Every now and again, I get a pretty strong craving for canned tuna, but there are two problems with that: 1) canned tuna has gotten quite expensive, and 2) I don’t always want tuna mayo. So, I came up with this easy little Tuna and White Bean Salad to solve both of those problems. It’s completely mayo-free, budget-friendly, extremely filling, and one of my favorite ways to boost my protein intake at lunchtime!
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“I don’t know why, but I am obsessed with this. I added lemon pepper seasoning along with everything else and it was SO good. I’m so happy I found this because I want it for lunch a couple times a week. To make it even better, it took maybe five minutes to put everything together, which is amazing for someone like me who lacks motivation to cook. Amazing.”
Emma
Easy Recipe for Tuna and White Bean Salad
If you’re in the mood for something light, fresh, and genuinely satisfying, this tuna white bean salad is a solid choice. It’s a quick and no-fuss meal built entirely from pantry staples but still manages to feel like a put-together meal. Instead of using mayo, I make a light and bright dressing from lemon juice and olive oil. Then, a little green onion, freshly cracked pepper, and salt are all you need to make the flavors pop. This bean salad is simple enough to serve on its own, but I also like it on crackers, in a pita, or scooped up with chips.
Tuna & White Bean Salad
Servings 3Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can white beans ($0.94)
- 1 5 oz. can chunk light tuna in water ($0.92)
- 2 whole green onions ($0.27)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.06)
- salt and pepper (to taste, $0.05)
Instructions
- Pour the can of beans into a colander and rinse with cool water. Allow the excess water to drain off. Drain the can of tuna. Combine the drained beans and tuna in a bowl. Thinly slice the green onions and add to the bowl as well.
- Add the olive oil and lemon juice to the bowl, along with a light sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Taste the mixture and add salt, pepper, or lemon juice to your liking.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Tuna and White Bean Salad Step-By-Step Photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Combine the ingredients: Drain and rinse one 15 oz. can white beans. Drain one 5 oz. can tuna and thinly slice 2 whole green onions. Add the drained white beans, canned tuna, sliced onions, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, a light sprinkle of salt, and some freshly ground black pepper to a bowl. I like pepper a lot, so I added probably about 20 cranks of the pepper mill.
Season to taste: Stir everything together and then adjust the seasoning to your liking. You can see how the tuna and beans were kind of falling apart, which makes it not so pretty. Higher-quality beans will stay intact, and higher-quality tuna will be more chunky than mushy. But it tasted great all the same.
Serving suggestions
If you happen to have lemon pepper seasoning on hand, I’d sprinkle that into the salad for a little extra pop (or use it in place of the lemon juice and freshly cracked pepper). It will give the same great flavor with one little shake of the bottle! A chopped up hard boiled egg would be an excellent way to bulk up this salad. I’d also add a side of crackers or air fried tortilla chips for dipping and call it lunch. 😉
Storage Instructions
I’d keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir to recombine the dressing before serving since the olive oil and lemon juice can settle a bit in the fridge.
More Easy Tuna Recipes
Our Tuna and White Bean Salad recipe was originally published 10/2/12. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 6/5/25.
Made this today and it was so simple and tasty. After tasting the base recipe, I added peas to add some more bulk to it.
Lol I just clicked over to your site to see what I could do with 3/4 of a can of leftover white beans. Are you psychic?! I just finished a batch of the classic tuna salad too and was sad I ran out. Looks like there will be more tuna salad lunches in my future! I’m not complaining!
This is my go to for a quick lunch. Sometimes I add a little rosemary and thyme, but mostly I enjoy the recipe as written.
I need to start eating better & getting more fiber & protein in my diet. This tasty little dish does just that, and is so delicious!
Very good, definitely let it get cold first (much better cold). I added a sprinkle of lemon pepper seasoning, I love it!
I don’t know why, but I am obsessed with this. I added lemon pepper seasoning along with everything else and it was SO good. I’m so happy I found this because I want it for lunch a couple times a week. To make it even better, it took maybe five minutes to put everything together, which is amazing for someone like me who lacks motivation to cook. Amazing.
good reipe, I added tahini to it I recently tried Tuna & White Bean Salad with tahini, and it was a delightful surprise! The combination of tender tuna, creamy white beans, and the nutty flavor of tahini created a harmonious blend of textures and tastes. The tahini added a unique twist, enhancing the overall richness of the dish. It’s going to be a regular addition to my meal rotation! #gourmadesoulfulsnacking #tahini
Fantastic, thank you!
Made for my meal prep and put onto a toasted piece of Ezekiel bread! so easy yet so yummy. Thank you for sharing!
I don’t know how you come up with these recipes, but please keep them coming! I was more than a little skeptical about this one, but I was desperate – I’m hypoglycemic, and was fixing to go down. I turned to your website, found this recipe, and I whipped this recipe up because it was so fast. I could not believe how good it was! I’m not going to lie. I honestly thought it was so good because I was so hungry, but when I finished it off the next day, it was even better! The only thing I changed was to add 2 cans of tuna – I have a dog and a cat that KNOW what a can of tuna is even before I even open the can. To keep the peace, I have to give both of them their own can with a small amount of tuna in it. The joys of pets! LOL Thank you! :)
It’s wicked hot today and opening cans was about all I could summon the energy to do. I added about 1/4 cup of fresh basil I had to use, then refrigerated the salad for an hour. Perfect for a nice, light, filling, minimal effort lunch. Thank you!
Sooo goood
This is amazing!! I only had chick peas and I did add some jalapeno but I can’t wait to eat this again. The lemon is amazing and makes it really refreshing!! Thank you so much fot making my lunch exciting. Not to mention how easy it was to meal prep.
Made this today for a quick little lunch – ate with some crackers! So so so good!!!
I ate a whole batch of this (on a few slices of toasted sourdough bread) during my ICU double shift. Took 5minutes (max) to put together last night (after another double shift). Super convenient, so good. (I also used Penzey’s “sandwich sprinkle” seasoning on top)