Green Bean Salad with Garlic & Mint
Green Bean Salad with Garlic & Mint makes the most of this wonderful seasonal vegetable.
The just-cooked beans are dressed with garlic slices that have been gently fried to golden mellowness, plus a minty vinaigrette.
An easy side dish that will complement almost any summery meal.
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Containing a couple of my favourite seasonal, summer ingredients, how could Green Bean Salad with Garlic & Mint not be a knockout dish?
Like asparagus and fresh corn, green beans are one of those seasonal foods I can’t get enough of.
Crispy, crunchy and with an almost grassy flavour, I look forward to them every year.
Mint just says ‘summer’ to me, and I eat some virtually every day at this time of year. I’ve even made some into a Mint Cordial .
Along with coriander, fresh mint is my absolute favourite herb.
Something that’s also a good pairing with green beans and mint is garlic. And in this Green Bean Salad with Garlic & Mint it comes in the form of gently fried slices.
I cook the slices slowly, so they turn golden for two reasons.
Firstly, this flavours the olive oil I then use to make the dressing. Second, all harshness is gone from the garlic, leaving it very mellow with a nice chew.
Although I’ve made this salad with fantastic quality organic green beans from this week’s Moorland Veg Box, I’ve also made it with homegrown runner beans which is also very good.
DELICIOUS & SIMPLE
Delicious and so simple to make, I think Green Bean Salad with Garlic & Mint goes well with just about any summery meal.
I’ve eaten it with meat dishes such as wonderfully lemony Kleftiko: Greek style lamb and potatoes, as well as largely plant-based meals like baked aubergines with herbed tahini and crispy chickpeas.
Great as a side for your summer barbecues, you could also serve it alongside lots of other little dishes, mezze style.
Have you made Green Bean Salad with Garlic & Mint?
Leave a comment and don’t forget to rate the recipe.
Green Bean Salad with Garlic & Mint
Make the most of seasonal green beans in a salad with fried garlic and a minty vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 250 g green beans stem tops removed
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 small bunch mint, leaves only roughly chopped
Instructions
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Put 1 tbsp of the oil and the garlic slices in a frying pan and heat to moderately low.
Gently cook, stirring often, until the garlic is just golden brown.
Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Transfer the oil remaining in the pan into a small bowl and set aside to cool while you cook the beans.
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Put the prepared beans in a saucepan of boiling water with a pinch of salt added.
Simmer until just cooked, but still lightly crunchy (3-5 min).
Strain in a colander and put them under the cold tap to stop further cooking. The beans should be just a little warm.
Drain well and transfer to a serving dish.
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Add the remaining ½ tbsp of olive oil to the reserved oil you cooked the garlic in.
Add the red wine vinegar, pepper and sugar plus a pinch of salt.
Whisk together, taste and add more seasoning or vinegar if needed.
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Pour the dressing over the beans and toss well.
Toss in the fried garlic and mint before serving.
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