Italian Tuna Salad Recipe – A Mayonnaise-Free Italian Tuna Salad 

Last updated on September 16th, 2024

Are you looking for the perfect picnic tuna salad that won’t go bad?

Or maybe you are looking for a lighter version of a typical mayonnaise based tuna salad?

Living in Italy since 2012 has given me a new appreciation for tuna salad – a dish used to fall under the sad hat category for me. Now that I know how to make Italian tuna salad, that has changed!

Italian tuna salad is more of a concept, rather than a recipe. It embodies local flavors and seasonal herbs, and it’s a base for creativity in the kitchen. Mayonnaise-free Italian tuna salad varies from region to region in Italy, using local specialties and ingredients such as sun dried tomatoes, spring onions, vine ripe tomatoes or capers.

In this recipe for Italian tuna salad, I will share with you my favorite way to make a hearty, healthy tuna salad recipe that can be adapted to what you have on hand and what you like (or don’t!). 

Keep in mind that this Italian tuna salad recipe is more of a formula, rather than a specific recipe. Be sure to read all about the variations and substitutions and learn how to tailor this Italian tuna salad to your personal preferences. 

Italian Tuna Salad Pronunciation

Tuna salad is insalata di tonno in Italian, pronounced een-sah-lah-tah dee tohn-noh.

Listen to the pronunciation of insalata di tonno:

What Exactly Is Italian Tuna Salad?

Italian tuna salad is a cold salad in Italy made from canned tuna packed in olive oil bulked up with cannellini beans and flavored with herbs, capers, fennel and red onion. 

Italian tuna salad has a ton of flavor and texture created by the different size and shapes of each ingredient (crunch from the fennel, creaminess from the cannellini beans, richness from the tuna and tang from the capers and onions).

Regional Differences In Italian Tuna Salad

There are many regional differences in Italian tuna salad recipes across Italy which reflect that region’s local crops and culinary traditions. 

In southern Italy, Italian tuna salad may be made with several different varieties of olives, tomatoes and capers while in northern Italy, a tuna salad may be made with hearty winter greens such as radicchio. 

In Tuscany, we eat a lot of legumes and beans, especially cannellini beans, which serve as the base for my recipe for Italian tuna salad. 

Italian Tuna Salad Ingredients

Italian Tuna

Use 200 grams (7 oz) canned tuna packed in olive oil, drained. You can also use canned tuna packed in water, if you like, but you may need to adjust the dressing by adding more olive oil, should the tuna salad be too dry. 

Learn More: If you are curious about what kind of tuna we use here in Italy, check out Italian Tuna.

Cannellini Beans

Use 1-15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed or about 1 ½ cups (9 oz or about 250 grams) homemade cannellini beans beans. 

For a budget friendly version of this recipe, make your own cannellini beans with my recipe by rehydrating and cooking dried white beans.

Red Onion

Adding ½ red onion adds a ton of flavor and crunch to this Italian tuna salad. To take away a bit of its spicy bite, soak the onion in red wine vinegar for 5 minutes before adding it to the salad. If you love the taste of raw onion, skip this step. 

Other Ingredients

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
• 3 cups of lettuce or other greens, optional (see note below)
• salt and pepper to taste

Note: The lettuce greens are completely optional and should only be used should you be serving the salad straight away. If you are making the salad to be packed up and served later at a picnic or working lunch, leave the greens out all together or assemble right before eating. 

How To Make Italian Tuna Salad

Thinly slice the red onion and cover with the ¼ cup red wine vinegar in a small bowl for about 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, drain the canned tuna and gently flake into large chunks with a fork. Add to a second bowl with the cannellini beans, fennel, parsley and capers. Drain the onions and combine with the tuna salad mixture, being careful not to break up the tuna too much. 

In a small bowl whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, pepper and salt to taste. Add to the Italian tuna salad and gently toss. Test for seasoning (the amount of salt you add will depend on the type of canned tuna and beans you choose). Serve immediately or wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

You can keep this Italian tuna salad out of the refrigerator as long as it’s out of the sun for several hours, making it ideal to bring to work and for picnics. 

Italian Tuna Salad Substitutions And Variations

• You can absolutely make this Italian tuna salad bean free by leaving out the cannellini beans all together. In this case, decrease the olive oil to ⅛  cup and the lemon juice to 1 tablespoon
• Instead of red onion, use fresh spring onions and skip the soaking step. They are not as pungent 
• Add pitted olives, either whole or roughly chopped (black or green)
• Omit the fennel and and replace with ½ cup of chopped cherry tomatoes 
• Substitute the parsley with basil by tearing a small handful of fresh basil leaves right before serving 
• Use red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice 
• Serve with a couple hard boiled eggs, cut in quarters
• Use any kind of tuna you like for this recipe although Italian tuna packed in olive oil will make the most flavorful salad. If you are using tuna packed in water, you may need to adjust the dressing by adding more olive oil, should it be too dry. 
• Use your favorite lettuce or seasonal greens including baby kale, radicchio or baby lettuce.

How To Serve Italian Tuna Salad

I like to serve Italian tuna salad on a bed of greens if I am eating it right away or not bringing it to a picnic. If, however, this is a food you are packing up and eating later, it’s best to assemble right before eating or serve as is with a good chunk of crusty bread. 

Italian tuna salad is typically served as a salad, not in a sandwich. This is because it has a lot of different textures that aren’t bound together well with mayonnaise, making it messy.

Fact: Italians do make a mayonnaise version of Italian tuna salad which is made into a soft sandwich called a tramezzino. 

How To Store Italian Tuna Salad

Italian tuna salad can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two days. Italian tuna salad does not freeze well. 

Before serving for a second time, be sure to mix the salad well as some of the liquid and dressing may have separated from the tuna, beans and other ingredients.

If you love Italian salads, try making:
Caprese Salad
Fennel and Orange Salad
Kale Salad with Gorgonzola
Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables
Panzanella
Spring Farro Salad
Tuna Salad (Mayo-Free)
Tuscan Bean Salad

Studying in Italy? A frittata is one of my favorite Quick and Easy Meals to Cook as a Student in Italy.