Large White Bean Tuna And Spinach Salad Recipes

LARGE WHITE BEAN, TUNA AND SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Rinse the beans and combine with the water in a soup pot. Add the halved onion, the crushed garlic cloves, the bay leaf and the sage leaves. Bring to a gentle boil, add salt to taste, cover and boil very gently for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender (sometimes they take longer, about 2 hours; it depends in part on the age of the beans). Remove from the heat. Set a colander over a bowl and drain the beans. Discard the bay leaf, onion, garlic cloves and sage. Some of the beans will have slipped out of their skins and fallen apart, but most should be intact. The broth can be used for a soup or pasta sauce.
• Meanwhile, prepare the spinach and the dressing. Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, minced or puréed garlic, mustard, salt to taste and the olive oil.
• In a large bowl, gently toss together the beans and the tuna. Don't worry if some of the lima beans fall apart. Add the mint, half the chives and half the dressing and toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Toss the spinach with the remaining dressing. Line a platter or wide bowl with the spinach, top with the tuna, and sprinkle the remaining chives over the top. Garnish with red onions and black olives if desired, and serve.

WHITE BEAN AND TUNA SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine beans, 2 tablespoons oil, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high, stirring, until beans are warm, about 4 minutes; remove pan from heat. In a large bowl, combine spinach, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon vinegar; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Divide spinach among four plates. Transfer beans to bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon vinegar, tuna, olives, onion, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Top spinach with bean and tuna mixture and serve with bread.

WHITE BEAN TUNA SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add the tuna, reserving the olive oil in a separate small bowl. Break tuna into bite-size pieces with a large fork. Add the beans and capers. Into the bowl of olive oil, add the red wine vinegar. You should have 1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil - add more extra-virgin olive oil if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Pour dressing on the tuna, bean and caper mixture and allow the flavors to infuse while slicing the vegetables. Add the onion and tomatoes to tuna mixture and toss gently.
• Place the arugula on large decorative platter and top with tuna mixture. Tear fresh basil leaves over the top and serve immediately.

GIADA DE LAURENTIIS' WHITE BEAN AND TUNA SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add tuna and oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. With a fork, break up the tuna.
• Add the beans and onions and gently toss.
• Drizzle with vinegar and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to plates and serve.
• Note: This may be served over fresh arugula, about 1/2 cup per plate.