High in protein, vitamins and minerals, beans are nutritious and easy to prepare. Author and chef Maria Benardis of Greekalicious, shows us how to prepare this light and refreshing dip made from butter beans.
There are many varieties of beans. These include black eyed beans, butter beans, cannellini, white kidney bean, borlotti, fava, chickpeas, lentils, split yellow or green beans, and red beans etc.
Most need to be soaked overnight before cooking except for black eyed beans, split beans and lentils.
Traditionally in Greek cuisine you will find dried cooked beans in soups, baked dishes and stews. Sometimes they appear in salads.
Beans are a popular dish for Greek Orthodox fasting periods and as a substitute to meat and poultry dishes.
This dish can also be used as a substitute to skordalia. Some parts of Greece put peas, broad beans and other beans in their skordalia. Other parts of Greece make them into a mash (“poure”) and add Greek cheeses such as grated kefalotiri, fetta or graviera.
You can substitute the basil for parsley when basil is not in season.