If you ask me, a good tuna salad is one of the easiest meals to throw together.
This Mediterranean-inspired salad brings together flaky tuna, creamy cannellini beans, and crisp vegetables with a simple red wine vinaigrette. Fresh cucumber and grape tomatoes add crunch, while tangy feta cheese gives it that classic Greek touch.
The dressing comes together in minutes with olive oil, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of oregano and red pepper flakes. Toss everything in a bowl with some fresh parsley and sliced red onion, and you’ve got yourself a meal.
It’s a no-cook dinner that works great for busy weeknights or packing in lunches throughout the week.
Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Tuna Salad
- Ready in 15 minutes – This salad comes together super fast, making it perfect for busy weeknights or when you need a quick lunch without any cooking required.
- High-protein and filling – With tuna, cannellini beans, and feta cheese, this salad keeps you satisfied for hours without feeling heavy.
- Fresh, bright flavors – The combination of lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and oregano gives you that classic Mediterranean taste that’s refreshing and delicious.
- Meal prep friendly – Make a big batch at the beginning of the week and enjoy it for several days, as the flavors actually get better as they sit together.
- Pantry-friendly ingredients – Most of these ingredients are things you probably already have on hand, especially if you keep canned tuna and beans stocked.
What Kind of Tuna Should I Use?
For this Mediterranean tuna salad, you can use either canned tuna in water or oil-packed tuna, depending on your preference. Oil-packed tuna tends to be more flavorful and moist, while water-packed is lighter and lets the other ingredients shine through. I usually go for solid or chunk tuna rather than flaked, since it holds up better in the salad and gives you nice, meaty pieces. If you want to splurge a bit, look for albacore or yellowfin tuna, but honestly, regular skipjack works just fine for a weeknight meal.
Options for Substitutions
This salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:
- Tuna: You can use canned tuna packed in water or oil – both work great. If you want to switch things up, try canned salmon or even cooked chicken breast for a different protein option.
- Cannellini beans: Don’t have cannellini beans? Chickpeas, great northern beans, or navy beans make good substitutes and keep that Mediterranean feel.
- Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar work just fine if that’s what you have in your pantry. You might want to add a tiny bit more lemon juice to balance the flavor.
- Feta cheese: If feta isn’t your thing, crumbled goat cheese or even shaved parmesan can step in. You could also skip the cheese entirely for a dairy-free version.
- Red onion: Yellow or white onion works too, though red onion gives that nice color and slightly sweeter taste. If raw onion is too strong for you, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes before adding.
- Parsley: Fresh basil or cilantro can replace parsley, or use a mix of whatever fresh herbs you have on hand.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking
The biggest mistake when making Mediterranean tuna salad is not draining your tuna and beans well enough, which waters down the dressing and leaves you with a bland, watery salad – press the tuna with a fork or paper towel to remove excess liquid, and give those beans a good shake in the strainer.
Another common error is adding the feta too early and stirring too vigorously, which causes the cheese to break down and turn mushy instead of staying in nice crumbles, so fold it in gently at the very end.
To prevent your red onion from overpowering the other flavors, slice it thin and soak the pieces in cold water for 10 minutes before adding them to the salad, which mellows out the sharp bite.
Finally, let the salad sit for at least 15 minutes before serving so the vegetables can marinate in the vinaigrette and the flavors have time to come together.
What to Serve With Mediterranean Tuna Salad?
This tuna salad is pretty filling on its own, but I love serving it with some warm pita bread or naan for scooping up all those good flavors. You could also pile it on top of mixed greens or arugula to make it more of a full meal, or stuff it into a pita pocket for an easy lunch. If you’re feeding a crowd, set out some crackers or toasted baguette slices on the side so everyone can help themselves. Sometimes I’ll add a side of hummus and olives to really lean into the Mediterranean vibe.
Storage Instructions
Store: This Mediterranean tuna salad keeps really well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The flavors actually get better as they sit together, so it’s great for meal prep. Just give it a good stir before serving since the dressing might settle at the bottom.
Make Ahead: You can prep all the ingredients ahead of time and store them separately if you want to keep things extra fresh. Chop your veggies and mix your dressing, then combine everything right before eating. The feta might get a bit softer after a day or two, but it still tastes great.
| Preparation Time | 15-20 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 0 minutes |
| Total Time | 15-20 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
| Servings | 4 servings |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 900-1000
- Protein: 50-60 g
- Fat: 48-54 g
- Carbohydrates: 70-80 g
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
For the salad:
- 1 cucumber
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1/2 red onion
- 1/4 bunch parsley
- 15 oz cannellini beans (I use Goya brand)
- 12 oz tuna
- 2 oz feta cheese
Step 1: Build the Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until well combined.
The acidity from the vinegar and lemon juice will help balance the richness of the oil and create a bright dressing that coats all the ingredients evenly.
Step 2: Prepare All Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 cucumber
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1/2 red onion
- 1/4 bunch parsley
While the vinaigrette sits, prepare your mise en place: halve the grape tomatoes lengthwise, dice the cucumber into bite-sized pieces, thinly slice the red onion (I like to slice it paper-thin so it doesn’t overpower the delicate tuna), and roughly chop the parsley.
Having everything prepped and ready will make assembly quick and ensure even distribution of flavors.
Step 3: Combine Vegetables and Dress
- vegetables and herbs from Step 2
- vinaigrette from Step 1
Add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and parsley to a large bowl.
Pour the vinaigrette from Step 1 over the vegetables and toss gently to combine, making sure everything is evenly coated with the dressing.
Let this sit for a few minutes so the vegetables can absorb the flavors.
Step 4: Add Protein and Finish
- 15 oz cannellini beans
- 12 oz tuna
- 2 oz feta cheese
- dressed vegetables from Step 3
Open and drain the canned tuna and cannellini beans, rinsing the beans under cold water to remove excess sodium.
Gently fold the tuna, beans, and crumbled feta cheese into the vegetable mixture, being careful not to break up the tuna too much—you want some nice flakes rather than shredded pieces.
I find that folding rather than stirring keeps the texture more appealing and prevents the salad from becoming mushy.
Mouthwatering Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
For the salad
- 1 cucumber
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1/2 red onion
- 1/4 bunch parsley
- 15 oz cannellini beans (I use Goya brand)
- 12 oz tuna
- 2 oz feta cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until well combined. The acidity from the vinegar and lemon juice will help balance the richness of the oil and create a bright dressing that coats all the ingredients evenly.
- While the vinaigrette sits, prepare your mise en place: halve the grape tomatoes lengthwise, dice the cucumber into bite-sized pieces, thinly slice the red onion (I like to slice it paper-thin so it doesn't overpower the delicate tuna), and roughly chop the parsley. Having everything prepped and ready will make assembly quick and ensure even distribution of flavors.
- Add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and parsley to a large bowl. Pour the vinaigrette from Step 1 over the vegetables and toss gently to combine, making sure everything is evenly coated with the dressing. Let this sit for a few minutes so the vegetables can absorb the flavors.
- Open and drain the canned tuna and cannellini beans, rinsing the beans under cold water to remove excess sodium. Gently fold the tuna, beans, and crumbled feta cheese into the vegetable mixture, being careful not to break up the tuna too much—you want some nice flakes rather than shredded pieces. I find that folding rather than stirring keeps the texture more appealing and prevents the salad from becoming mushy.
