Marinated Bean Salad
with Giant White Beans

VEGAN

This marinated bean salad with giant white beans can be served as a delicious appetizer or as a side dish to for example a raw salad.

As with all dried beans, try to find the freshest ones. They will cook better and faster. Find a store where they sell a lot of dried legumes, for example a Mediterranean or other ethnic food store.

This is a very simple dish, and you could even try mashing the beans for a white-bean dip as an alternative. It keeps for a week in the fridge. You can freeze any leftovers in small containers.

Combined with grains, for example a slice of freshly baked whole wheat bread, beans provide you with complete protein as well.

Here is What You Need:

1 cup giant white beans, soaked and cooked (see how to below).

4 cups water for boiling
1 bay leaf
4 spring onions, sliced
6 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
4 tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
Black pepper to taste

Here is What You Do:

Start by preparing and cooking the beans:

Soak the beans in plenty of fresh water overnight.
Drain and put in a large pot with 4 cups of fresh water.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer on low heat for 1-2 hours.
Add a bay leaf for easier digestion.
Check for readiness by taking one bean and cutting it in half, when there is no white spot in the middle they are ready.
Drain.

When the beans are done, heat 2 tbs. olive oil in a saucepan on medium-low heat.
Add the spring onions, green and red peppers and cook gently until fragrant about 3 min.
Take off the heat and add the rest of the oil, salt, parsley, vinegar and black pepper to taste.
Add the cooked beans to the marinade and let cool.

This dish gets better and better after the flavors are allowed to blend, but you can of course nibble away at once if you wish!

Serve in a small bowl along with some black and green olives for a super tasty, and healthy, appetizer.