I have been making tuna salad the same way for years – mixing a can of chunk white tuna, mayonnaise and some relish for flavor.   I’ll eat it on bread, sometimes I’ll eat it straight and my son David likes it on a plate with a piece of American cheese melted on top.   This recipe has served me well over the years, but having made it so many times, I was looking for a change.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend John sent me this new recipe for tuna salad.   It’s healthier than mine because it doesn’t have any mayonnaise, and it’s loaded with cannellini beans.   Once you mix the beans into the tuna, they mix with the olive oil in the tuna and hold the salad together without the need for mayo.  Cannellini beans have a really smooth texture and a slightly nutty flavor.  They’re a nice addition.    This recipe is a really nice change from traditional tuna salad.

This recipe calls for balsamic vinegar to taste.   I suggest starting with a teaspoon and working up from there.

Tuna Salad with Cannellini Beans
Recipe by John Maclay

One can white cannellini beans (do not cook or rinse)
Two 6 oz. cans of white tuna packed in olive oil
1/2 small red onion, chopped into small dice and rinsed
Salt and Pepper to taste
Balsamic Vinegar to taste

Drain the cannellini beans.  Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.   Chill in the refrigerator for an hour.   Eat and enjoy.

Serves 4