This post was created in partnership with USA Pulses and Pulse Canada.
Everything tastes better on the beach. The sun and saltwater create a special kind of exhaustion that will make even the blandest piece of food taste mind-blowing. When I was a kid, we were usually handed fresh peaches after a long, tiring swim. The peach juice would inevitably end up all over our faces and running down our arms, but no one cared because the way they tasted made the whole world go quiet. Those same peaches never seemed quite as delicious at home, and one year I even made a point of only eating them when at the seaside. Today’s sandwich can be eaten anywhere and anytime, but it will also make for one very special beach snack.
The main component of the sandwich is a white bean ‘tuna’ that has all of the best flavor components of tuna salad, with a little summer flare from fresh cucumber and basil. When mixed with red onion, pickles, olives, sunflower seeds, herbs and a mayo-like sauce, white beans taste remarkably close to tuna salad, especially sandwiched between some bread. Once you have all your ingredients at the ready, the ‘tuna’ comes together easily, and the batch will last you for close to a week’s worth of sandwiches. It’s sturdy and portable, and as a bonus has none of that characteristic scent that follows a tuna sandwich lunch. It’s satisfying and nutritious too, since white beans (as well as all pulses, aka chickpeas/beans/lentils/dry peas) are protein and fiber-packed little superfoods.
This year we are partnering with USA Pulses and Pulse Canada on sharing some tasty, simple recipes centered around pulses, as part of their Half-Cup Habit program. The goal is to kindly inspire you to include at least 1/2 cup of cooked pulses in your cooking a few days a week, for sustainable, nourishing and tasty meals. This sandwich is a good start :)
- juice of half a lemon
- ¼ medium red onion - chopped
- ½ cup dried white beans (such as cannellini, navy, baby lima, etc.) - soaked overnight in purified water and cooked
- ½ cup chopped English cucumber
- ⅓ cup chopped pickles
- ⅓ cup chopped olives
- ⅓ cup toasted sunflower seeds
- ⅓ cup chopped dill and/or parsley
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- freshly ground black pepper
- handful basil leaves (optional)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- ¼ cup 'mayo', or more to taste - recipe follows
- sea salt - if needed
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sweet miso paste
- 1 tablespoon sunflower butter or any nut/seed butter
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- juice of 1 lemon or more if needed
- shredded red cabbage
- tomato slices
- more whole basil leaves
- sprouts or microgreens
- Pour the lemon juice over the chopped red onion in a small bowl and let it sit while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Combine the onions in lemon juice with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times, taking care not to over process; the mixture should be slightly chunky. Taste for salt and pepper, adjust if needed. Keep refrigerated in an air-tight container. Serve on good sandwich bread, with red cabbage, tomato, more basil, sprouts/microgreens, or any other favorite sandwich add-ins.
- Combine all the ingredients, except the lemon juice, in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Add the lemon juice and combine thoroughly. Add more of the lemon juice, if needed to achieve a creamy, slightly runny consistency.
Allyson (Considering The Radish) says
Eating peaches at the beach sounds like a perfect, Proust-esq memory. This sandwich looks incredible. My least favorite parts of a tuna sandwich has always been the tuna and the mayo, but I bet this would be divine.
Anya says
Hi Allyson,
Loved your point about the tuna and the mayo :) I feel the same way.
Rachel EMJ says
It looks fabulous. I will be inspired to eat 1/2 cup of legumes a few times a week with recipes like this! thanks.
Anya says
Yay! Thanks Rachel :)
Claudia says
I made this for dinner tonight, and it turned out fantastic. Thank you for this scrumptious recipe.
Anya says
That’s so awesome! Thank you for letting us know, Claudia :)
Pooja@YummieDiaries says
This is a Perfect Comfort Food. I have always had a combination of Tuna & Mayo but this sounds delicious. Never knew White bean had such effect. Gotto try this on weekend.
Hanzala says
Love this website!!
Carolyn says
For plant eaters who miss the ‘fishy’ taste of tuna, you may want to add from a tsp to a T of dulse flakes to the mix. It adds in a little taste of the sea.
Anya says
Love this tip! Thank you so much Carolyn :)
Jennifer says
This is just a lovely recipe. I made my own sunflower butter — which was a little tricky and time consuming. But this recipe! WOW! fantastic. Delicious and so nutritious. Thank you!
Anya says
So glad you loved it! Homemade sunflower butter is the best <3
Helen says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I‘m coming back every summer, this became such a staple!
Anya says
Hi Helen,
SO glad it became a staple for you <3