Ottolenghi Green Bean Salad

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This Ottolenghi green bean salad made with haricots verts is full of flavor from fresh herbs and Middle Eastern spices. It can be served cold or at room temperature and makes a great holiday side dish.

Fresh green bean salad with red peppers, capers and herbs in a cast iron skillet.

I'm hesitant to call this a green bean salad because it conjures images of that sad three bean salad that you find in the deli case. So let's not conjure it.

Instead, let's think about a fresh green bean salad that is chock full of two of my favorite things: capers and herbs. Oh, and garlic too. Three things, then.

And we are using haricots verts for this recipe. What's that, you say? That's those fancy French green beans. But regular green beans will work, too. Whatever you can find.

I adapted this recipe from the Jerusalem cookbook by Yottam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. These recipes for roasted butternut squash and stuffed eggplant are also adapted from this book. I love it!

Craving more green bean recipes? How about this cold green bean salad that doesn't require any cooking at all? Or try the classic Green Beans Amandine, it never goes out of style!

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5 reasons to love this fresh green bean salad!
Ingredients you'll need
How to make this fresh green bean salad
Tips for making this fresh green bean salad
Substitutions
FAQ
When to serve a fresh green bean salad
More vegan side dish recipes
Recipe

5 reasons to love this fresh green bean salad!

This green bean salad is light and fresh, and it's also gluten free, dairy free, and vegan!
It's a perfect dish to serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas instead of a traditional green bean casserole because it doesn't take up oven space!
Serve cold or at room temperature.
It's also a great side dish in the summer - because almost no cooking - and goes well with grilled meats and seafood.
This salad has SO MUCH FLAVOR! Aside from the aforementioned three favorite things—garlic, capers, herbs—you've got cumin-y, lemony Middle Eastern flavors, too.

Three lemons, and small glass bowls with capers, cumin seeds and ground coriander.

Ingredients you'll need

Haricots verts: These are the thin, French-style green beans that don't need snapping. They're more delicate and blanch quickly.
Red peppers: Look for medium sized red peppers with no soft spots.
Capers: Oh how I love capers! We're using regular-sized capers in brine, not the big ones in salt. Trader Joe's sells big jars of capers, which Iove because I use them in lots of recipes, and it's also more affordable.
Fresh lemon: You're going to need the juice and the zest. Never leave the citrus zest behind! So much flavor there.
Fresh dill, tarragon and parsley: We've go a hefty amount of herbs and using them almost like the lettuce in a salad. I love to use herbs that way.
Garlic: Big, fat slices of garlic. Don't be afraid, we are softening them in the skillet, so they will mellow out and be meltingly delicious.
Ground coriander and cumin seeds: These spices really give the salad a great Middle Eastern flavor. We'll toast them in the pan with olive oil to wake them up and they'll permeate the whole dish.
Kosher salt

How to make this fresh green bean salad

Follow these step by step instructions for foolproof results!

Step 1: Prep the lemon, capers and spices

Zest and juice the lemon and set aside. Measure out the capers and dry them on a paper towel. Get the cumin and coriander measured and ready.

I like to use little glass pinch bowls to hold my prepped ingredients and have them ready when I need them.

A chef's knife with sliced garlic on a wooden cutting board.

Step 2: Slice the garlic

Use a good chef's knife to thinly slice the garlic cloves and set aside.

Blanched green beans drying on a kitchen towel.

Step 3: Blanch and dry the green beans

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt it like you would pasta water, so it 'tastes like the sea'. Then add the haricots verts. Boil for 2-3 minutes, just until they turn bright green but still have crunch.

If you're using regular green beans you might have to boil them for a minute or two longer, just check as you go.

PREP TIP: What is blanching? Blanching just means boiling a vegetable for a very short time— usually just a couple of minutes or less—so that it softens but it still retains a bright color and firm texture.

Drain the beans and lay them out on a kitchen towel to dry completely.

Charred red peppers in a cast iron skillet.

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Step 4: Sear the red peppers

Slice the red pepper thinly - about the same width as the beans. Heat a skillet over medium high and add a drizzle of olive oil. Sauté the peppers until they are slightly charred and softened, about 5 minutes, season with salt.

