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Tuna & Cannellini Bean Salad
July 01, 2008
Ah, summer! It’s time for easy meals that are a snap to put together and don’t require turning on the stove. This Tuna & Cannellini Bean Salad is one of our favorites. It takes about half an hour to put together, but only a few of those minutes require actually doing anything. Add some crusty bread, a glass of wine, good conversation – and you have yourself a fine summer meal. Enjoy!
Tuna & Cannellini Bean Salad
½ medium sweet onion
14 oz can of Cannellini beans, drained
Salt
small can of olive oil-packed tuna (use something good like Arroyabe Bonita Tuna from Spain)
1 – 2 Tablespoons nicoise olives, pitted
Extra virgin olive oil
Wine vinegar (use a delicious fruity one, like the Pinot Grigio Vinegar from Robert Bauer/Josef Reiterer)
Black pepper, freshly cracked
Salad greens (arugula is especially nice)
To prepare the onion: peel it and slice into very thin rings. Cover the rings with cold water in a small bowl. Squeeze the onion with your hand for a couple of seconds, then let go. Repeat this squeeze & release several times. The water will get cloudy – you’re milking out the onion juice that makes raw onion too sharp. Drain the water, squeeze the excess out of the onion, the cover again with cold water and repeat the whole process two more times. Then cover the onion with fresh, very cold water again and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze as much water as possible out of the onion – you might want to put them into a dish towel and wring out the excess.
Put the beans and onion into a bowl. Salt liberally and toss. Drain the tuna and add it to the beans in large flakes. Add the olives, and drizzle all with olive oil. Sprinkle with vinegar and black pepper. Gently toss the whole mixture several times, taste and correct your seasonings. Serve on a bed of greens. Yum!
