Zesty Tuna Lettuce Wraps

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These zesty white bean and tuna lettuce wraps are a healthy, high protein lunch or dinner idea. For a twist on traditional lettuce wraps, we stuff vibrant magenta-hued radicchio lettuce cups with a creamy, punchy tuna white bean salad dressed with a lively Green Goddess dressing and slices of buttery avocado.

Table of Contents

1 Tuna lettuce wraps for lunch
2 Why you’ll love this tuna wrap recipe:
3 Ingredients for tuna white bean salad
4 How to make tuna white bean salad for lettuce wraps
5 Lettuce wrap dressing
6 What’s the best lettuce for lettuce cups?
7 Swaps and Variations
8 FAQ’s
9 More tuna recipes:
10 More radicchio and lettuce recipes:
11 Tuna Lettuce Wraps

Tuna lettuce wraps for lunch

Instead of an everyday salad or plain tuna sandwich, mix up your lunch routine with these flavorful, nutritious tuna lettuce wraps. They’re really easy to make and even more fun to eat.

Why you’ll love this tuna wrap recipe:

Visually, it’s a stunner, with a vibrant purplish-pink palette softened with pale green hues.
It’s made with a zesty tuna white bean salad instead of a plain tuna filling.
The dressing has a tongue tingling combination of fresh herbs, creamy mayonnaise and Greek yogurt, for a tangy, bright flavor.
Tuna wraps are naturally gluten free.
These tuna white bean lettuce wraps are high in protein — and nutrient dense, good-for-you carbohydrates.
The tuna white bean filling lasts in the fridge for days.
Each serving is about three tuna lettuce cups, so they’ll fill you up.

If you’re looking for a delicious gluten-free tuna wrap, this recipe is one of the best.

Ingredients for tuna white bean salad

Canned White Albacore Tuna – I used the kind packed in water.
Canned Cannellini Beans – these are large white kidney beans, but you can substitute navy beans.
Vidalia Onion – or Walla Walla.
Celery – to add a bit of texture and crunch.
Cilantro – Gives a fresh flavor to the salad.
Radishes – these peppery vegetables add flavor, a gorgeous color and texture to the dish.
Scallions – a.k.a. green onions; use the pale green and white parts.
Green Goddess Dressing – you can make my recipe, or use a store-bought dressing.
Radicchio Lettuce Leaves – these leaves are sturdy and crunchy, perfect for holding the tuna white bean filling. You can also use Bibb lettuce, but you might want to double up as they’re more delicate.
Haas Avocado is the creamy Mexican avocado, which is more buttery than the larger Florida avocado.

How to make tuna white bean salad for lettuce wraps

Drain the canned albacore tuna well and flake it apart with a fork.
Combine the tuna fish with the rinsed and drained Cannellini or other white beans, chopped Vidalia onion, celery, cilantro, radishes and scallions.
Pour the Green Goddess salad dressing over the tuna white bean salad and toss gently until the ingredients are well combined (be careful not to mash the white beans).

You can make the salad ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to make the tuna lettuce wraps.

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Combining the tuna white bean salad and veggies in a large mixing bowl.

Lettuce wrap dressing

Unlike other tuna wrap recipes that only use mayonnaise as a binder, this one uses a zippy, herbal Green Goddess dressing. It might seem a bit unusual, but this punchy, vibrant green herb sauce adds a wonderful flavor to the tuna white bean salad and livens up every bite.

Leftover Green Goddess dressing can also be used for other salads or to drizzle over chicken and seafood. We also like it as a dip for potato chips or vegetable sticks.

What’s the best lettuce for lettuce cups?

Most lettuce wrap recipes use green lettuces like Boston bibb or romaine. If that’s what you’ve got on hand, you can certainly use it, however, I’ve found that radicchio is a better choice. It’s sturdier for both assembling and eating tuna lettuce wraps.

Radicchio is actually a form of chicory. It has a very distinctive, bitter and almost spicy flavor that pairs very well with the tuna white bean salad.

Whereas Boston lettuce leaves are very thin and flimsy (and prone to falling apart under a hefty filling), radicchio is pliable, but strong.

Romaine lettuce is bound by one thick, crunchy, white rib, so it has a bit more structure. However, tuna lettuce cups made with romaine will be battered halfway through eating, with filling slipping out and making a bit of a mess.

Lettuce cups made with radicchio are hefty enough to stand up to the filling (and delicious). You’ll love how easily they fold and envelop the tuna white bean salad filling AND a few slices of buttery avocado without deteriorating.

Gently mix the dressing with the tuna salad

Swaps and Variations

For a lower carbohydrate tuna salad, skip the white beans and tuck a few slices of ripe tomato and crunchy cucumber into the lettuce cups.
If you like a spicy tuna salad, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce or dice a jalapeno or serrano pepper for the mix.

A serving of tuna lettuce wraps in radicchio leaves. — This makes a healthy, satisfying lunch.

FAQ’s

Are tuna lettuce wraps healthy?

Yes. These tuna lettuce wraps are loaded with protein and healthy carbohydrates. Each serving has only 2 tablespoons of the Green Goddess dressing, which is made with Greek yogurt.

For an even healthier salad dressing, you can replace the mayonnaise in the dressing with all yogurt or use a simple lemon vinaigrette instead.

Can I make lettuce cups in advance?

You can make the tuna white bean salad in advance and keep it refrigerated. Assemble the lettuce wraps just before eating for the best flavors.

Radicchio lettuce wraps holding tuna white bean salad.

More tuna recipes:

More radicchio and lettuce recipes:

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tuna white bean lettuce cups on a grey plate.

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5 from 2 votes

Tuna Lettuce Wraps

These easy tuna lettuce wraps are deliciously different. Made with a zesty tuna white bean salad in sturdy radicchio lettuce cups, it’s a healthy, satisfying lunch or dinner idea you’ll love.

Author: Lisa Lotts

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword canned tuna, radicchio, white beans

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings

INGREDIENTS:

FOR TUNA WHITE BEAN SALAD:

14 ounces canned albacore tuna (2 cans), well drained and flaked
15 ounce can Cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
½ sweet Vidalia onion finely chopped
1 stalk celery finely chopped
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
4 radishes chopped or julienned
2 scallions thinly sliced
½ cup Green Goddess dressing

FOR TUNA LETTUCE WRAPS:

Tuna White Bean Salad above
fresh chives for garnish (optional)
½ cup microgreens optional
1 head radicchio lettuce
1 Haas Avocado sliced

DIRECTIONS:

MAKE THE TUNA WHITE BEAN SALAD:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the tuna, beans, onion, celery, radishes, scallions and cilantro. Toss gently to combine, being careful not to crush the beans.
Add the Green Goddess or other dressing and toss well to coat the tuna white bean salad.

ASSEMBLE TUNA LETTUCE WRAPS:

Cut the core out of the head of radicchio and carefully separate the leaves into individual lettuce cups.
Fill the radicchio with one or two scoops of the tuna white bean salad and tuck a slice of avocado into each cup.
Drizzle a little extra Green Goddess dressing over the tuna lettuce wraps and garnish with chives and micro greens if desired. Serve.