Greek Side Dishes
Louvi Recipe (Cypriot Black-Eyed Bean Salad with Chard)
Λούβι LOO-vee · Louvi
In short
Louvi is a Cypriot dish of black-eyed beans simmered with chard or spinach until tender, then dressed with olive oil and lemon and served warm or at room temperature. It is a staple of the Lenten table and is naturally vegan.
Louvi is what a Cypriot household eats on a fasting day without feeling like anything has been sacrificed. Black-eyed beans simmered until tender, greens wilted in with them, then dressed simply and left to cool to room temperature. It asks for almost no skill and rewards patience more than technique.
Black-eyed beans are the reason this dish is quicker than most bean cookery. Unlike larger dried beans, they need no overnight soak and cook through in under an hour, which is exactly why louvi is a realistic weeknight dish rather than only a weekend project.
It is traditionally eaten as a full plate on its own, not a side dish, alongside good bread and perhaps olives. Do not undersell it by treating it as an afterthought.
Key preparation steps
- Simmer black-eyed beans in plenty of water until just tender.
- Wilt in chopped chard or spinach for the final few minutes.
- Drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.
- Dress warm with olive oil, lemon and salt, and serve at room temperature.
Why black-eyed beans need no soaking
Black-eyed beans have a thinner skin and smaller size than most dried pulses, which is why they cook through in forty to fifty minutes from completely dry with no soaking required. This is the single biggest practical advantage louvi has over other bean dishes.
Rinse them and pick through for stones, then simmer in plenty of unsalted water. Salting early toughens the skins on any dried pulse, black-eyed beans included, so season only once they are tender.
Chard, spinach, or wild greens
Swiss chard is the traditional choice and gives a slight earthy bitterness that plays well against the beans. Spinach is a common and perfectly good substitute, milder and quicker to wilt.
Some island versions use whatever wild greens are seasonal, which is very much in the spirit of the dish: louvi has always been built from what a household had rather than a fixed recipe. Add the greens only in the final five minutes so they wilt rather than overcook to mush.
The dressing, and serving it right
Nothing more than good olive oil, lemon juice and salt, added once the beans are drained but still warm, so they absorb the dressing properly. A finely sliced raw onion or a few thin rings of spring onion on top is a common addition.
Serve warm or, better, once it has cooled to room temperature, which is how it is traditionally eaten and how the flavours settle best. It keeps well and, like most bean dishes, is arguably better the next day.
Tips from my kitchen
No soaking needed
Black-eyed beans are thin-skinned enough to cook from fully dry in under an hour, unlike most other dried pulses.
Salt at the end
Salting the cooking water early toughens the bean skins. Season the finished dish instead.
Dress it warm
The beans absorb the olive oil and lemon far better warm than once fully cooled. Dress first, then let it cool.
Louvi Recipe (Cypriot Black-Eyed Bean Salad with Chard)
Λούβι · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 10m
- Cook
- 45m
- Total
- 55m
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Rinse the black-eyed beans and pick through for any stones. No soaking is needed.
- Put the beans in a large pot with the bay leaf and cover generously with unsalted water, by at least 5 cm.
- Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, until the beans are tender but still holding their shape.
- Stir in the chopped chard or spinach and cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes, until just wilted.
- Drain, reserving a small cup of the cooking liquid, and discard the bay leaf. Tip the beans and greens into a serving bowl.
- While still warm, dress with the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of the reserved cooking liquid if it seems dry.
- Scatter with sliced red onion if using, and leave to cool to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition, per 1 portion
- Calories
- 312
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Sat fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Louvi
Do you need to soak black-eyed beans overnight?
No. Unlike larger dried pulses, black-eyed beans cook through from completely dry in under an hour, which is one of the main reasons louvi is a practical everyday dish.
Is louvi vegan?
Yes, entirely, and it is a traditional dish of the Orthodox fasting calendar, eaten specifically because it contains no animal products at all.
Can you use tinned black-eyed beans instead?
Yes, for speed. Use two tins, drained and rinsed, and simply simmer them with the greens for 10 minutes rather than the full cooking time, since they are already cooked through.
Is louvi served hot or cold?
Warm or at room temperature, never straight from the fridge cold. It is traditionally dressed while still warm and then allowed to cool before serving.
