Tuna, White Bean, and Avocado Salad

I am currently visiting my hometown with my French in-laws. As they have never been to the United States – much less traveled outside of France – I’ve spent most of this trip watching their faces in hopes of catching an outward glimpse of the awe I know they’re feeling.

And I haven’t been disappointed. From the views from the Top of the Rock to seeing the Statue of Liberty in real life to finally making it to Times Square on our last night in the city before our road trip departure, everywhere we’ve been, they’ve been enthralled. TCB’s mother has been limping home every night because of all the walking, and they claim their necks hurt from looking up, but I’ve also never seen them smile quite this much.

Above all, I’ve enjoyed hearing the things that they notice about America. Here are just a handful of my favorites.

“New York is really clean as compared to Paris!” (Two seconds later, we encountered their first NYC cockroach.)

“People bump into you a lot here – but at least they apologize afterwards.” (It’s lucky they didn’t meet my brother in the street, who, if you’re too close to him, yells out in a very astounding baritone, “Too close!”)

“That’s an American-sized ice cream.” (Said at the Brooklyn Ice Cream factory following our stroll across the bridge. Check Instagram if you want photos!)

“Why do they keep the taxis so cold?” (To their credit, they have yet to visit an American drugstore or movie theater. Ah, air conditioning…)

“Every time we sit down in a restaurant, they bring us water.” (Not a complaint, just an observation. What can I say? We Americans love to hydrate.)

And, more than anything else, “Wow… That’s something else.”

Tuna, White Bean, and Avocado Salad (serves 2)

1 5-ounce can tuna
1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, diced
1 small red onion, minced (I use red spring onions so I can include the light green stems as well)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon (or, if you’re my husband or my father-in-law, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar)
salt and pepper

Flake the tuna into a bowl with a fork and add the beans, avocado, and onion. Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Chill about 15 minutes before serving.