Vinegar-Marinated Butter Beans

 

These butter beans are just as much a snack as a side for me; I love them as part of a larger spread, alongside raw vegetables, and/or all the cheeses. Technically, any bean will work here, but for snacking purposes, the larger the better because trying to elegantly eat an individual cannellini bean would be nearly impossible. (On that note, they really are best eaten with toothpicks, because it’s both cute and practical, two of my favorite qualifiers.)

YIELD — 4–8 servings

 

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans butter, lima, or gigante beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 small garlic clove, finely grated

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1⁄2 cup red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar

  • Freshly grated lemon zest

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add the beans and garlic and season with salt and pepper.

2. Cook a minute or two, just to warm them through and remove the I-just-came-from-a-can flavor.

3. Remove from the heat and add the vinegar, swirling to combine. Let sit at least 30 minutes.

4. Transfer the bean mixture to a small bowl or serving dish (if you want to drain them, that is okay too, but I like to serve them in their marinade) and finish with more black pepper and lemon zest.

DO AHEAD: Beans can be marinated up to 2 weeks ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Bring them to room temperature before serving.


snacks, beans / rice / grainsAlison RomanComment