This healthy bean salad is fresh, hearty, and tossed in a tangy mustard dressing—perfect as a side or a light high-protein lunch idea.
For more Mediterranean recipes, check out our Mediterranean chicken, Chicken Souvlaki, Greek Salad, and Orzo Salad.
Why You'll Love This
This Three Bean Salad with Tuna, basil and cherry tomatoes is easy, fresh and satisfying but still beautiful and packed with flavor.
It has all the Mediterranean soul we love: creamy beans, crunchy veggies, sharp red onion, sweet cherry tomatoes, fragrant basil, and a tangy mustard dressing that pulls everything together.
And then, for those days you want to turn it into a full meal? Good flaky tuna, gently folded in, makes it feel like something you'd be served seaside in Cinque Terre 🇮🇹.
Louise and I think you'll love this Mediterranean bean salad because:
- No cooking required. Just a bit of chopping, tossing, and you’re done.
- Pantry-friendly. You probably already have most of these ingredients on hand.
- Versatile. Serve it as a side, pack it for lunch, or enjoy it as a light dinner.
- Make-ahead magic. It tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge.
- Protein-rich & filling. Beans plus tuna? A winning combo for energy and satisfaction.
Ingredients
For quantities, see recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Kidney beans – substitute with black beans or pinto beans
- White beans – any, you can use lima, cannellini, butter beans, or even green beans
- Chickpeas – substitute with white beans or lentils
- Red onion – substitute with shallots, green onions, or sweet onion
- Celery – substitute with fennel or cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes – substitute with grape tomatoes or chopped vine tomatoes
- Fresh basil – substitute with parsley, oregano, or a pinch of dried herbs
- Tuna in olive oil (optional) – jarred is best, canned works in a pinch. Substitute with flaked mackerel, grilled chicken, feta, hard-boiled eggs, or omit
- Extra virgin olive oil – substitute with any good olive oil or avocado oil
- Red wine vinegar – substitute with white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
- Dijon mustard – substitute with whole grain or yellow mustard
- Honey or maple syrup (optional) – substitute with agave syrup or a pinch of sugar
How to Make Bean Salad
1. Make Dressing & Marinate Beans
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, dried oregano, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until smooth and emulsified.
Add the drained kidney beans, white beans, and chickpeas directly into the dressing. Toss gently and let them sit for 15 minutes while you prep the veggies. This helps the beans soak up all that flavor.
2. Assemble the Salad
While the beans marinate, slice the red onion, chop the celery, and halve the cherry tomatoes.
Add them right on top of the beans then toss gently to combine. Fold in the chopped basil and canned or jarred tuna - drained from its liquid.
3. Plate & Serve
Spoon the salad into a serving bowl or platter, then add a final drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of oregano.
Best served slightly chilled or at room temperature with crusty bread to sop up the dressing.
Tips for the Best Tuna Bean Salad
- Start with the dressing. Always mix your dressing first, then add the beans—this lets them marinate and soak up flavor from the start.
- Go for jarred tuna packed in olive oil—it's richer in flavor and the fillets hold their shape beautifully. Gently fold it in at the end to keep those tender chunks intact.
- Rinse the beans well. Canned beans are a huge time-saver, but make sure to drain and rinse them thoroughly to get rid of that tinny taste and extra starch.
- Let it sit. Even just 15–20 minutes of resting time after mixing makes a huge difference. The flavors meld, the beans soften slightly, and the dressing settles in.
- Taste before serving. Beans can mellow the flavors as they sit, so give the salad a final toss and a taste before serving—maybe a pinch more salt or a squeeze of lemon.
- Make it your own. Add olives, feta, capers, or whatever you have on hand. This salad is flexible and forgiving!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely. Just make sure to soak and cook them ahead of time until tender. You’ll need about 1 ½ cups of cooked beans (½ cup dried) to replace one 15 oz can.
It keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. If you're adding fresh herbs or tuna, it's best to add those right before serving to keep things fresh.
