Mediterranean Tuna Salad with White Beans (Straightforward No-Cook dinner)

There’s a sure form of weeknight fatigue that hits after a full day—the contents in your fridge really feel uninspiring, and the temptation to hit the takeout app is sturdy. However currently, I’ve been attempting to make choices that my future self will thank me for, and sometimes which means making a wholesome do-it-yourself dinner with components that gas my physique in one of the simplest ways.

Enter: this Mediterranean Tuna & White Bean Salad. When it’s too sizzling to activate the oven and I want dinner to return collectively quick, it’s the straightforward no-cook meal that by no means lets me down. And simply because it’s easy doesn’t imply it skimps on taste. It’s so scrumptious and has sufficient Niçoise-inspired components to make me really feel like I’m channeling South of France vibes, even when I’m simply prepping dinner after an extended workday.

This can be a good one to assist romanticize your night routine. Mild a candle. Placed on a superb playlist. And make your self one thing really nourishing (that yields loads of leftovers for lunch the subsequent day).

A Pantry Salad, however Make It Elevated

Right here’s one factor I really like about this recipe: it’s comprised of components I virtually all the time have in my pantry. However when tossed along with the proper components and a zingy do-it-yourself French dressing, it turns into a lot greater than the sum of its elements.

The bottom of this salad is oil-packed tuna (this half is not negotiable—skip the water-packed variety, belief me), creamy cannellini beans, and a handful of pasta. I used gluten-free chickpea pasta for slightly further protein and texture, however really, any short-cut pasta will work.

A Salad That Fuels You

Past the flavour, this salad checks all of the packing containers in terms of balanced diet. It’s filled with:

Lean protein from tuna and white beans to maintain you full and help muscle restoration (particularly necessary in the event you’ve had a busy day or slot in a exercise).
Fiber from beans, arugula, and chickpea pasta to help digestion and stabilize blood sugar.
Wholesome fat from olive oil and olives, which assist your physique take up vitamins and preserve pores and skin glowing.
Greens and herbs like arugula and parsley that carry antioxidants, nutritional vitamins, and that contemporary, peppery kick that makes the entire dish really feel alive.

Preserve This Lemon-y French dressing on Hand

That is the dressing I make on repeat and it by no means will get previous. It’s lemony, garlicky, and crammed with taste from chopped shallots, parsley, and Dijon mustard. Simply shake it up in a jar with good olive oil, and also you’ve obtained a French dressing that actually tastes good on something—grilled veggies, rooster, even only a dip for uncooked veggies. Extremely advocate making a double batch on Sunday so that you’ve obtained a mason jar of this French dressing on the prepared all week lengthy.

A Non-Boring Meal Prep Salad

In addition to being wildly simple, this salad holds up. I like it for dinner, then pack the leftovers right into a container for lunch the subsequent day. And I’m all the time enthusiastic about consuming it the second time round. The arugula wilts simply sufficient to melt into the French dressing, and the flavors solely get higher with time.

It’s good for these weeks once you need to make just a few good selections with out spending your Sunday meal prepping. Simply double the recipe and preserve it within the fridge for grab-and-go lunches or a lightweight dinner that doesn’t really feel like a repeat.

Swaps and Concepts to Make It Yours

As all the time, be happy to riff off this base recipe. Swap in kale for arugula. Add cherry tomatoes in the event that they’re bursting out of your backyard. Use farro as an alternative of pasta. Canned salmon is even an ideal sub for the tuna if that’s extra your vibe! This recipe is versatile, forgiving, and filled with nice taste.

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Let me know in the event you make it—and depart a score and evaluation under in the event you do! Scroll on for the recipe for this Mediterranean Tuna & White Bean Salad.

Description

A no-cook, protein-packed salad that tastes like summer season within the South of France. It’s good for a fast weeknight dinner or make-ahead lunch.

For the French dressing:

1 garlic clove, minced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped contemporary parsley
? cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly floor black pepper, to style

For the salad:

8 – 12 ounces oil-packed tuna, drained
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces short-cut pasta (you need to use chickpea or different gluten-free pasta if desired – I used half a field of Banza)
4 cups arugula
1/2 cups pitted black olives, halved
1/2 thinly shaved shallot

Cook dinner the pasta in response to package deal instructions. Drain and rinse underneath cool water. Put aside.
Make the French dressing: In a mason jar, mix garlic, lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, parsley, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Safe the lid and shake properly till emulsified.
Assemble the salad: In a big mixing bowl, mix the cooked pasta, tuna, beans, arugula, shaved shallot, and olives. Drizzle with the French dressing and toss gently till all the things is properly coated.
Serve instantly (Extremely advocate toasted sourdough or crusty baguette on the aspect!) or retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 2 days.