Pesto Tuna & Garbanzo Bean Salad

Written by Amani Ali 

This Mediterranian-inspired flavor revolution makes a great lunch or contribution to a potluck. There’s no heating required and it comes together in just 5 minutes. 

This dish tastes great served immediately but becomes more flavorful after a few hours in the fridge. The garbanzo beans will double in size as they plump up from the liquid, which gives them a creamier texture and increases your yield. For a heartier meal, serve the salad with toasted bread and olive oil.

Featuring

Chef Sarah Germany Pesto

The sauce that we call pesto usually refers to pesto genovese, an herbaceous sauce from Northern Italy that includes basil, garlic, olive oil, parmesan, and pine nuts. Chef Sarah’s version packs in more greens and a different form of crunch. The ingredients are spinach, kale, scallions, pumpkin seeds, almonds, sea salt, olive oil, basil, Thai basil, cilantro and garlic. CSG pesto can be purchased frozen from her stall at the Ferry Building on Saturdays.

Ingredients

• 2 cans tuna in water (do not drain)

• 2 cans garbanzo beans (drained)

• ½ cup Chef Sarah Germany Pesto (thawed)

• ½ cup marinated artichokes

• 1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste

• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Thaw the CSG pesto in the fridge for 24 hours.

2. Open the cans. Drain the beans but do not drain the tuna.

3. Rough chop the artichokes.

4. Combine all ingredients. 

5. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust the amount of lemon juice to your taste.

6. Serve as is or with toasted bread and olive oil.

Pesto Tuna Garbanzo Bean Salad

Nutrition Nook: Basil

Basil is native to India but varieties of it are grown worldwide due to cultivation. Basil is sensitive to cold and is best kept at room temperature. Trim the stems and store them in water after buying or harvesting. 

Are you a part of the flavor revolution? Show us your creation on Instagram or send us an email: info @ chefsarahgermany.com.