Lithuanian Bean Salad With Crispy Bread
If you grew up with Lithuanian food, chances are you’ve encountered dishes that are hearty, filling, and comforting even in the darkest winter months. This Lithuanian bean salad — a mix of beans, cheese, garlic, and crispy fried bread — was one of those salads that always seemed to appear at gatherings, whether on glass cake stands at Christmas or in simple serving dishes at a family birthday. It’s one of those Lithuanian salads that uses humble ingredients, but tastes amazing!
Ingredients
- 100 g (2 large slices) sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil for frying
- 400 g (14 oz can) canellini beans (200g (7 oz) drained weight)
- 60 g (2 oz) Gouda cheese cubed
- 80 g (3 tbsp) mayonnaise
- 1 large garlic clove minced
Instructions
- Cut the crusts off the sourdough bread. Then cut the bread into small 1cm (⅓ inch) pieces.
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the bread cubes, and fry, stirring occasionally, until crispy and browned on all sides.
- Transfer the bread cubes onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
- In the meantime, drain the cannellini beans, and run plenty of cold water through them. Leave the beans in a colander to dry.
- Cut the cheese into small cubes, about half the size of the bread cubes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, cheese, crispy bread, minced garlic and mayo. Season with a pinch of salt.
- This salad can be served immediately if you like lots of crunch, but if you let the bread soak up the mayo for 4-12 hours, you will have a slightly chewy texture that everyone will love too!