Greek Butter Bean Salad Food

BUTTER BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss to coat beans and vegetables evenly in dressing.

GREEK BUTTER-BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Roughly chop one of the tomatoes and place in a liquidizer with half the mint and garlic and whizz until smooth.
• Add the lemon juice and the live oil and some salt and pepper and whizz again to make a smooth dressing.
• Cut the remaining tomatoes into wedges and toss with the butter beans, olives, red onions, feta and dressing.
• Transfer to serving plates, scatter over the reserved mint and serve with warm pitta bread.

BUTTER BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the beans, peppers, onion and garlic. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over bean mixture and toss to coat. Chill until serving.

BUTTER BEAN & TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Tip all the ingredients into a bowl with some salt and pepper and mix well. Cover and leave at room temperature until ready to serve. This salad can happily be made the day before and chilled.
• On the day, bring the salad to room temperature and give it a good stir before serving.

GREEK BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Dressing: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
• Salad: In a large bowl, combine the dressing with the beans and mix well. Cover and marinate at room temperature at least one hour, stirring occasionally.
• Shortly before serving, mix in the tomatoes, cucumber, olives and cheese and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve at room temperature.

GIGANTES PLAKI

Steps:

• Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water. Drain, rinse, then place in a pan covered with water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, then simmer for approx 50 mins until slightly tender but not soft. Drain, then set aside.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, tip in the onion and garlic, then cook over a medium heat for 10 mins until softened but not browned. Add the tomato purée, cook for a further min, add remaining ingredients, then simmer for 2-3 mins. Season generously, then stir in the beans. Tip into a large ovenproof dish, then bake for approximately 1 hr, uncovered and without stirring, until the beans are tender. The beans will absorb all the fabulous flavours and the sauce will thicken. Allow to cool, then scatter with parsley and drizzle with a little more olive oil to serve.

BEAN & FETA SPREAD WITH GREEK SALAD SALSA & OATCAKES

Steps:

• Tip the beans, lemon juice, ricotta, 50g feta and the garlic into a bowl and blitz with a hand blender or in a food processor to make a paste. Stir in the remaining feta and spoon the mixture into four small pots.
• To make the salsa, stir all the ingredients together with the mint (if using) and divide into four more pots, topping with a lemon wedge. These will keep, chilled in an airtight container, for two-three days. To eat, spread the oatcakes with the bean mixture, squeeze the lemon wedges over the salads and pile generously onto the oatcakes.