Ottolenghi Green Bean Salad
Servings: 4
Calories: 193kcal
This Ottolenghi green bean salad made with haricots verts is full of flavor from fresh herbs and Middle Eastern spices. Great for the holidays and summer barbecues!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz haricots verts or regular green beans
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 tablespoon capers
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon chopped tarragon
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley
- ⅓ cup chopped dill
Instructions
- 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. Slice the garlic cloves thinly.
- 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. Drain the beans and lay them out on a kitchen towel to dry completely.
- 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.
- Once the haricots verts are completely dry, place them in a large bowl with the cooked peppers.
- Roughly chop the parsley, tarragon and dill and set aside.
- 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, they will pop and spit.)
- Clear a space in the pan, add the cumin seeds and coriander and let them sizzle and bloom in the olive oil for 30 seconds. Stir the spices together with the garlic and capers, add the lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Pour this mixture over the beans and peppers.
- Add the fresh herbs and lemon zest, stir to combine and serve topped with a beautiful sea salt such as Maldon.
Notes
- This recipe was adapted from the Jerusalem cookbook by Yottam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.
- Make ahead: You can make this salad one day ahead up until the point that you add the garlic-caper dressing. Allow the salad to come to room temperature, then add the fresh herbs and zest and stir to combine.
- 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.
- If you're using regular green beans and not haricots verts, you might have to boil them a minute or two longer.
- Make sure the green beans are completely dry. If they've got any water clinging to them, the 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.
- Be sure to read the post above for more information about how to choose ingredients, FAQs and substitutions.
- I used my Lodge carbon steel skillet to char the red peppers and as a serving dish in these photos.
Nutrition
Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 482mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2584IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 4mg
