Tuna and White-Bean Cabbage Salad with Toast
What if I tried treating cabbage like a warm-weather bean salad instead of a winter vegetable, then gave it the salty, briny company of tuna and capers? The idea clicked when the crisp cabbage met…
Ingredients
- 600 g green cabbage
- 480 g cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 300 g oil-packed tuna, drained
- 240 g sourdough bread
- 100 g red onion
- 35 g capers, drained
- 25 g flat-leaf parsley
- 1 whole lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 90 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Set out a large mixing bowl, a small bowl, a wide skillet, and a rimmed baking sheet. Drain the tuna thoroughly without pressing it dry, rinse the beans under cool water, and pat them dry; excess water will dilute the dressing and keep the toast from crisping.
- Halve the red onion through the root, slice it into very thin half-moons, and place it in the small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss with your fingers and leave it for at least 15 minutes, stirring once; the onion should soften slightly and turn glossy while retaining a little crunch.
- Finely grate the zest from half the lemon and set it aside. Rub one garlic clove over both sides of the sourdough slices, then brush the bread with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet and toast at 220°C for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the edges are deeply golden and the centers feel firm but not brittle.
- While the bread toasts, remove the cabbage's tough outer leaves and core, then slice the leaves into ribbons about 5 mm wide. Put the cabbage in the large bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and massage it firmly for 60 to 90 seconds. Stop when the ribbons look slightly darker, feel more flexible, and have released a small sheen of moisture; this takes the raw stiffness out without making the salad limp.
- Crush the remaining garlic clove with the flat side of a knife. Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the wide skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant but not brown. Add the drained beans and 3 tablespoons of water, reduce the heat to medium-low, and warm for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring gently, until the beans are hot and a few have begun to split and turn creamy.
- Make the dressing in a cup by whisking the remaining 5 tablespoons of lemon juice with the reserved lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, several grinds of black pepper, the caper brine clinging to the capers, and the remaining olive oil. Whisk until the mixture looks lightly thickened and no longer separates immediately; taste it now, because the finished cabbage will soften its sharpness.
- Add the warm beans to the cabbage and pour over about two-thirds of the dressing. Fold with a wide spatula rather than stirring vigorously, so the beans remain mostly whole. Leave the bowl uncovered for 5 minutes; the warmth of the beans will draw the lemon, garlic, and oil into the cabbage while the cabbage cools to a pleasant room temperature.
- Add the tuna in large flakes, the drained capers, the softened onion with its lemony juices, and the chopped parsley. Fold two or three times only, keeping visible pieces of tuna and pockets of white bean. The salad is ready when the cabbage is supple but still gives a clean crunch and the tuna is coated rather than mashed.
- Taste a strand of cabbage with a bean and adjust with the remaining dressing, salt, pepper, or another squeeze of lemon. For a warmer, more dramatic edge, add a pinch of smoked paprika; for a greener profile, stir in extra parsley or a little chopped dill. Let the salad rest for another 5 minutes while the toast finishes cooling enough to handle.
- Pile the salad onto a broad serving platter, arranging the tuna and beans so they remain visible rather than sinking underneath the cabbage. Tuck the toasted sourdough around the edges and drizzle the platter with any dressing left in the bowl. Serve immediately while the toast is crisp and the beans are still gently warm, offering extra lemon wedges and olive oil at the table.
Watch the Tuna and White-Bean Cabbage Salad with Toast cooking video
← Back to all recipes · View full recipe
← Back to 5StarCook home