Description
Marinated Za’atar Bean Salad is a Mediterranean-inspired dish that combines hearty beans, olives, artichokes, and aromatic herbs in a zesty lemon marinade. With za’atar, sumac, and a touch of cumin, this vegan, gluten-free salad is fresh, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
For the Vegetables and Beans:
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 (13.4 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 (14 oz) can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup green olives, roughly chopped
7 to 8 jarred artichoke hearts, quartered (optional)
½ cup firmly packed mint leaves, finely minced
½ cup firmly packed parsley, finely minced
For the Citrus and Seasonings:
1 lemon, zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
For the Marinade:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
3 teaspoons za’atar
1 teaspoon sumac
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Prepare the Red Onion: In a large bowl, combine the thinly sliced red onion, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Toss everything together thoroughly, then set aside for about 10 minutes to mellow and sweeten the onion.
- Add the Beans and Vegetables: Drain and rinse the chickpeas and butter beans. Roughly chop the green olives and quarter the artichoke hearts if you’re using them. Finely mince the mint and parsley. Add all these ingredients to the bowl with the onions.
- Make the Marinade: In a small pan over medium heat, combine the extra virgin olive oil and chopped garlic. Sauté until the garlic turns golden and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, then stir in the za’atar, sumac, and ground cumin. Let the spices bloom in the oil for 30 seconds to release their flavors.
- Combine the Salad and Marinade: Pour the warm, spice-infused marinade over the salad ingredients. Toss everything together thoroughly until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional kosher salt if needed.
- Marinate and Serve: For the best flavor, allow the salad to marinate for at least 2 hours before serving, although you can serve it immediately if you’re short on time. The salad improves as it sits and marinates, so preparing it in advance is ideal.
Notes
Flavor Enhancement: The salad tastes even better the longer it marinates, so preparing it a day ahead will allow the flavors to deepen.
Milder Onion Flavor: If you prefer a milder onion flavor, dice the onion instead of slicing it. This will reduce the sharpness and make it blend more easily into the salad.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Marinating
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
