Janine’s tuna and white bean salad
My recipes on this site typically focus on farm fresh ingredients from the market. This is a bit of a departure from that, because sometimes a quick recipe from pantry staples is what you need for a quick lunch.
Everyone has days when there’s no time to plan even a quick meal. We are getting my beloved Pinecone Meadow Farm ready to put on the market, and I’m in a flurry of purging, painting and organizing – the dear place has never looked better!
My friend Maureen came over to help sort things out, and I found myself without time to run to the store and we needed sustenance. I had arugula and tiny tomatoes in the fridge, and I raided the pantry for tuna and white beans. After a minute to whisk up a quick vinaigrette, lunch turned out to be not shabby at all. If I may say so myself.
I find many canned beans a little soft for my taste, although Bush’s serves up great non-mushy varietal beans. To make sure I always have beans on hand, I cook up a one pound bag, then divide them into one cup containers and stash them in the fridge. If you want to try this, just use the quick soak method described on the package.
From the pantry white bean and tuna salad
Serves two
1 can tuna, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked cannelini or other white beans, or one can white beans
1/4 cup diced roasted red pepper
2 tablespoons minced onion
Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Tiny tomatoes, halved, and bitter greens, for serving
Dump the tuna, beans, red pepper and onion into a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and vinegar, then slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly until smooth and emulsified. Pour over the tuna and white beans and gently toss. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a serving plate with greens and tiny tomatoes.
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