Here is a dish you can enjoy hot or cold depending on your taste and the outside temperature. It’s my potato and bean salad, a truly delicious one-dish meal that’s also simple to make. It’s got everything: carbohydrates, vegetables, and proteins. A perfect preparation even for a lunchbox to bring to the office since you can prepare it in advance.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Ingredients for Potato and Bean Salad
If you prefer, you can substitute speck with prosciutto or smoked bacon. For a vegan version, you can easily omit it.
- 14 oz potatoes (peeled weight)
- 1 red bell pepper (about 7 oz peeled weight)
- 1 red onion (small)
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 oz speck in sticks
- 8.5 oz canned borlotti beans (drained weight)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Tools
- 1 Potato peeler
- 1 Pan
- 1 Small frying pan
- 1 Colander
Preparation of Potato and Bean Salad
Wash the bell pepper, remove the stem, all seeds, and internal white filaments. Then cut it into strips and then into small pieces.
Peel the potatoes, wash them, cut them lengthwise into slices, then into strips, and finally into cubes.
In a pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil before adding the finely chopped onion. Let it sizzle for a few moments, then add the potatoes and peppers.
Cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring very often. Adjust salt and pepper only at the end. When cooking is finished, the vegetables should be cooked but still crunchy. Particularly, the potatoes should not be mushy. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan, then add the needles of a rosemary sprig chopped with a mezzaluna and the speck sticks. I find it already in stick form at the supermarket. Otherwise, buy a couple of thick slices and cut sticks from them.
Brown them for 4/5 minutes until they are well golden, then transfer them to the vegetable pan.
Drain the borlotti beans from their preserving liquid and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. Then also transfer them to the vegetable pan. Gently mix all ingredients and adjust salt, if necessary.
Transfer the potato and bean salad to a bowl or a baking dish before serving. It is excellent either warm, at room temperature, or cold. Enjoy! Paola.I’d like to remind you that you can follow me on various social media channels to stay updated on new recipes I publish. You can find me on Facebook (HERE), Twitter (HERE), Pinterest (HERE), Instagram (HERE), and also on Tik Tok (@zenzero_limone). Thank you ♥!
