Za'atar Butter Bean Salad
I can only describe this salad as an amalgamation of colors and flavors that I love, with a hit of za'atar that keeps everything together. It's a perfect summer salad. Use ripe and juicy cherry tomatoes, preferably as red as you can get them, and let the butter beans and pickled red onions bring the whole salad up another level. Parsley is there for some *greenage* but I wouldn't be mad at you if you also wanted to throw a little lettuce in the mix!
Ingredients
- 1 can butter beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2/3 cup parsley stems removed
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 small lemon for juicing
- 1/4 cup basil leaves optional
- 3/4 teaspoon za'atar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup pickled red onions
- salt & pepper to taste
Optional toppings
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the butter beans. Spread them on a paper towel or dish towel and pat them dry.
- Slice the cherry tomatoes into halves. Put in a large bowl.
- Roughly tear the parsley leaves into small pieces. Rough them up with your hands to release the natural aromatics. Add this to the bowl.
- Microplane the 3 garlic cloves into the bowl, then use your hands to squeeze in the juice of one lemon, catching the seeds with your other hand. Add the basil leaves (optional) and mix to combine.
- Add in the butter beans, za'atar and a generous glug of olive oil. Gently mix to combine the ingredients.
- Add in the pickled red onions and mix again. Season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice/olive oil to taste.
- Garnish with feta or sesame seeds, and serve with the crustiest bread.