Marinated Gigante Beans with Olives (Giant White Beans)
This easy recipe for marinated gigante beans (also known as butter beans) is incredibly flavorful from olives, garlic, and red pepper. The giant white beans are creamy and meaty, and become infused with the robust flavor of the other ingredients. They're just like you find on the olive bar at the deli!
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium shallot (35 grams), finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (70 grams) diced red pepper
- kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (100 grams) coarsely chopped green olives, preferably castelveltrano olives
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups (330 grams) cooked gigante beans (or butter bean, also known as lima beans)
- scant 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- zest of a 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- If you are using dried gigante or butter beans, cook them as you normally do, until soft and tender. You can do this a day or two ahead if you like (just store in their cooking liquid).
- Measure out your olive oil into a liquid measuring cup. Heat medium sized skillet over medium heat on stovetop. Pour about 2 tablespoons olive oil from the measure cup into the pan. Let it get warm, then add shallot, red pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, saute for about 5-6 minutes, until tender. Then add olives and saute for another 2 minutes.
- Add a bit more olive oil into pan and place garlic in the olive oil, letting it sizzle and saute for 30 seconds to a minute, then stir into the rest of ingredients. Add beans, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and what remains of the 1/3 cup olive oil. Stir and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper, red pepper flakes, and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed or preferred. (Depending on the type of olives you use, they may be saltier than those I used here, so that's why it's best to assess salt level at the end. Serve beans warm, at room temp, or cold.
Notes
Beans will last in fridge for 5-6 days.