In this recipe, two Italian pantry staples, tuna and white beans, come together for a quick and healthy bruschetta topping. We fancy it up with crunchy fennel, red onion, capers, and parsley to elevate it for the appetizer hour.

Special equipment: You will need a pastry brush.

This recipe was featured as part of our story on Bruschetta, the Fancy Toast for Parties.

  • Yields: 8 to 10 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 35 mins

Ingredients (15)

For the topping:

  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 7 ounces high-quality oil-packed tuna, drained and flaked
  • 1 cup cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed if canned
  • 1/2 cup small-dice red onion (from about 1/2 a medium onion)
  • 1/2 cup small-dice fennel (from about 1/2 a medium bulb)
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

For the bread:

  • 8 ounces crusty Italian bread, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 medium garlic clove

Instructions

For the topping:

  1. Place the vinegar in a medium, nonreactive bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream until combined.
  2. Add the tuna, beans, onion, fennel, capers, and parsley and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Set aside at room temperature while you prepare the bread.

For the bread:

  1. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high (about 375°F to 425°F).
  2. Meanwhile, arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Using 1 tablespoon of the oil, very lightly brush the tops of the bread with the oil. Flip the slices over and brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Generously season one side only with salt and pepper.
  3. Place the bread on the grill (reserve the baking sheet) and cook until grill marks appear and the bread is toasted and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  4. Return the grilled bread to the reserved baking sheet, seasoned-side up, and rub the seasoned sides with the garlic clove.
  5. To serve, divide the tuna mixture evenly among the grilled bread slices and cut the bruschetta into pieces if desired.