Giant Lima Bean Salad

I love lima beans and I adore the giant ones. During the cold season I cook all kinds of bean soup: lentils, black, chickpea, green, red kidney, pinto… But in the summer, when I crave for beans, salads and bean spreads (like the Middle East Hummus) are the best option: a good source of carbohydrates, fiber, energy and more important, so flavorful!

This salad is inspired by the lima beans served in Lebanese and Italian kitchens. It can be refrigerated up to 10 days and the more days in the cold, the better the flavor!

Giant Lima Bean Salad | Ingredients for 8 portions
1 pound (½ kilo) of dried giant lima beans
½ medium onion cut into 2 pieces
1 red bell pepper (I used a mix of red, orange and yellow baby peppers
   for color purposes), super finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove minced
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup of apple vinegar
¼ cup of water
3 Tbs. of fresh parsley chopped
2 Tsp. of coarse sea salt
Fresh finely ground white pepper

Rinse the beans and put them in a large pan with water enough to cover them. Boil the beans with the onion cut in halves and a teaspoon of salt, on medium heat until they are tender, approximately 40-50 minutes (the secret is not to overcook, so the beans don’t break and keep their beautiful shape.) Let them cool, drain and throw away the onion.

In a bowl, emulsify the oil and vinegar. Add the water and mix well. Add the chopped onion, pepper, garlic, parsley, salt and white pepper to the vinaigrette. Put the beans in a salad bowl and season with the vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate. I always wait at least 2 days before serving.

To print the recipe click here.