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Marinated Za’atar Bean Salad Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 106 reviews

A vibrant and flavorful Marinated Za’atar Bean Salad featuring chickpeas, butter beans, green olives, fresh herbs, and a zesty lemon-garlic za’atar marinade. This Mediterranean-inspired salad is easy to prepare, perfect as a light meal or side dish, and tastes best after marinating for a few hours.

Ingredients

Scale

Salad Ingredients

  • 1/2 (85 g) medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed (total 2 1/2 tsp used in salad)
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 3 tbsp (32 g) lemon juice
  • 1 (13.4 oz or 380 g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (14 oz or 400 g) can butter beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup (115 g) green olives, roughly chopped (from a 10 oz jar)
  • 7–8 jarred artichoke hearts, quartered (optional)
  • 1/2 cup (9 g) firmly packed mint leaves, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup (18 g) firmly packed parsley, finely minced

Marinade

  • 3 tbsp (52 g) extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 (15 g) garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
  • 3 tsp za’atar
  • 1 tsp sumac
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Instructions

  1. Prep the onions: Thinly slice the red onion and add to a large bowl. Toss together with 1 tsp kosher salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Set aside to mellow out the onion flavors and make them sweeter; alternatively, dice the onion for easier eating.
  2. Prepare remaining ingredients: Drain and rinse chickpeas and butter beans thoroughly. Roughly chop the green olives and quarter the artichoke hearts if using. Finely mince the mint and parsley. Add all these ingredients to the bowl with the onions.
  3. Make the marinade: In a pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and add the smashed garlic cloves. Sauté just until the garlic starts to brown, then immediately remove from heat. Sprinkle in the za’atar, sumac, and ground cumin, stirring to bloom the spices and enhance their flavor.
  4. Toss and serve: Pour the warm marinade over the salad mixture and toss thoroughly to combine. Adjust salt to taste as needed. For best flavor, let the salad marinate for about 2 hours before serving. It pairs wonderfully served over toasted sourdough bread with labneh or ricotta, or wrapped in pita bread.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days for best crunch and vibrancy, though it remains safe to eat for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • The salad tastes best after marinating for about 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.
  • Feel free to dice the onion instead of slicing for easier eating.
  • Using jarred artichoke hearts is optional but adds an extra layer of flavor.
  • Serve over toasted sourdough with labneh or ricotta for a hearty option, or in pita wraps.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge; the salad remains fresh up to 4 days, though texture diminishes after that.

Keywords: za'atar salad, marinated bean salad, chickpea salad, Mediterranean salad, za'atar recipe, healthy bean salad

Find it online: https://www.sanacooks.com/marinated-zaatar-bean-salad-recipe/