Marinated Beans in Peppadew-Herb Vinaigrette
We're loving Rae Friedman's (@raefriedbeans) new recipe, it's tangy, herby, and everything we crave in a summer bean salad. Make it with our Baby Butter or sub in your favorite variety. It's the kind of recipe you'll come back to all summer long!
Why This Recipe Works
What makes this marinated bean salad so crave-worthy is the Peppadew-herb vinaigrette, bright, tangy, sweet, and spicy all at once. Peppadew peppers (those sweet-hot pickled peppers from South Africa) provide both flavor and their brine, which becomes part of the dressing. Combined with whole grain mustard, honey, fresh herbs, feta, and smoked chile flakes, you get a vinaigrette that's complex, balanced, and absolutely delicious.
The beans marinate in this vibrant dressing, absorbing all those wonderful flavors. Fresh dill and optional chive blossoms add final touches of brightness and visual appeal. It's the kind of salad that tastes even better after sitting for a while, making it perfect for meal prep or bringing to gatherings.
The Star: Baby Butter Beans
Let's talk about Baby Butter beans, our best-selling beans and for good reason. These small, tender beans have a buttery, delicate flavor and creamy texture that makes them incredibly versatile. They're beloved for their mild taste that pairs beautifully with bold flavors and their tender texture that's pleasant to eat.
What makes Baby Butter beans perfect for this marinated salad is their size and texture. They're small enough to coat evenly with dressing and eat easily in each bite, yet substantial enough to feel satisfying. Their creamy texture and mild, slightly sweet flavor provide the perfect canvas for the tangy Peppadew vinaigrette.
Our Baby Butter beans come from Chris Capaul's family farm in California's Sacramento Valley, where his family has been growing beans since 1915. Chris is an innovator who perfects his crop rotations, these beans are grown in rotation with rice, which creates ideal growing conditions. His careful growing methods nurture the land and produce beans far richer in flavor than what you'll find at the grocery store.
About Peppadew Peppers
If you're not familiar with Peppadew peppers, they're sweet piquanté peppers from South Africa that come pickled in brine. They're bright red, about the size of a cherry tomato, and have a distinctive sweet-spicy flavor that's unlike any other pepper.
The peppers themselves get chopped and added to the vinaigrette, providing sweet heat and texture. But the brine is equally important, it's tangy, slightly sweet, and provides the acidic base for the dressing. Don't discard it; squeeze it from the peppers directly into your bowl.
You can find jarred Peppadew peppers at most well-stocked grocery stores, often near the pickles or in the specialty foods section.
The Vinaigrette
The dressing builds flavor in layers:
- Peppadew brine (squeezed from peppers): Tangy, sweet base
- Chopped Peppadew peppers: Sweet heat, texture
- Shallot and garlic: Aromatic bite
- Honey: Sweetness to balance acidity
- Whole grain mustard: Tang, texture, emulsification
- Apple cider vinegar: Additional acidity, fruity notes
- Olive oil: Richness, body (whisked in to emulsify)
- Smoked chile flakes: Gentle heat, smoky quality
- Parsley: Fresh, herbaceous notes
- Feta: Salty, creamy richness
Each element contributes something essential, creating a dressing that's tangy, sweet, spicy, herby, and complex all at once.
The Technique
The technique is straightforward but creates excellent results. You build the dressing right in a large bowl, whisking in the olive oil to emulsify everything. The whole grain mustard helps with emulsification while adding its own tangy, textured quality.
Once the vinaigrette is ready, you stir in the smoked chile flakes, chopped parsley, and crumbled feta. Then the beans go in and get gently mixed to coat them evenly.
If the beans are warm (freshly cooked), let them cool before adding the chopped dill. This prevents the dill from wilting and turning dark.
The Marinating
You can enjoy this salad right away, but it's even better after the beans have had time to marinate and the flavors have mingled. An hour at room temperature or several hours in the fridge allows the beans to absorb the dressing and all those wonderful flavors to meld.
The salad keeps well in the fridge for several days, actually improving as it sits. This makes it perfect for meal prep, make a big batch early in the week and enjoy it for lunches or quick dinners.
The Fresh Herb Finish
Fresh dill gets chopped and added at the end (after the beans have cooled if they were warm). Dill's bright, slightly anise-like flavor pairs beautifully with the tangy vinaigrette and creamy beans.
Optional chive blossoms provide a final garnish, they're beautiful (purple-pink pompom flowers) and edible, adding mild onion flavor and visual appeal. If you have access to chive blossoms (from your garden or a farmers' market), they make this salad look special and festive.
Serving Suggestions
This marinated bean salad works in multiple contexts:
- As a side dish for grilled meats or fish
- As a light lunch on its own
- As part of a mezze or tapas spread
- On a bed of greens for a more substantial salad
- Stuffed in pita bread with fresh vegetables
- As a topping for grain bowls
- At potlucks and picnics (it travels well and doesn't wilt)
Summer Staple
As the description promises, this is "the kind of recipe you'll come back to all summer long." Once you make it, you'll understand why. It's:
- Quick to make: 20 minutes including bean cooking time
- Better with time: Makes great leftovers
- Versatile: Works as side dish or main
- Crowd-pleasing: Appeals to most palates
- Beautiful: Colorful and fresh-looking
- Satisfying: Substantial enough to feel like a meal
Adaptability
While Baby Butter beans are recommended, this vinaigrette works with many bean varieties. Classic Flat White or Cannellini would be excellent, both have creamy textures and mild flavors that complement the bright dressing. Even chickpeas or Corona beans would work well.
You could also vary the herbs (basil or mint instead of dill), adjust the heat level (more or fewer chile flakes), or add other elements like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, or red onion.
The Rae Friedman Touch
Rae Friedman (@raefriedbeans) clearly has a gift for creating bean recipes that are both simple and special. This salad demonstrates her understanding of how to balance flavors and create something that tastes restaurant-quality but is totally doable at home.
The use of Peppadew peppers and their brine is particularly clever, it's an unexpected ingredient that elevates the salad beyond typical bean salads while still being accessible (you can find them at regular grocery stores).
A Recipe to Keep
This is the kind of recipe you'll add to your permanent rotation, making it whenever you want something fresh, satisfying, and delicious without a lot of work. It's proof that bean salads don't have to be boring or bland, with the right vinaigrette and fresh ingredients, they can be truly crave-worthy.
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