย Don’t be tempted to skip the pickled onions, even my onion-loathing son loves splashing the briny juice all over his dish. I pickle the largest red onion I can find because the extras only get better as they continue to pickle in the fridge for days.

Though fall is in the air, we seem to be experiencing a very lovely and warm September. Fine by me. Until the chill sends me running indoors, you will find me outside, feasting on this dish, and dipping crusty bread into the leftover juices. I truly hope you do the same.

Tuna, white beans and cherry tomatoes on platter and bowl

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Tuna and White Bean Salad with Cherry Tomatoes

Author: Sandra Valvassori
Prep Time 15 mins
Servings 2 as a main
Tuna and white bean salad on platter

Ingredients  

  • ยฝ cup red wine vinegar or vinegar of your choice
  • 1 Tablespoon cane sugar or white
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 red onion peeled, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans (or white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
  • ยพ pound cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1-2 6-7 ounce cans high-quality tuna, preferably packed in olive oil, drained (I like thisone)
  • ยฝ teaspoon or more, flaky salt, such as Maldon
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Large handful fresh basil leaves roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or more to taste
  • Crusty bread for serving optional

Instructions 

  • To a medium bowl, add vinegar, sugar, salt and 2 Tablespoons hot water. Whisk until sugar and salt dissolve. Add sliced onion to the vinegar mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour (less is fine) or make ahead, transfer to a jar, and keep in the fridge for up to a week.
  • To a deep serving platter or a wide bowl, add the drained beans and cherry tomatoes.
  • Spoon the tuna out of the oil, and break it gently with a fork into bite-size pieces. Add 1/4 cup of pickled red onion, or to taste, and 3 tablespoon of pickling liquid, and mix gently.
  • Sprinkle flaky salt and black pepper to taste. Add torn basil, and generously drizzle everything with olive oil and more pickling liquid to taste. Serve immediately with crusty bread, if desired.
Keywords: Tuna, White beans
Tried this recipe?Tag @sandra_valvassori on Instagram or hashtag #sandravalvassori!

 

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Recipe Rating




  1. Phyllis

    I would like to serve this for a ladies lunch. Can you suggest something else to serve with it?

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Hi Phyllis, the tuna and white beans salad would be fabulous to serve with an asparagus tart (recipe on my site) or for something easier, try prosciutto wrapped asparagus spears and some crostini on the side. I think it would also be fun with gazpacho (recipe also on my site) which is easy to make and refreshing for these warm days. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  2. Amy

    3 stars
    I did not personally try this, but I made it for my husband. He liked the flavors well enough, but if I make it again he would suggest less beans. He said it was a better appetizer than a main meal for him, but I think that’s because there were too many beans. I was thinking of maybe adding fresh mozzarella to add another component and break up the beans a bit because this sort of reminds me of a caprese salad. We are always looking for ways to eat Tonnino Tuna so I’d like to play around a little to make this work.

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Hi Amy, this is definitely primarily a bean salad with tuna added as the secondary ingredient. Mostly because Tonino tuna is so pricey but we do love the amount of beans which makes it a more substantial dish. Adding fresh mozzarella sounds like a great idea. Feta would also be yummy. And for a little crunch you could also add some lightly steamed sugar snap peas and/or radishes. Thank you so much for writing and sharing ๐Ÿ˜Š

      Reply

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