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Vegetables Green beans Lunch / Dinner Salads Side Dishes

Green bean salad

Published: 10.11.2021 » Last updated: 11.08.2022

Steamed haricot verts (French green beans) are tossed with toasted Brazil nuts, and salad dressing made with honey, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. For the finishing touch: torn mint leaves.

Oh, it’s lovely. So easy to make. And the ingredients are pantry staples. It’s inspired by a salad prepared on the last episode of Season 2 ofSelena + Chefon HBO.

Selena… who? Selena Gomez, the singer. She has a cooking show on HBO where she learns cooking from professional chefs. It’s remote learning because, you know… We love the show. Spontaneous and honest. Not that we found all guest chefs good but most were helpful in ways that say they understand the essential difference between home cooking and restaurant cooking. So, which chef did the green bean salad with Selena Gomez? Aarti Sequeira.

Of course, this green bean salad recipe had been tweaked to our preferences. The choice of nuts and the ratio of ingredients for the salad dressing, in particular, were modified to suit our taste.

Spreading haricot vert in steamer basket

The green beans were steamed. You may drop them in boiling water if that’s easier for you.

Chopping toasted Brazil nuts

The Brazil nuts went into the oven toaster where they roasted. After cooking, they were hand chopped.

Whisking honey, olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings

The salad dressing is a simple sweet-sour concoction. Honey, lemon juice and olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper were just whisked together until blended.

Drizzling dressing over haricot vert and Brazil nuts

After steaming, the green beans were transferred to a mixing bow, the Brazil nuts were dumped in and the salad dressing was drizzled in. Everything was tossed together until the dressing coated every piece of solid ingredient.

Haricot vert (French green bean) salad topped with mint leaves

Finally, mint leaves. Oh, don’t underestimate this delighful herb. They give such a bright and summery flavor and aroma to the green bean salad.

Full recipe below

Green bean salad

Connie Veneracion
Haricot vert (the same vegetable used by Aarti Sequeira in Selena + Chef) was used here in lieu of regular green beans. If you substitute regular green beans, snip off the tops and bottoms, then pull and discard the fibrous string on both sides of each pod. Regular green beans will take a little longer to cook.
Green bean salad
Print
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Copycat
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

Salad

  • 500 grams haricot vert (French green bean)
  • 1 handful Brazil nuts

Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic - peeled and chopped
  • 2 generous pinches rock salt
  • 1 generous pinch ground black pepper

To finish

  • 3 to 4 sprigs mint - (leaves only)

Instructions
 

Steam the green beans

  • Pour water into the steamer to reach a depth of at least two inches.
  • Set the steamer on the stove over high heat.
  • Rinse the green beans and drain.
  • Spread the green beans on the steamer basket, set the basket over the pot with boiling water and cover.
  • Cook the green beans over briskly boiling water for about ten minutes (no longer).

Prep the Brazil nuts

  • Lightly toast the Brazil nuts until glistening with oil (we did this in the oven toaster at 350F for two minutes).
  • Chop the toasted nuts.

Make the dressing

  • In a mixing bowl, measure the honey, lemon juice and olive oil.
  • Add the garlic, salt and pepper and whisk until the oil no longer separates from the honey and lemon juice.

Toss the salad

  • Remove the green beans from the steamer using kitchen tongs and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the chopped nuts to the green beans.
  • Drizzle the dressing (including the garlic) around the edges of the beans.
  • Toss to coat the green beans evenly with the dressing.
  • Take mint leaves, tear up, add half to the salad and toss a few times.
  • Transfer the salad to a shallow bowl, sprinkle in the rest of the mint leaves and serve.
Print
Keyword Green Beans, Nuts

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Connie Veneracion, Chiang Mai, 2020

Hi, I’m Connie!

Welcome to Umami Days, a blog that advocates innovative home cooking for pleasurable everyday dining. No trendy diets, no food fads and definitely no ludicrous recipe names like crustless quiche, noodleless pho or chocolate lasagna.

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