Summery Garden Bean and Tuna Salad
This colorful, flavorful, and summery salad wears a lot of hats. It’s a salad — yes. It’s a side dish — sure. It’s also an entree. We adapted it from a contest-winning vegetarian salad submitted to a contest by Pritikin Cooking School at the Pritikin Longevity Center — but we subbed a few ingredients and added tuna. It’s still full of vegetables which are great from the garden or, even canned during those months when we don’t have fresh. By adding a can of white water-packed tuna, we’ve got a winning complete entree with this Summer Garden Bean and Tuna Salad.
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 186kcal
We adapted this from a Vegetable Bean Salad submitted to a Pritikin Cooking School Contest. By adding a can of water-packed white tuna, we converted it to a filling and complete meal, which lasts well in the fridge and at work.
Ingredients
- 2 cups kidney beans - cooked
- 1 can green beans - french style, thin strips, drained
- 1 whole bell pepper - stems and seeds removed
- ½ small red onion - diced
- 1 cup corn kernals - fresh or frozen
- 1 can albacore tuna - packed in water
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
- 1 cup vegetable broth - low sodium
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion power
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- If using dried kidney beans, soak overnight, drain, and cook for approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours, or tender. Dried beans will generally double in size during cooking, so 1 cup dry will make 2 cups cooked. Allow beans to cool. Refrigerate until ready to use. Or, use canned beans, being sure to drain and rinse thoroughly.
- Chop bell pepper, red onion, into a small dice. Chop cilantro very finely.
- Combine all beans, vegetables and herbs in a bowl.
- Drain the can of tuna thoroughly, and flake apart. Add to beans and vegetables.
- For the dressing, dissolve cornstarch in vegetable broth.
- Add the dry spices to a jar with a lid. A canning jar works well.
- Pour vegetable broth and lemon juice over spices. Tighten lid and shake thoroughly.
- Pour dressing over salad mixture, toss to combine, and chill for 30 minutes to meld the flavors.
Spa Index Kitchen Notes
When using canned beans and spices, make sure that they are no salt added.
We didn't even thaw the corn kernals. We like the flame-roasted corn by Trader Joe's, but any frozen kernals are terrific just added as they are, and they'll thaw quickly as you chill this salad, and help to make it cool and refreshing on a warm day.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 186 kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates: 31 g (10%) | Protein: 13.5 g (27%) | Fat: 1 g (2%) | Cholesterol: 10 mg (3%) | Sodium: 174 mg (8%) | Potassium: 613 mg (18%) | Fiber: 7 g (29%) | Vitamin A: 1500 IU (30%) | Vitamin C: 77.6 mg (94%) | Calcium: 70 mg (7%) | Iron: 3.1 mg (17%)
Nice salad to use garden beans. Tastes good. Easy to make with stuff on hand.
Simple. Tasty. Good for garden and pantry supplies.
I was very pleased with this recipe idea. Combining some of my late summer harvest with tuna fish was nice and tasty.
This is so deceptive — looks oddly unappealing and yet, it’s one of my favorite ways to eat tuna salad, now. I don’t even follow Pritikin, and I know this is a keeper. It’s cool, crisp, flavorful, it’s not full of mayonnaise. I love it in a whole wheat pita pocket, or, stuffed in a hollowed out tomato during the summer, right from my garden. But honestly, in a bowl, is just the best, all by itself.
By the way, it’s summery yes if you have a garden and grow green beans and tomatoes, but this is good ALL year. Drained Frenched style (thin cut?) green beans and canned kidney beans are just fine in this recipe. Brings a little summer into cold months.
Best food you can try is Beans !