Until I started reading food blogs, I would have sworn capers were a type of fish that came in a can that no one except for old ladies and Nigel Thornberry ate(Does anyone know what I’m talking about?). But then I saw them, green little pearls that sort of look like fish eggs, except they were being used in vegan recipes. That only confused me more.
One day I was working in my restaurant and our job was to make the salsa verde used as a pork topper. The ingredients for it are simple: Parsley, jalapenos, shallots, and capers. I asked my shift manager what capers were, figuring she’d know having gone through culinary school, but her guess was as good as mine.
I went home that night and looked it up online and found out that capers are actually buds from the caper bush that are pickled to give a tart flavor to—the perfect touch to any dish(Side note: How did people know things before the internet? Seriously, I have no clue). I was excited to find them in Trader Joes and even more excited to make a dish with them. I’m leaving town on Friday and had a few too many open cans of beans in my refrigerator so I combined them to make this delicious bean salad.
Bean Salad With Capers
Ingredients(Makes 4 servings:
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup cannellini beans
- 1/3 cup sliced black olives
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
Method
- In a large bowl, toss together the beans, olives, capers, and oil until evenly mixed.
- Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve room temperature.
If you want to make this starting with unopened cans of beans, use a full can of chickpeas, black beans, and cannellini, 1/2 cup of olives, 2 Tablespoons of capers and the same amount of oil.
Fess up: Did you know what capers are?
I feel like the geeky student raising their hand before anyone else but, yes I did know what they are 🙂 Love them and their salty bite!
I actually love capers, and when I used them in the dish I made for my family for Easter, they went “wow, Faith, I thought you were vegetarian – why do we have caviar in the pasta!” Funny stuff – apparently that’s a common misconception.
SN – Wild Thornberries reference FTW! I used to love that cartoon!
I had no idea what capers were…but I totally know who Nigel Thornberry was. 😉 I actually have a friend named Capers. Weird.
I had no idea what capers were, but I hate them and will pick them out of any dish so I didn’t really care.
Kudos on the Wild Thornberries reference!
YES, I know and love capers. Mmm, salty tart goodness.
I will admit I had to google Nigel.
I LOVE capers!!! At some gourmet shops, you can get GIANT ones that are really tasty!
Too funny! I’ve loved capers for as long as I can remember – I used to eat them by the spoonful as a kid (well, only one spoonful at a time 😛 and I also used to sip on vinegar). Love the salty briney hit!
I love capers! I first discovered them in my parents’ fridge. Being the adventurous kid I was, I just took a huge spoonful… and it was GROSS! But after a while, my taste buds acclimated, and now I love capers on everything 🙂 I especially love caperberries. They look so beautiful!
ha! I now have a clear answer for “capers” if ever confronted by Alton Brown 🙂 RT’d!!
I haven’t eaten capers all too much, but really do enjoy them! A few weeks ago, I had an eggplant based dip that had capers in it, delicious! That reminds me that I was going to try to recreate it…
I had no idea what capers were until I started watching the Food Network! lol. I ask myself the same thing about knowledge almost everyday! I am a Googleaholic. I would be lost without it!
The only reason I know what capers are is because, when I was a child, my mom would also put them on the dinner table when she made a certain chicken dish. I’ll tell you what, though, that dish was so bland it needed the salty kick of the capers!
If it had’t been for that, I would have had no idea what capers were!
I LOVE that you brought up Nigel Thornberry.
I thought capers were fish too!!
I have, in fact, eaten capers *with* fish:) I’ve never thought to put them in a bean salad, though .This looks tasty!
I actually did know what capers were from one of my nutrition classes. I love adding them to pasta sauce!
I’m more shocked that someone working in a restaurant *didn’t* know what they are!
But yes, I knew, and they’re quite tasty little buggers too!
I do know what capers are from my high school days working at Bertucci’s! I had to portion them out for the pasta cooks, and it was one of my least favorite tasks! I think capers smell like formaldehyde IMO. 😡
[…] Three Bean Salad with Capers over sauteed kale/garlic/lemon […]
I used to think capers were fish too, but I learnt what they were long before my bf! Bless him. Now he’s a bit of an addict.. which I take no responsibility for! hehe.
Aaahh the Thornberry’s! I adored that cartoon as a kid! Aliza was a bit of a role model for me as a kid hehe, I may need to track that cartoon down again…. x
I think you were confusing capers for Kippers…..(AS WAS I) haha
I also thought that capers were fish kind of like anchovies! Lol
Had no idea what capers were til I googled it! I too thought it was a type of fish! Never tried them.
The little fishies are kippers.
I too thought that capers were a fish of some sort and I was leafing through a cookbook (some of us do still use the actual books – although I too use the internet) and there was a recipe for a caper sauce – I asked my Mom and she didn’t have a clue. So took myself downstairs and looked it up on the internet – I too wonder what we did before the internet – Thank you for your description.
I grew up eating capers (particularly with smoked salmon on bagels for you non-vegetarians) so I knew them as something that goes well with fish. But I’ve always loved them, also in tuna salad. Last night I mixed them with black beans for the first time in a salsa — delish!
No, I actually didn’t know, nor have I ever tasted them. Became curious when one of my sisters texted me that she had made a dressing with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, capers and a coupla other ingredients to top fresh tomato slices with mozzarella cheese.
I knew what capers AND kippers (the little fishy things) are. Love capers in pasta, bean salads, and other recipes. Kippers, not so much. Closest I can get is anchovies blended in an antipasto or in a vinegarette dressing, to add a bit of saltiness.
No, had to ask the big G. Goggle. Lol.
no I didn’t know thanks for your insight on this I’m not sure I would like them but I’m going to try them anyway .
I love capers, but the flavor can be overpowering if used too much. They go great in pasta dishes. Pasta salad with black olives, peas, carrots, onions and capers; and mac and cheese with capers and whatever else you want to put in it. Why eat boring? Eat capers.
I did not know what caper were until I lookEd for it on my iPhone. after I did it sounds delicious and very easy to prepare
I kinda thought wasn’t fish!! I didn’t know they were a bud! so kippers must be fish???!! I didn’t to use the word incorrectly having people. thinking fish & not plants!!! thank you!!!!