Tuna, borlotti and basil salad

This is a big, joyous throw-together of delicious ingredients which I break out every summer for lunch boxes. I think I originally had a proper recipe, one which came from a book, but many years have passed and this salad has evolved to suit my tastes and which ingredients I can remember when I hit Sainsburys.

The quantities given here make enough for three lunches. I make the salad in a big bowl then divide it into three separate plastic pots ready to be taken to work. I was a bit worried about the salad going soggy by day three at first. However, I think it actually gets better as the flavours mingle. See what you think.

Ingredients

• 1 tin of borlotti or cannellini beans
• 1 small can (120g) of tuna steak in brine
• Approximately 100gms sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
• Approximately 100gms green or black olives- I’ve found that some supermarkets sell little bags of herby olives with their antipasti- these are perfect
• Approximately 1/3 of a large cucumber cut into small cubes
• Zest and juice of ½ a lemon
• Small bunch of basil finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 2tbsp good quality olive oil

Method

1. Empty the beans into a sieve over the sink and give them a good rinse. Once they have drained put them into a large mixing bowl with the cucumber.
2. Drain the tuna, break it up into small flakes with a fork and add it to the beans.
3. Drain the tomatoes of their oil, chop them roughly along with the olives and add to the salad with the basil.
4. Grate the lemon zest (use the finest grater blade) over the salad and squeeze over the juice. Add the oil along with a good pinch of salt and pepper and mix well. Serve.

P.s. it really doesn’t matter in which order you add the ingredients- just chuck it all in the bowl.