Butter Bean, Tomato & Pickled Pepper Salad
Savory, lightly sweet, and a little briny, this salad is immensely satisfying. High quality olive oil and good bread to soak up the sauce really make this dish shine. There’s no shame using store-bought pickled peppers if you’re short on time.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the pickled peppers
½ pound peppers (any variety), sliced into thin rings (see note)
½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
For the beans
2 (14-oz) cans butter beans, drained (see note)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
To serve
1 cup (½ bunch) parsley leaves
Good crusty bread
METHOD
Pickle the peppers. Pack the sliced peppers into a heat-proof container (a pint mason jar is a good fit). In a small sauce pot, bring the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a simmer. Pour the pickling liquid over the peppers. Any extra liquid will keep in the fridge almost indefinitely. The peppers are ready to eat after 20 minutes but are best after a couple days. Store refrigerated for up to three months.
Cook the beans. Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook until the garlic is lightly browned. Stir in the beans and cook for just a couple of minutes, until the beans are warmed through. You don’t want them to get mushy. Season with salt to taste.
Dress the tomatoes. In a mixing bowl, dress the tomatoes with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes need it (if they are highly acidic). Don’t hold back on the olive oil and seasoning here: these juices will become the perfect dipping sauce for your bread. Allow the tomatoes to sit for 5 minutes. Stir, taste for seasoning, and adjust.
Plate. Spoon the beans into a wide bowl. Top with the tomatoes, pickled peppers, and parsley. Drizzle with the juices from the tomato bowl. Finish with flakey sea salt and final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Both sweet and hot chili peppers work well here. Select a pepper according to your heat preference. We have a preference for fresnos (lightly sweet and medium spicy). Red bell peppers are great, too.
The quality of canned beans really makes a difference here. While inexpensive canned beans have their place, the higher end beans have a much better texture and are often well seasoned already. Look for something Italian or Spanish: they seem to have mastered the art of canning beans.
FURTHER READING
