Ensalda de Avas (Butter Bean/ Lima Bean Salad)

My grandmother makes this simple yet delicous bean based salad. She uses Lima Beans which she calls "Avas" to make this salad they have a buttery texture I love it.

This recipe is flexible and can have some variations that I will list at the end. Read the end or you will be missing out and if you read it you'll see a easier way to make this.

Ingredients:
-1 pound dry large lima beans
-9 cups water to boil lima beans
-1-2 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
-1 small purple onion, cut in half thinly sliced (julienned)
-2 cloves garlic peeled and mashed to a paste with some salt (you can use mortar and pestle or garlic press)
-1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-juice of 3 large limes (more or less to taste I love acidity)
-1/2 bunch of cilantro or parsley finely minced (optional my grandma doesn't usually add it but it makes it look so beautiful)

Directions:
(1)Rinse beans well, put in a pot with water and bring to boil cover and simmer for about 1 hour and 30 minutes until tender.
(2)Drain beans well make sure no liquid is left, let them cool or shock them in ice cold water (I shock them to speed up the process)
(3)Once cooled add with purple onions, garlic and cilantro, drizzle with olive oil, then squeeze lime juice, then add salt, mix well carefully without breaking beans down. (you may use your hands haha)

IMPORTANT LIST ON VARIATIONS:
(1)To make your life easier you may buy frozen or canned ready to eat lima beans and use in place of the boiled lima beans. (if using canned drain and rinse well before use)

(2)You can also use Chickpeas/ Garbanzos you can buy them canned, drain and rinse and replace them for the limas

(3)I've never done it and this is out of my imagination but Im pretty sure canned drained black beans would look pretty, except I would just mince the purple onion if using the black beans I don't know why I think minced would just look nice with black beans as opposed to sliced don't ask.