Yes! In fact, it tastes better after sitting for a few hours or overnight. Just hold off on the basil and tuna until the last minute.
Bean salad is usually served cold or at room temperature, but if you’ve just cooked the beans from scratch and want to toss everything together while warm, go for it. Just wait to add the herbs until it cools slightly.
We love serving it with tuna in glass or canned tuna on top to make it a fulfilling meal. But you can serve it with grilled meats, roasted veggies, on top of greens, or with crusty bread for a complete meal.
More Easy Mediterranean Recipes
- Pan-Seared Tuna Steak
- Greek Tzatziki
- Italian Prosciutto Sandwich
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Salmon Bowls with Hot Honey Sauce
- Feta Pasta
- Chicken Piccata
- Easy Baked Cod
If you tried this Bean Salad recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Recipe
Bean Salad
Video
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained and rinsed ( 1½ cups / 240g cooked)
- 1 can (15 oz) white beans any - drained and rinsed ( 1½ cups / 240g cooked)
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained and rinsed ( 1½ cups / 240g cooked)
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 5 leaves fresh basil chopped or torn
- 1 can (5-7 oz) tuna in olive oil drained - optional but recommended
For the Dressing
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Make Dressing & Marinate Beans: Whisk together 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoon honey, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl.Add 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, 1 can (15 oz) white beans, and 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas (all drained), toss, and let marinate while you chop the veggies.
- Assemble the Salad: Chop 1 stalk celery, halve 1 cup cherry tomatoes, and slice ½ red onion and 5 leaves fresh basil.Add them right on top of the beans then toss to combine. Finally, gently fold in 1 can (5-7 oz) tuna in olive oil (drained) - if using.
- Plate & Serve: Spoon into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with oregano. Serve chilled or at room temp with crusty bread to soak up the dressing.
Notes
- Kidney beans – substitute with black beans or pinto beans
- White beans – any, you can use lima, cannellini, butter beans, or even green beans
- Chickpeas – substitute with white beans or lentils
- Red onion – substitute with shallots, green onions, or sweet onion
- Celery – substitute with fennel or cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes – substitute with grape tomatoes or chopped vine tomatoes
- Fresh basil – substitute with parsley, oregano, or a pinch of dried herbs
- Tuna in olive oil (optional) – jarred is best, canned works in a pinch. Substitute with tuna in water, flaked mackerel, grilled chicken, feta, hard-boiled eggs, or omit
- Extra virgin olive oil – substitute with any good olive oil or avocado oil
- Red wine vinegar – substitute with white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
- Dijon mustard – substitute with whole grain or yellow mustard
- Honey or maple syrup (optional) – substitute with agave syrup or a pinch of sugar
- Dress first. Whisk the dressing before adding beans—this way they soak up flavor from the start.
- Use jarred tuna in olive oil for better flavor and texture. Fold it in gently to keep the chunks whole. Canned works in a pinch.
- Rinse those beans. Canned beans are great—just rinse well to ditch the tinny taste.
- Let it rest. 15–20 minutes makes all the difference—flavors meld, beans absorb, magic happens.
- Taste and tweak. Always taste before serving. You might want a pinch more salt or a squeeze of lemon.
- Make it yours. Toss in olives, capers, or feta—this salad loves a good remix.
Lena says
This bean salad with tuna was absolutely fantastic! So fresh, filling, and full of Mediterranean flavor. I loved how the creamy beans paired with the briny tuna and zesty dressing—it all came together so beautifully. I added a few extra cherry tomatoes and some fresh parsley, and it was perfect. Such a great no-cook meal for warm days or quick lunches. Thank you for sharing this simple and nourishing recipe!
Nico Pallotta says
Thank you so much, Lena! I’m so glad you enjoyed the bean salad with tuna—it’s one of my favorite no-cook meals for exactly those warm, busy days. The extra cherry tomatoes and fresh parsley sound like delicious additions! I love how you made it your own. Thanks again for your kind words and for bringing the recipe to life in your kitchen!