Grilled Tuna Salad with Flat Beans

This Grilled Tuna Salad is packed full of flavour that makes for a fantastic summer lunch full of wonderful Mediterranean flavours.

In this grilled tuna salad we have added sweet flat beans, also known as Italian beans, are partnered with mini Roma tomatoes, piquant caperberries, olives and summer’s favourite herb – basil for a scrumptious main meal salad.

Other serving ideas

This substantial salad can be served alongside a seafood barbecue feast or serve it with some crusty bread for a light and delicious summer lunch.

More on caperberries

While capers are the plant’s flower buds, the berries are its fruit.  They are picked and packed with their stems intact and are about the size of a grape or olive.

They are tender to bite with a texture similar to a pickle or olive and contain tiny seeds that give a very subtle crunch

Caperberries are less acidic and have a milder flavour than capers, which makes them edible on their own much like olives and pickles. 

You will find the best caper berries are grown on the Italian island of Pantelleria, not far from Sicily.  Its climate is arid and its rocky landscape makes it ideal for cultivating the caper plant.

How to make this salad

STEP 1 – grill your tuna steaks

• Heat a non-stick frypan on medium-high heat. Brush the tuna steaks lightly with oil, season, then sprinkle with the oregano and parsley leaves.
• Put the tuna steaks into your frypan and allow to cook for 2-3 mins, depending on how thick the tuna steaks are.
• Turn the tuna over and cook for a further 2-3 mins on the other side.
• Look at the side of the tuna to see how far through it is cooked, but remember it will keep cooking for a short while when taken off the heat.

step 2 – Prepare the vegetables

• Wash the beans, top, tail and string them, them then cut them on the diagonal in 2.5cm pieces.
• Boil a large pot of salted water, place the flat beans into the boiling water and cook for approximately 5 minutes (they sould be cooked al dente). While the beans are cooking, fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain the beans in a colander and submerge in the ice water to retain their colour. Then transfer to a mixing bowl when cold.
• Wash your mini Roma tomatoes and cut them in half, add to your mixing bowl along with the caper berries and olives.
• Wash your basil leaves carefully, pat dry with a towel and add to your bowl.

step 3 – shake you your dressing

• Place all your dressing ingredients in a glass jar, season and shake until emulsified.

STEP 4 – Assemble the salad

• Flake your tuna and add to your mixing bowl.
• Season your salad, pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
• Arrange the salad in a large salad bowl, place the caper berries and basil leaves on top and serve.

Make ahead tips

• You can grill and flake your tuna a 2-3 days before and keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the salad.
• Wash, trim, cut and blanch the flat beans a 2-3 days before and keep them covered in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the salad.
• This grilled tuna salad can be made 2-3 hours in advance and kept chilled in the fridge just before serving.

Looking for more dinner salad ideas?

Grilled Tuna Salad with Flat Beans

This Grilled Tuna Salad is packed full of flavour that makes for a fantastic summer lunch full of wonderful Mediterranean flavours. 

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

(Times are an estimate and will depend on your skill level)

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Intermediate

Servings: 4 as a main

Calories: 452kcal

Ingredients

For the tuna…

• 450 grams tuna steaks, fresh
• 2 tbsps olive oil (extra virgin)
• 2 tbsps parsley, fresh (chopped)
• 1 tsp oregano (dried)
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper

For the salad…

• 400 grams flat beans
• 250 grams Mini Roma tomatoes
• ½ cup small basil leaves, chopped
• ⅓ cup pitted black olives chopped
• ⅓ cup caper berries stems removed

For the Italian dressing..

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsps white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, fresh
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tbsps fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp oregano, dried Greek *

For the garnish…

• 2 tbsps Large basil leaves
• 1-2 tbsps caper berries

Metric – Imperial

Instructions

To grill your tuna steaks…

• Heat a non-stick fry pan on medium-high heat. Brush the tuna steaks lightly with oil, season, then sprinkle with the oregano and parsley leaves.
• Put the tuna steaks into your fry pan and allow to cook for 2-3 mins, depending on how thick the tuna steaks are. Turn the tuna over and cook for a further 2-3 mins on the other side. Look at the side of the tuna to see how far through it is cooked, but remember it will keep cooking for a short while when taken off the heat.

To make your salad…

• Wash the beans, top, tail and string them, them then cut them on the diagonal in 2.5cm pieces.
• Boil a large pot of salted water, place the flat beans into the boiling water and cook for approximately 5 minutes (they sould be cooked al dente). While the beans are cooking, fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain the beans in a colander and submerge in the ice water to retain their colour. Then transfer to a mixing bowl when cold.
• Wash your mini Roma tomatoes and cut them in half, add to your mixing bowl along with the caper berries and olives.
• Flake your tuna and add to your mixing bowl.
• Wash your basil leaves carefully, pat dry with a towel and add to your bowl.

To make your Italian dressing…

• Place all your dressing ingredients in a glass jar and shake until emulsified.

Putting it all together…

• Season your salad, pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
• Arrange the salad in a large salad bowl, place the caper berries and basil leaves on top and serve.

Notes

• It is well worth the effort to make a trip to your Greek deli and buy a bag of dried Greek oregano, the taste is incomparable to what you find in your supermarket. 

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

Nutrition Facts

Grilled Tuna Salad with Flat Beans

Amount Per Serving

Calories 452 Calories from Fat 297

% Daily Value*

Fat 33g51%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 43mg14%

Sodium 694mg30%

Potassium 651mg19%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 29g58%

Vitamin A 4033IU81%

Vitamin C 33mg40%

Calcium 77mg8%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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