Tuscan Tuna & White Bean Salad

From EatingWell: May/June 1995 — Subscribe Now!

Juicy fresh tomatoes replace some of the usual olive oil in this traditional tuna and white bean salad.

6 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
1 15-ounce can white beans (cannellini or Great Northern), rinsed
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, preferably Italian flat-leaf
1 12-ounce can (or two 6-ounce cans) chunk light tuna in water, drained and flaked (see Note)

Preparation

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic and rosemary in a bowl. Add beans, tomatoes and parsley and toss together. Gently stir in tuna.

Tips & Notes

Note: Canned white tuna comes from the large albacore and can be high in mercury content. Chunk light tuna, on the other hand, which comes from smaller fish—skipjack or yellowfin—is best for health-conscious eaters. According to a recent study, canned white tuna samples averaged about 315 percent more mercury than chunk light tuna samples. (The chunk light tunas averaged 0.132 parts per million mercury content, while the white [albacore] tunas averaged 0.412 ppm.)

Nutrition

Per serving: 178 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono); 17 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 4 g fiber; 338 mg sodium; 394 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (66% daily value), Vitamin C (18% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 very lean meat, 1 1/2 fat