Salmon and White Bean Bruschetta
on Sep 21, 2017, Updated Jan 18, 2025
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A riff on a classic Italian bruschetta topping, tuna with white beans.


A very classic Italian bruschetta topping is made with white beans and tuna, and it’s fantastic. But recently I found myself with some leftover seared salmon filets, and also some leftover cooked white beans. Soaked and simmered beans are not a usual thing in my house; while I love cooking dried beans from scratch, truth be told it’s a can that I reach for more often than not, and that’s a-ok here.
If the leaves on your stalks of celery are tender and fresh definitely chop those up along with the stalks. If you want to add a fresh herb in here in addition to or instead of the parsley, you could sub in basil in the same amount, or try 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or oregano, with or without the parsley.
If you want to serve these up on typical bruschetta, you can make those toasts in the oven, as directed in the recipe, or brush slices of Italian bread or good country white bread with good olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt and grill them over live fire. For extra flavor, think about running a halved garlic clover over the toasted top when you take them from the heat, and then pile on this topping.
The first time I made this, along with leftover salmon and white beans, I actually had a great refrigerated thin crust pizza dough in my fridge. I baked it up brushed with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, then lightly rubbed the garlic clove over that when it was baked. This, cut into squares, became my base for the topping and it was excellent.
This Salmon and White Bean Bruschetta is a riff on a very classic Italian bruschetta topping made with white beans and tuna.
I realize that having leftover pizza dough, salmon, and white beans in the fridge is not a normal state of being for most people – it’s not all that usual for me either, I promise you. As for how the salmon is cooked, any which way is fine – grilled, broiled, poached, pan seared – all with work perfectly.
So it can be made with toasted slices of French or Italian bread, a more typical bruschetta presentation.
And it can also be served with a piece of toasted or griddles good white bread, a bigger piece, brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven, or over a grill, or in a Panini machine. This is a more along the lines of a tartine, which is essentially a French open-faced sandwich, meant to be eaten with a knife and fork. If you like in an area with Le Pain Quotidiens (a nice casual French restaurant chain), then you’ll probably be familiar with this item, which populates their menu.
But I would also serve this with good crackers, or just heap the mixture onto a pile of lightly dressed greens for a salad. Or eat it with a fork straight out of a container from the fridge. Not the prettiest presentation – it’s no surprise we didn’t take photos of that particular arrangement.
More Crostini and Bruschetta Recipes:
- Mushroom Bruschetta with Herbed Mayonnaise
- Caramelized Onion and Spinach Crostini
- Radicchio and Endive Crostini with Aged Goat Cheese and Balsamic Glaze
- Tomato Bruschetta
- Salmon and White Bean Bruschetta
- Swiss Chard, Leek and Feta Bruschetta
- Kale and Roasted Pepper Bruschetta
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Ingredients
- 1 baguette sliced 1/3-inch thick (about 20 slices)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ cups flaked cooked salmon see Note
- 1 15.5-ounce can white beans such as cannellini, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup chopped onion any kind
- ½ cup chopped celery use the tender inner stalks if possible
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Brush each of the baguette slices with the olive oil and place them side by side on the baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Bake for about 5 minutes until the edges are lightly brown. Remember that they will harden as they cool, so take them out before they get too crisp.
- In a medium bowl place the salmon, white beans, onion, celery, parsley, capers, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper and toss gently to combine well.
- Top the toasted bread with the mixture, or serve the salmon mixture in a medium serving bowl with the toasts on the side, and allow everyone to top their own bruschetta.