Rita's Regenerative Gigante Bean Salad

If you're a fan of effortlessly delicious meals, our friend Rita of @saturdaytable has a treat for you! Rita has whipped up a mouthwatering salad featuring our Regenerative Organic Certified® Gigante Beans, available nationwide at Whole Foods Market. These beans, boasting a regenerative organic certification, add a creamy, buttery goodness to your dish.

Hailing from the sun-soaked fields of Kastoria, Greece, these heirloom gigantes inspired Rita to create a fresh, vibrant, and straightforward recipe drawing from classic Greek dishes. The secret to their melt-in-your-mouth texture? Slow-cooking the gigantes with aromatic ingredients that infuse each bite with irresistible flavors.

Ingredients for the Gigante Beans

• 1 package of SIMPLi Gigante Beans

• 2 shallots, peeled and quartered

• 1 head of garlic, sliced lengthwise

• 5 sprigs of thyme

• 2 tsp SIMPLi Pink Salt

• 1/4 cup SIMPLi Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions for the Gigante Beans

1. Begin by soaking the gigante beans in 8 cups of water overnight.

2. After draining and rinsing them, add 8 cups of fresh water, shallots, garlic, thyme, salt, and olive oil to the mix.

3. Bring it to a simmer, then lower the heat and let it cook, uncovered, for 1.5-2 hours until the beans reach a delightful tenderness.

Ingredients for the Salad

• 3 cups cooked and drained SIMPLi Gigante Beans

• 1/2 lb tomatoes, quartered or roughly diced

• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and quartered

• 1 cup cilantro and parsley, chopped

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1/4 cup SIMPLi Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 small clove garlic, grated

• 1 tsp SIMPLi Pink Salt

• Fresh thyme for garnish

Instructions for the Salad

1. Once your gigante beans are ready, combine them with tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and the fragrant blend of cilantro and parsley in a spacious bowl.

2. In a smaller bowl, craft a zesty dressing by mixing lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil for a perfect balance of flavors.

3. Pour this delightful dressing over your salad, toss everything together, and crown your creation with fresh thyme.

This salad is more than just a meal; it's a Mediterranean-inspired celebration of Greek ingredient staples like Kastorian gigante beans and extra virgin olive oil made with Koroneiki olives from Sparta. Serve it up with some crusty bread for dipping and perhaps a chilled bottle of Greek wine, and you've got the perfect late-summer feast.

See the full recipe video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwVdbPCBvxP/