Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
a white speckled bowl with a brown rim with a slightly vibrant green tuna salad after all the ingredients have been combined together.

Tuna Salad with White Beans, Lemon, Dill, and Tahini

Mallory Brown, RDN
Meet my Tuna Salad with White Beans...aka my favorite Tuna Salad when I want to get in protein, healthy fats, and fiber! It's creamy, flavorful, and made with pantry staples for an easy healthy lunch or light dinner. As a dietitian, I like to have it on a slice or two of whole grain bread or sourdough, or with seed crackers or chips.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course lunch
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4 servings
Calories 240 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 (5 oz) cans tuna (I use Wild Planet Skipjack Tuna)
  • 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoon tahini
  • 3-4 tablespoon lemon juice (~1 large lemon)
  • ½ cup fresh dill, loosely packed, divided, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, loosely packed, divided, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
  • 3 tablespoon water
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon capers, chopped

Instructions
 

  • To a high speed blender, add the drained and rinsed white beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, water, and half the dill and parsley. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes, pushing down the sides as needed with a spatula. If it's too thick, add a bit more water or lemon juice. 
  • Drain the tuna well then flake it in a large bowl. Add the chopped celery, red onion, capers, and remaining chopped dill and parsley.
  • Top with the blended white bean mixture.
  • Stir until well combined. For best flavor, let the salad rest 10–15 minutes before serving, then taste and adjust salt or lemon juice one more time.
  • Hint: wait to add more salt after everything is combined and sits for a few minutes to let all the flavors meld. Then, if it needs more flavor, a bit of extra salt should do the trick.

Notes

Expert Tips
  • Dice the veggies and herbs into small pieces.
  • I drain the tuna for this recipe. 
  • If the white beans aren't blending smoothly, add an extra 1-2 tablespoon of water. If it still needs more liquid, add 1-2 extra tablespoon of lemon juice.
  • If you want to cut down on the sodium in this recipe, add less kosher salt.
  • Serve on toasted whole grain bread or with seed crackers. 
Storage
Refrigerator - Store leftover tuna salad with white beans in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftover tuna salad is good for 3-4 days. 
Mallory's Dietitian Tip
Eating a balanced lunch that contains protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats is a great way to ensure you feel satisfied! It can help decrease late afternoon cravings and also supports hormone health. Tuna is a source of healthy fatty acids and protein, and white beans add fiber and plant protein. I suggest pairing this healthy tuna salad with crackers, or serving it in a sandwich for a balanced meal.
For more nutrition information and tips, visit mallorythedietitian.com. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊
 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.75cupCalories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 26gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 750mgFiber: 7g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
QR Code linking back to recipe