Spanish White Bean, Tuna and Roasted Pepper Salad Recipe
This salad is a hearty combination of creamy white beans, tuna and sweet roasted peppers, often found on Spanish tables as a home-style lunch or dinner. It’s similar to an Italian bean and tuna salad, but the roasted peppers give it a distinctly Spanish character. It tastes great both right away and after a few hours in the fridge.
This salad combines simple pantry ingredients into a dish that feels both rustic and elegant. The contrast between creamy beans, meaty tuna and sweet, smoky roasted peppers creates a deeply satisfying flavor with very little effort.
Chef's tips
Roast a larger batch of peppers when you have the oven on and keep them in the fridge covered with olive oil—this speeds up making the salad next time. Use good-quality tuna in olive oil, as its flavor is key here. Don’t skip resting the peppers in a covered bowl after roasting; it makes peeling them much easier.
How to serve
Serve in a shallow bowl, drizzled with a little extra olive oil and sprinkled with fresh parsley. Pair with crusty bread or toasted baguette slices to soak up the dressing. It’s perfect for picnics, potlucks or as a make-ahead lunch box meal.
Ingredients
- white beans cooked or canned, weight after draining - 240 g
- tuna in olive oil drained of excess oil - 150 g
- red bell pepper for roasting - 2 pieces
- red onion thinly sliced - 0.5 pieces
- olive oil for the dressing - 3 tablespoons
- sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar - 1.5 tablespoons
- garlic finely chopped - 1 clove
- flat-leaf parsley chopped - 2 tablespoons
- sea salt to taste -
- black pepper to taste -
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 220°C. Wash and dry the peppers, then place them whole on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Roast the peppers for 18–20 minutes, turning every few minutes, until the skin is well charred and blackened in spots.
- Transfer the roasted peppers to a bowl, cover with foil or a plate and set aside for 10 minutes. Then peel off the skin, remove the cores and seeds, and cut the flesh into strips.
- Rinse the canned beans in a sieve under running water and drain well. If using cooked beans, drain off the cooking water.
- Slice the onion into thin strips. Drain the tuna of excess oil and gently break it into smaller pieces with a fork.
- In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, sherry vinegar, chopped garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the beans, roasted pepper strips, onion and tuna to the bowl. Gently toss to avoid crushing the beans.
- Finally, add the chopped parsley, toss lightly again and taste. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Storage
Sałatkę przechowuj w lodówce w szczelnym pojemniku. Przed podaniem wyjmij na 15–20 minut, aby ogrzała się do temperatury pokojowej i ponownie delikatnie wymieszaj.
