The simplicity of this Maltese white bean salad is what sometimes makes Maltese food so great. Just chop a few ingredients and there you have it, a simple and tasty appetiser or snack.
If we didn’t have the ingredients for this dish in our cupboard, it was growing outside in our garden. It is a great dish if you want something quick to eat and you have some canned white beans in the cupboard. You can use dried white beans for this dish if you wish, but to be honest, I never have. The hassle of soaking them and then simmering them just doesn’t seem worth it, when canned white butter beans taste just as good (in this dish anyway).
The staples of a butter bean salad are white butter beans, parsley, parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and some seasoning. I use all the ingredients I have specified but I also like to add some chopped spring onions and some chopped olives. I just like it that way. I have never seen it in other white bean salads I have had but no harm adding something if you like it. Garlic is also usually fresh in this dish but in most of my dishes which use garlic, I like to fry them slightly.
This traditional dish is usually served as a starter with other Maltese traditional snacks including bigilla (dried broad been dip), gbejniet (Maltese cheese), sun dried tomatoes, among others. Serve with some Maltese bread (hobz) or white crusty bread.
- 1 can drained white butter beans
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- 3 cloves of garlic crushed, chopped and lightly fried to soften
- 3 spring onions finely chopped
- 10 olives chopped (optional)
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar (use normal vinegar if you don't have it)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add more oil and vinegar if you prefer.
- Serve with other traditional Maltese snacks or on its' own with some white crusty bread (Maltese traditional bread would be ideal, but we are not all that lucky)!