Sunday, September 4, 2022

Tuna white bean salad

 

The hardest thing about making this recipe was opening the can of beans. It had one of those annoying pull tab openings that I suspect are supposed to be easier to open, but so many of them snap off with the slightest tug and then you have to pull a MacGyver on the can. I usually avoid buying anything in those style of cans when given the option, but one of the downsides of curbside orders at Target is you can't tell what kind of opener they'll foist on you.

Tuna and white bean salad
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens “Great Cooking for Two.”

Ingredients
1 15-ounce can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 3¼ ounce can tuna, drained
1 medium tomato, chopped
¼ cup chopped bell pepper
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons sliced pitted ripe olives (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 garlic clove, minced
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon pepper
Pinch of salt
Lettuce leaves to line plates
Optional garnish: fresh basil leaves, halved cherry tomatoes

Method
Combine beans, tuna, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion and olives (if using).

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine oil, vinegar, basil, garlic, mustard, pepper and salt. Shake well to combine. Pour two-thirds of the dressing over the bean mixture.

Line 2 plates with lettuce leaves. Divide bean mixture and place atop lettuce. Garnish with basil leaves and tomatoes and drizzle with remaining dressing.

Rating: Dave raved about this, repeatedly. I wouldn’t go that far, and if I make it again I might add another garlic clove (and the olives, which I skipped) to boost the flavor a bit more. But it definitely wasn’t bad. It made a very hearty lunch for two, which shouldn’t be surprising from a cookbook built for two, but yet serving sizes often don’t meet Dave’s expectations of a reasonable amount of food so that's saying something. It’s definitely pantry-friendly, and reasonably fast to fix. If you can get the damn can open.

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