Salada de Feijão Branco com Bacalhau (Portuguese White Bean and Salt Cod Salad)

Salt cod does not always have to be baked, fried, or turned into a casserole. This cold, oil-and-vinegar salad is what shows up on Portuguese tables in the summer, when nobody wants the oven on and there is already a jar of good olive oil sitting on the counter.

It is built the same way as salada de feijão frade, the black-eyed pea version already on the site, but with white beans and shredded bacalhau standing in for the smoky sausage. If you already have a piece of soaked, cooked bacalhau leftover from making bacalhau à brás or bacalhau à gomes de sá, this is the perfect place to use the last bits and pieces.

This is one of the dishes that convinced my American neighbors that salt cod is not the intimidating ingredient they think it is. Served cold with good bread, it disappears fast at a summer cookout, and nobody has to know it started as a stiff, salty plank of fish.

Salada de Feijão Branco com Bacalhau Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus soaking the cod, 24-48 hours ahead) · Cook time: 20 minutes · Total: 40 minutes active · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~310 per serving

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound dried salt cod (bacalhau), soaked and desalted 24-48 hours, water changed several times
• 2 (15 ounce) cans white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Drain the soaked salt cod and rinse well. Place in a pot, cover with fresh water, and bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil hard) for about 15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily.
2. Drain, cool slightly, and remove any skin and bones. Flake the fish into bite-sized pieces.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flaked cod, white beans, red onion, and olives.
4. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss gently to coat, being careful not to break up the beans.
5. Let the salad rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes so the flavors come together, or refrigerate up to a day ahead.
6. Top with quartered hard-boiled eggs and chopped parsley just before serving.

Recipe Notes

• If you already have bacalhau soaking or cooked from another recipe, this is an excellent way to use the smaller, flakier pieces that are not photogenic enough for a baked dish.
• Cannot find dried salt cod at your regular supermarket? Check a Latino, Caribbean, or Italian specialty market — it is usually sold in a wooden box or vacuum-sealed near the seafood counter.
• This salad tastes better after a few hours in the fridge, which makes it an easy make-ahead side for a barbecue.
• For a milder version, soak the cod a full 48 hours with at least 3 water changes.