Featured Recipe
Green Bean Salad with Red Wine Dressing
By Kate
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A bright green bean salad with halved cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, crisp red onion, and crunchy toasted walnuts in a tangy vinaigrette with grated aged manchego cheese. Steamed beans barely tender for snap and vibrant color. Red wine vinegar anchors the dressing, balanced by Dijon mustard and olive oil. Walnut swap for texture twist instead of almonds. Simple yet layered flavors.
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Prep:
20 min
Cook:
8 min
Total:
28 min
Serves:
5 servings
vegetarian
Mediterranean
healthy
Introduction
Green bean salad needs precision. Overcook beans, color fades, texture turns mushy — no. Under steam, tough, flavor lacking. Start with a tight steaming setup, water just kissing the steaming basket’s base. Rely on color shift more than clock. Beans snap with gentle resistance and glow vibrant. Cherry tomatoes add juicy bursts, parsley brings fresh greenness, red onion bites sharp contrast. Toasted walnuts swap well for almonds, brings deeper aroma and rustic crunch. Manchego cheese in dressing melts into the oil and vinegar mix, adding nutty tang but avoid powdery textures by grating just before mixing. No waste. You’ll master timing by sound and feel, not stopwatch. Dressing emulsification is key — oil and vinegar won’t combine without mustard as a binder. Pour slowly, whip hard. Salad holds nicely for an hour, flavors marry. Go easy on salt at first, dressings change intensity as it sits. Pair with stews, grilled meats or as light lunch. Real cook’s salad.
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 80 ml olive oil
- 25 ml red wine vinegar
- 25 ml finely grated aged Manchego cheese
- 10 ml Dijon mustard
- 400 g green beans trimmed
- 150 g cherry tomatoes halved
- 20 g fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 30 ml toasted walnuts roughly chopped
Salad
About the ingredients
Olive oil quality makes or breaks vinaigrette — grassy, robust flavor preferred; dull oil dulls all. Manchego cheese replaces kefalotyri, offers approachable tang and creamy bite; other hard cheeses like Pecorino useful too. Red wine vinegar preferences — a balanced acidity without overpowering fruitiness or sharpness. Parsley chopped fine, flat-leaf preferred for brightness without bitterness. Walnuts need toasting — dry pan toast until fragrant and slightly darker, watch for burning, turns bitter fast. Substitute walnuts with toasted pine nuts or pecans for variety. Green beans trimmed evenly to cook uniformly, thicker beans might need extra steam time but watch color. Red onion sliced thin to avoid harsh raw taste; soak briefly in cold water if too pungent.
Method
Vinaigrette
- Whisk olive oil with vinegar and Dijon mustard vigorously until emulsified. Fold in grated Manchego cheese last to keep some texture.
- Set a steaming basket in a large pot with 2 cm water, barely touching the base.
- Bring water to a rolling boil, then add green beans to steam basket in a single layer.
- Cover pot tightly and steam beans until tender-crisp and bright green, around 4 to 5 minutes. Listen for faint sizzle, watch for color pop. Avoid softening or dulling hues. Drain immediately.
- Spread beans on a baking sheet to stop cooking — resists sogginess.
- In large bowl combine beans with halved tomatoes, parsley, and sliced onion.
- Pour in vinaigrette gradually, toss gently but thoroughly. Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
- Transfer salad to serving dish, scatter toasted walnuts on top for crunch and earthiness.
Salad
Technique Tips
Steaming over boiling water preserves nutrients and color better than boiling. Use a tight-fitting lid to keep heat and steam consistent. Water level critical — too high and beans boil, too low and steam stops. Check water mid-cook, top up with hot water if necessary. Don’t crowd beans; steam in batches if needed. Immediate cooling on baking sheet prevents carryover cooking and sogginess — important step often skipped. Dressing emulsification tricky — mustard acts as emulsifier, increasing viscosity, preventing separation. Add cheese last to keep some body, don’t over-mix or cheese becomes gluey. Toss salad gently to avoid bruising tomatoes and breaking beans. Dress just before serving if planning ahead; beans eventually lose snap. Toast nuts just before serving for max crunch and aroma retention. Always season at end; salt affects enzyme activity and texture during steaming if added early.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Steam beans until bright — around 4 to 5 minutes. Check for sizzle and vibrant green color. Cool on baking sheet immediately. No sogginess. Watch the pot closely.
- 💡 Vinaigrette emulsification critical. Whisk hard while pouring in oil slowly. Mustard binds oil and vinegar. Grate cheese just before mixing — keep texture.
- 💡 Use flat-leaf parsley for less bitterness. Walnuts toasted well, less than a minute. Switch nuts for variety — try pecans or toasted pine nuts.
- 💡 Add salt to salad last. Vinaigrettes become stronger over time. Flavor evolves. Dress just before serving. Prevent wilting or soggy beans.
- 💡 Green beans should be trimmed evenly. Uniform cooking ensures even doneness. If beans are thick — steam longer but monitor color closely.
