This green bean and tuna salad is all about simple ingredients that deliver big flavour. With tender green beans, creamy borlotti beans, briny olives, and flaky tuna, it’s an easy yet delicious dish that comes together with very little effort.
Perfect as a light lunch, a side for summer gatherings and picnics, or even a quick dinner, it’s full of Mediterranean inspired flavours that taste just as good the next day, not that it ever lasts that long in this house!
I recently saw an infographic on Instagram showing grams of protein in 100 grams of a variety of foods and discovered that there’s 25g protein in 100g tuna. When it comes to protein, those cans of tuna I have stashed in the pantry, really pack a punch!
We’ve really grown to love this salad – it’s bursting with flavour and so quick to throw together. Other than the green beans and a bit of parsley, everything else comes straight from the pantry, which makes it super handy and easy on the budget. Win, win!
I always give the red onion a quick soak in cold water before tossing it into the salad. It just takes the edge off and makes the flavour a little gentler, so you still get that lovely onion crunch and taste, but without it bossing the whole salad around!
This salad ticks all the boxes – it’s quick, healthy and packed with protein. Where would you take it first – a lunchbox, the dinner table or a picnic blanket? Also, what’s your favourite protein rich ingredient?
Serves 2 generously
Ingredients
120g fine green beans, trimmed and halved
200g can tuna in olive oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 unwaxed lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
400g can borlotti beans, drained
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
50g pitted green olives
small bunch of parsley, chopped
How to
- Bring a small pan of water to the boil and add salt to taste. Blanch the green beans for 3 minutes, drain in a colander and run under cold water.
- Meanwhile, place the sliced onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 5 minutes, drain, rinse and drain again and pat dry with paper towel.
- Pour 1-2 teaspoons of oil from the tuna into a large bowl, along with another tablespoon olive oil, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice, the red wine vinegar and the mustard and whisk well to combine.
- Add the green beans, tuna, borlotti beans, onions, olives and parsley into the dressing and toss together. Serve and enjoy!
