Serves 6 to 8
• 1 cup dried white beans, washed
• 1 large onion
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 10 cured black olives
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 5 Tbs. wine vinegar
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• minced garlic (optional)
1. Cook the beans in boiling salted water to cover until they are just tender, about 1 to 1½ hours. Drain and cool.
2. Peel the onion and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes.
3. Roast the bell pepper under the broiler, turning it frequently, until the skin is blistered and a little charred. Allow the pepper to cool until you can handle it easily, and then peel it and seed it. Cut the pepper into 1-inch squares.
4. Cut the tomatoes into thin wedges, and halve and slice the eggs. Cut the olives away from their pits in several pieces.
5. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss with the oil, vinegar and seasonings. Taste and correct the seasoning.
6. Serve this salad cold, as a tapa in a buffet or as a course on its own.