I used my Lodge carbon steel skillet to char the red peppers, cook the dressing, and as a serving dish in these photos.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Lodge Blogger Network. This skillet was provided to me free of charge. All opinions are my own.

Kitchen tongs sit in a glass bowl with green beans and charred red peppers.

Once the haricots verts are completely dry, place them in a large bowl with the cooked peppers.

A mezzaluna with chopped parsley on a cutting board.

Step 5: Chop the herbs

Roughly chop the parsley, be sure to include the tender stems. They have a lot of flavor and you have less waste! I often use a mezzaluna to chop lots of herbs, but a good ole chef's knife works just as well.

A mezzaluna with chopped dill on a cutting board.

Chop the dill and tarragon and add to a bowl with the chopped parsley.

A cast iron skillet with capers, garlic and spices.

Step 6: Make the garlic caper salad dressing

Heat 3 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic slices and stir until softened and just beginning to brown 1 - 2 minutes, then add the capers and stir for 30 seconds or so. Be careful, the capers will pop - that's why we dried them, to try to minimize this.

Clear a space in the pan, add the cumin seeds and coriander and let them sizzle and bloom for 30 seconds. Stir it all together and add the lemon juice and some kosher salt. Pour this mixture over the fresh green beans and peppers.

All of the ingredients for fresh green bean salad in a glass bowl ready to be tossed together.

Step 6: Assemble the salad

Add the fresh herbs and lemon zest, stir to combine and serve topped with a beautiful sea salt such as Maldon.

Tips for making this fresh green bean salad

I like to use a mezzaluna when I am chopping lots of herbs. The rocking motion makes it easy to tackle a big pile of herbs at one time and it protects your fingers. Here's a short video that shows you how to use one.
Use those parsley stems! They are packed with flavor, don't leave them behind.
Be sure the green beans are completely dry. If they've got any water clinging to them, the salad dressing won't coat them, the water will drown the herbs, and you'll have a soggy mess.
Get the capers as dry as possible. They will still pop in the hot pan, but the drier they are the better. Just be aware when you are frying them up.

Substitutions

You can use regular fresh green beans instead of haricots verts in the salad. You might have to boil them a minute or two longer.
I love the texture that the cumin seeds bring to the dish, but if you can't find them or don't want to invest in them, you can swap them for dried cumin 1:1.
If you don't like tarragon or one of the other herbs, simply use more of the ones that you do like. You could also swap some mint into this and it would taste equally great. Just stick to soft, leafy herbs, avoid hardy herbs like rosemary and thyme.

FAQ

Can I make Ottolenghi green bean salad ahead of time?

You can make this green bean salad one day ahead up to the point of adding the garlic-caper dressing. Before serving, remove the salad from the fridge, allow to come to room temperature, then add the fresh herbs and lemon zest and toss to incorporate.

How long do you cook green beans for salad?

You don't want to cook the green beans any longer than 1 or 2 minutes. We want to soften them slightly, but retain their crunch and bright green color.

When to serve a fresh green bean salad

This green bean salad has fresh flavors that everyone will love, vegan or not. So try these versatile ideas for serving.

Serve it at Christmas—just look at the colors!
It would be great alongside other Middle Eastern dishes like Skillet Chicken Shawarma, Stuffed Eggplant with Ground Lamb, or Harissa Chicken Thighs.
The herb-packed flavors would go perfectly with a Tarragon Roast Chicken and stand up to the heartiness of a Cast Iron Skillet Steak.
It's great for potlucks because it's served at room temperature!

More vegan side dish recipes

Try these easy vegan side dishes alongside this fresh green bean salad for a flavorful vegan feast!

Don't throw out those beet greens! Try Sautéed Beet Greens with Garlic and Crushed Red Pepper, they cook up easily in a skillet just like swiss chard or other hearty greens.
This Roasted Butternut Squash with Red Onion Tahini and Za'atar will have everyone wanting to eat their vegetables!
Speaking of beautiful holiday dishes, Fresh Cranberry Relish is a must, and only has 4 ingredients!

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