Rainbow Tuna, Bean & Pasta Salad
This month’s Nourish & Flourish theme is Eating a Rainbow. Including a variety of colourful foods in your meals is a simple way to increase the range of nutrients, fibre, vitamins and plant compounds that support overall health. Different colours often provide different benefits, so aiming for plenty of variety can help nourish your body while making meals look vibrant and appealing too.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 400g wholegrain pasta
- ½ cucumber, deseeded and diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 yellow pepper, diced
- 1 x 200g tin tuna, drained
- 1 tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed (or use any beans you have)
- Optional: 5 artichoke hearts (from a tin or jar), chopped
Dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Cook the wholegrain pasta according to the packet instructions (approximately 8–10 minutes) until tender.
- Drain the pasta and leave to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables by dicing the cucumber, red pepper and yellow pepper. Chop the artichoke hearts if using.
- Drain the tuna and the borlotti beans.
- To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, wholegrain mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl or jar.
- Add the cooked pasta, vegetables, tuna, beans and artichokes (if using) to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour over the dressing and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to enjoy.
Kate’s Top Tip:
Make this recipe your own by mixing and matching ingredients depending on what you have available. Try:
- Swapping the dressing for pesto or a simple vinaigrette.
- Using chicken, salmon, tofu, edamame beans or chickpeas instead of tuna.
- Adding extra colourful vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, grated carrot, sweetcorn or shredded red cabbage.
- Sprinkling over some feta cheese or pumpkin seeds for extra flavour and texture.
Remember, the more colours you can include, the more variety you’re bringing to your plate! 🌈
