🥗 Mediterranean Mash-Up: Tuna & Cannellini Bean Niçoise Salad
Forget sad desk lunches. This protein-packed bowl throws a French Riviera party—no yacht required. 🌊🎉
⚡ Quick Snapshot
- 5-minute prep, 10-minute cook. Weeknight-friendly.
- Pantry heroes: canned tuna + cannellini beans = zero thawing drama.
- Veggie glow-up: crisp green beans, briny olives, jammy eggs.
- Bright bite: zesty lemon-Dijon vinaigrette.
- Meal-prep win: holds up in the fridge for 3 days.
👫 Key Players & Their Superpowers
| MVP | Superpower | Why You’ll Dig It |
|---|---|---|
| Tuna (in olive oil) | Lean protein, omega-3s | Keeps you full; tastes like vacation. |
| Cannellini Beans | Fiber fortress | Creamy texture, steady energy. |
| Green Beans | Crunch factor | Fresh snap, vitamin K bragging rights. |
| Niçoise Olives | Salty sass | Tiny flavor bombs—mic drop. |
| Jammy Eggs | B12 + choline | Silkier than hard-boiled bricks. |
| Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette | Acid + zing | Makes everything sparkle—no glitter cleanup. ✨ |
🛒 Ingredient Lineup
| Item | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Canned tuna (oil-packed) | Savory base | 2 (5-oz) cans |
| Cannellini beans, rinsed | Creamy bulk | 1 (15-oz) can |
| Fresh green beans | Crunch | 1 cup, trimmed |
| Niçoise or Kalamata olives | Briny punch | ½ cup, pitted |
| Cherry tomatoes | Sweet pop | 1 cup, halved |
| Eggs | Protein booster | 2 large |
| Red onion | Bite & color | ¼ small, thin-sliced |
| Fresh parsley | Herby lift | 2 Tbsp, chopped |
Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- Salt & pepper to taste
Pro tip: Use that tuna oil in the dressing. Flavor hack unlocked. 🔓
⏱️ 15-Minute Game Plan
- Blanch green beans. Boil salted water, toss beans for 2 min, plunge into ice bath. Crisp, not floppy—like good Wi-Fi.
- Jammy eggs magic. Simmer eggs 7 min, cool, peel, and halve. Yolks = custardy gold.
- Shake vinaigrette. Jar + ingredients + dance moves. Done.
- Assembly station.
- Flake tuna (reserve oil).
- Combine beans, green beans, tomatoes, olives, onion, parsley.
- Drizzle dressing, toss gently.
- Nestle egg halves on top.
- Taste tweak. Need more zip? Squeeze extra lemon. Too salty? Add more tomatoes, champ.
🎨 Remix Ideas
- Mediterranean Keto: Swap cannellini for extra tuna & avocado.
- Spicy Rebel: Add chili flakes or a diced jalapeño—bonjour meets caliente.
- Carb-Up Bowl: Serve over baby potatoes for full classic Niçoise vibes.
- Vegan-ish Hack: Sub jackfruit for tuna, skip eggs—texture still rocks.
💪 Health Perks (Zero Snooze Science)
- Protein One-Two Punch: Tuna + eggs feed muscles without gym-bro shakes.
- Fiber Firewall: Cannellini keeps blood sugar chill—no 3 p.m. crash-n-burn.
- Omega-3 Brain Boost: Fatty acids = memory mojo. Remember where you parked. 🙂
- Antioxidant Squad: Tomatoes & olives tag-team free radicals like mini bouncers.
❓ Rapid-Fire FAQ
Can I meal-prep it?
Yep. Keep eggs separate, toss just before eating. Lasts 3 days.
Fresh vs. canned beans?
Freshly cooked taste awesome, but canned wins when hangry strikes.
No Niçoise olives in my store!
Kalamata or Castelvetrano work. Just avoid the sad canned black ones—trust me.
Gluten-free?
100 %. Unless you serve it on a baguette (which—do you, carb king).
🔚 The Last Forkful
This Tuna & Cannellini Bean Niçoise mash-up packs lean protein, crunchy veggies, and citrus sparkle into one ridiculously easy bowl. Skip the overpriced deli salad, whip this up, and channel your inner Riviera local—even if your view is a parking lot. So yeah, quit scrolling, grab a can opener, and make it happen. You’ll thank your future non-hangry self later. 😉
