Steps

• Cook the rice in water for 18-20 minutes, following the time indicated on the package.

  When the rice is cooked, drain it and let it cool.

  ☝ To stop the cooking and cool the rice quickly, you can briefly rinse it under a stream of cold water. However, if you, like me, don’t put salt in the cooking water, I recommend following this tutorial to cool the rice while preserving its flavor.

  

• Drain the beans and place them in a bowl. (*)

  Add the tuna to the bowl. (**)

  Slice the spring onions.

  Season with the juice of half a lemon, chopped parsley, and other fresh herbs to taste (I use fresh oregano and some mint leaves) and a sprinkle of pepper.

  Additionally, I really like to add some grated lemon zest.

  Mix everything and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

• If you have planned your rice salad with tuna, beans, and onion for an outing, place the salad in a container with a lid and, after cooling in the refrigerator, transport it using a cooler bag with a couple of ice packs.

  Or… do like me! Set up your picnic on the terrace! 😃

  And Bon Appetit! 😋

  

• (*) Usually, canned legumes should be rinsed with water to remove excess salt present in the preservation liquid. On the contrary, using no-salt beans, rinsing is not necessary and is actually better avoided to retain the beans’ flavor.

  (**) To limit oil, it is advisable to drain the tuna and use only a portion of the oil from the can. Alternatively, tuna with less oil is also available.

  🔹 As an alternative to the red beans I used, you can use other beans, from classic cannellini or white beans to borlotti, and also black beans are excellent.

  🔹 For a richer version, you can add other ingredients to the recipe like cheese, olives, and corn. Or, for a more plant-based version, add cherry tomatoes and bell peppers.

  🔹 And for the gluttons… dress everything with a few teaspoons of mayonnaise (a suggestion here that the kids enthusiastically embraced 😅😃).