No-Cook Tuna Cannellini Salad Jars with Lemon Herbs

These tuna and cannellini salad jars are a no-cook meal you can prep in ten minutes. Layer lemony dressing, beans, crunchy veg and tuna, then top with leaves and herbs. Shake to serve, or tip into a bowl. Great for busy days and easy meal prep.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, European

Keyword cannellini beans, lemon dressing, no cook, salad jars, tuna salad

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 0

Servings Servings

Calories 435

Author Kitchen Team @ Spooning and Forking

Ingredients

For the lemon herb dressing

4 tbsp olive oil extra virgin, about 60 ml
2 tbsp lemon juice about 30 ml
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey optional
½ tsp fine salt
Black pepper

For the salad jars

800 g cannellini beans tinned, drained and rinsed (about 480 g drained)
330 g tuna x 145 g tins, in spring water, drained (about 330 g drained)
250 g cherry tomatoes halved
1 cucumber about 250 g, diced
1 red pepper diced (about 180 g)
100 g pitted olives halved
60 g red onion finely chopped
80 g rocket or mixed leaves
20 g fresh parsley chopped
10 g fresh basil torn (optional)
1 lemon cut into wedges (for serving)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the lemon herb dressing

In a small bowl or jug, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey if using, salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust, more lemon for sharpness, more olive oil for richness.

Layer the salad jars

Divide the dressing between the jars, it should sit at the bottom.
Layer in this order:
Red onion
Cannellini beans
Cucumber, peppers and tomatoes
Olives
Tuna
Rocket or mixed leaves
Parsley and basil on top
Seal with lids and refrigerate, or eat straight away.

Serve

When ready to eat, shake the jar well, or tip into a bowl for easier eating. Serve with extra lemon wedges.

Notes

Choose good tuna if you can. Not fancy, just one you actually like eating. Tuna varies a lot in texture, some tins are flaky and moist, others are dry and a bit stringy. If yours is dry, add a splash more olive oil in the dressing and it softens beautifully.

Cannellini beans should be rinsed well. It reduces the salty, starchy liquid and makes the salad taste fresher. If you prefer a firmer bean, use butter beans instead. If you want smaller beans, haricot beans work too, but they are slightly less creamy.

Nutrition