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The simplest Cannellini Bean Salad with Tuna and beautifully sweet Tropea Onions. This delicious salad is served with a little red wine vinegar and olive oil and is ready in under 10 minutes.
I ate this salad all summer long last year in Italy. Creamy cannellini beans with tuna and onions tossed with a little red wine vinegar and olive oil. It’s so good and so unbelievably easy (ready in under 10 minutes).
This is a classic Tuscan dish traditionally eaten as an antipasto or light lunch. We love to use Tropea onions which are so beautifully sweet and delicious but you can use a sweet white onion or red onion if they’re not available to you.
I don’t go to the effort of cooking dried beans for this, mostly because it’s always a last-minute lunch for me.
The quality of the ingredients are so important. Having made this countless times in Italy and then in UK with basic ingredients the comparison in both taste and texture is outstanding.
Any jarred cannellini beans you pick up in an Italian supermarket will be delicious and creamy however in the UK they’re dry and unappetising so I recommend using a brand you know and trust or go to an Italian food store to pick them up.
On a hot summer day when you need something quick, easy and delicious this bean salad perfect. We’ll often serve it alongside a Caprese Salad and have some fresh fruit afterwards, delicious!
See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips, and variations. For the full printable recipe scroll to the bottom or click the recipe link below
Ingredients
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Pin ItIngredient notes and substitutions
- Cannellini beans – you can either cook them from dried yourself or go for a good-quality brand. We used Valfrutta.
- Tuna – I recommend using tuna canned in olive oil (not brine or water).
- Onions – tropea onions have a wonderful sweetness and flavour. If you don’t have them I recommend going for either white or red onions. Depending on the size I use between 1 and 1.5 Tropea onions. I always start with 1 and add more to taste.
Step by step photos and instructions
First, cut the onion in half and finely slice it. Add it to a large mixing bowl with the beans, tuna and a good pinch of salt and pepper (photos 1 and 2).
Add the vinegar and olive oil and toss the salad until everything is combined. Taste the salad for seasoning and add more salt and/or vinegar if needed then serve (photos 3 and 4).
Recipe tips and FAQs
- High-quality ingredients – both good quality beans and tuna will make a big difference to the flavour and texture of this salad.
- Season it well – season the salad with sea salt flakes and black pepper, taste and add more salt to taste. You can also add more vinegar to taste too.
- Adjust to taste – it’s so easy to adjust the quantities in this salad according to your taste or to serve more people. I recommend tasting the salad as written then adjust it to how you like it.
- Serving suggestions – this bean salad is delicious just as it is served as an antipasto or light lunch. You can serve it with other salads or antipasti (buffet style) or serve it with chargrilled ciabatta drizzled with good olive oil and sea salt.
Once made, the salad will keep in the fridge for up to 1-2 days but is best eaten within a few hours.
More delicious and easy salads to try
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Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
Cannellini Bean Salad with Tuna and Tropea Onions
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs (700g) jarred cannellini beans
- 1 – 1.5 Tropea onions , or 1 large white or red onion (see note 1)
- 6 oz (160g) Tuna in olive oil , (we used Rio Mare)
- 2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
- 2.5 tablespoons Olive oil
- Sea salt flakes and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First, drain and rinse the beans and set aside.
- Peel and cut the onion in half then finely slice it. Add it to a large mixing bowl with the beans and drained tuna.
- Add the vinegar, olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Toss everything to combine and taste for seasoning. Add more salt if needed then serve.
Notes
- Tropea onions – these Calabrian onions are wonderfully sweet and have a beautiful flavour making them perfect for salads. You can use a sweet white onion or red onion instead. Depending on size I always start with 1 onion and taste the salad, if I think it needs more I’ll add another half.
- Adjusting quantities – the beauty of this salad is that it’s so simple. You can easily adjust all ingredients according to your taste and how many people you are serving.
- High-quality ingredients – as always the quality of ingredients really make a difference, especially with recipes as simple as this. Look for cannellini beans stored in jars if possible or pick a brand you know and trust. An Italian food store should have good options. Tuna in olive oil (not brine or water) is also important, we used Rio Mare but again choose a brand you love.
- Storage – this salad is best eaten on the same day it’s made although will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a wonderful salad. It’s something that I recommend to whip up when you’ve just returned from vacation! So easy and delicious.