Delia Smith Tuna Salad Recipe

Most people pour the oil from a tin of tuna straight down the sink, but Delia Smith keeps it and whisks 3 tablespoons into the lemon pepper dressing for this white bean and tuna salad. It serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a starter, is from Delia’s Complete How to Cook, and that reserved tuna oil is the single cleverest thing in the whole recipe.

Delia calls this her version of an old Italian favourite, and the sharp lemon dressing with crushed whole peppercorns and buttery rocket leaves gives it a bite that supermarket tuna salads never have. I make it when I want something that feels like proper cooking but only needs a tin opener and a bag of dried beans.

More Salad Recipes:

• Salade Nicoise
• Pasta Salad
• Greek Salad

Dried Beans or Tinned?

Delia uses dried cannellini beans soaked overnight, which gives a firmer texture and a creamier inside than tinned. The beans also absorb the dressing better when dressed warm straight after cooking.

If you forget to soak, Delia gives a shortcut: rinse the beans, boil for 10 minutes, turn off the heat, and leave them to soak for 2 hours before cooking as normal.

Tuna Salad Ingredients

The Salad:

• 250g (9 oz) dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight
• 2 x 200g tins of tuna fish in oil
• 25g (1 oz) rocket (arugula), stalks removed
• 50g (2 oz) red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper

The Lemon Pepper Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 rounded teaspoon of black peppercorns
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 level tablespoon of Maldon sea salt
• 1 heaped teaspoon of mustard powder
• 3 tablespoons of reserved tuna oil from the tins

How To Make Delia Smith Tuna Salad

1. Cook the beans: Drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water, and bring to a simmer. Boil for 10 minutes, then cover and simmer gently for 1¼ to 1½ hours until tender. Meanwhile, drain the tuna in a sieve over a bowl, reserving the oil.
2. Make the dressing: Crush the garlic and salt in a pestle and mortar until pulverised. Work in the mustard powder. Push the mixture to one side, add the peppercorns, and crush fairly coarsely. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and 3 tablespoons of the reserved tuna oil. Whisk everything together thoroughly.
3. Dress while warm: Drain the cooked beans, return them to the saucepan, and pour the dressing over while still warm. Stir well and season generously.
4. Assemble: Arrange three-quarters of the rocket over a serving dish. Spoon the dressed beans on top, add the tuna in chunks, and tuck the remaining rocket leaves and tuna amongst the beans. Lay the red onion slices on top and serve straight away.

Why Crush Whole Peppercorns?

Ground pepper disappears into the dressing, but crushed whole peppercorns give you bursts of heat in every few bites that wake up the creamy beans. Delia crushes them fairly coarsely, not to a powder, so you can see and taste the pieces.

I use the flat side of a knife if I do not have a pestle and mortar. Press down on a small pile, crack them, and scrape them into the dressing.

What To Serve With Tuna Salad

Delia says warm, crusty ciabatta bread. I agree, and I also serve it with a simple vinaigrette dressed green salad on the side for a complete light supper.

This is a main course salad, not a side dish, because the beans and tuna together give enough protein to fill you up without needing anything heavy alongside it. A glass of cold white wine is the only other thing it wants.

How Long Does It Keep?

The dressed beans keep for 2 days in the fridge without the rocket and onion. Add those fresh when serving because rocket wilts and onion gets too strong overnight.

Do not freeze it. The beans go mushy and the tuna dries out.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 450 kcal
• Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 22g
• Fibre: 8g
• Protein: 34g

Nutrition is estimated per serving based on 4 main-course servings.

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