Step 1: Cooking the Beans (optional)
- 1/2 cup dried cannellini beans (or 1 cup cooked)
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
If cooking dried beans from scratch, rinse and soak them until plump (about 8 hours or overnight).
Once soaked, cook the beans in a medium-sized pot. Cover with about twice the amount of cold water to beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer until the beans start to soften. Add the salt and continue to simmer until the beans are tender and fully-cooked through. Taste them periodically for doneness. Once done, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Alternatively, if using canned beans, drain and rinse thoroughly.
Step 2: Preparing Your Mise en Place
- 1 jar/can tuna packed in olive oil (about 5 oz)
- 4 leaves of lettuce (escarole, romaine or frisée)
- 8 cherry tomatoes
To prepare your mise en place, drain the tuna to remove the excess oil. Wash and dry the lettuce. Halve or quarter the tomatoes and set aside.
Step 3: Assembling the Salad
- red-wine vinegar (to taste)
- extra-virgin olive oil (to taste)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
In a medium bowl, break up the tuna into large, bite-sized pieces. Add the cannellini beans and toss with red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the lettuce among two plates followed by equal amounts of the tuna salad. Scatter the tomatoes on the plate and drizzle a tiny bit of extra-virgin olive oil over the lettuce and tomatoes. Season again with salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately.