Large White Bean, Tuna and Spinach Salad

I followed the recipe. Beans took closer to two hours to become tender. Unless you love lima beans from dry beans (versus frozen), this might disappoint. Lots better ways to make a spinach salad. The combination of three healthy ingredients simply did not work for me.

I followed recipe pretty exact. I had never bought dry lima beans before so only remembered eating frozen. Bought and followed recipe. If you already love lima beans from dry, maybe you will love this dish. Tasteless beans despite the fresh sage leaf and bay leaf. And, will take longer to cook than the 1 to 1/2 hours. I normally love spinach salads as well as canned tuna. The dressing on the spinach salad mediocre at best. The tuna added nothing. Husband asked me to never make again.

Good and will make again, but had to used canned beans, which are never as good as from scratch. Used white wine vinegar as I have 6 vinegars on my shelves but can't find sherry vinegar anywhere

Prepared it without the tuna, used a bit less oil-4 TB vs 6. Mixed the beans, herbs, spinach, and dressing all together. As another reviewer said, used Rancho Gordo large white limas, it was delicious.

Tuna, limas, olive oil, young spinach leaves- stop right there. But playing to the subtle snobbery of my guests and Ignoring the ordinary tuna tins, I reached for the fresh tuna steaks I happened to have, poaching them gently on top the beans and well-seasoned broth after the beans were done. The limas were the amazing white giants from Rancho Gordon soaked with olive oil along with the tuna I broke into bean bowl. Dry tarragon and fresh sorrel leaves were the the finishing herbs to dressing.

This is a great recipe to make per the instructions but also easy to add your own flair to it. I had El Gordo Christmas Lima beans and they worked great. I used regular albacore tuna packed in water though I think tuna packed in oil would have upped the flavor. My husband and I both loved it.

I love tuna and would *not* use waterpacked for this (or honestly for anything). A good quality Italian or Spanish tuna packed in olive oil will totally elevate the dish. Herbs are also flexible (I used dill this time).

Used one can of garbanzos instead. Chopped purple onion, no chives. Used a Tuscan herb olive oil and no other herbs. Also added orange bell pepper, chopped, for color

Replaced beans with canned white beans. The red onion makes it. White balsamic vinegar was my replacement. Yum

Very, very nice. I used canned cannelloni beans heated in olive oil with the sage, garlic and bay leaf for ten minutes. I’m not sure if that is the best way, but it turned out OK. I substituted coriander for mint. To make it more of a main dish, I served the salad wrapped in Mark Bittman’s flatbread.

No mustard in dressing

I only had canned white beans, but I tried to simmer them with the onion, bay leaf and garlic anyway to impart some of the flavor. I would NOT recommend, not a lot of flavor added and beans got mushy. Still a solid lunch, though. I like the dressing. Next time I'll try dried beans, or skip the simmering and maybe just add a little more garlic and onion. Dried rubbed sage also worked great added to the bean/tuna mixture.

Made with corona beans. Did presoak them. Fabulous result.

Omitted the tuna (but would make again with it in the future), used canned beans, added thinly sliced radishes and scallions. Everyone loved it!

Funny, but I finally found sherry vinegar at Ocean State Job Lot on Foxboro, Massachusetts! Always a place to discover gourmet ingredients, but only until they run out ... then wait a year or two!