Green Bean, Tomato and Potato Salad with Aioli
Green Bean, Tomato and Potato Salad with Aioli contains simple ingredients. But eaten in season when beans, tomatoes and new potatoes are at their best it feels like a real treat. The light dressing is based on cheat’s aioli or jarred mayonnaise flavoured with garlic, extra virgin olive oil and lemon. Which makes it incredibly easy too.
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I’m always pleased to see the first UK-grown green beans of the season. While I absolutely love this vegetable, I refuse to buy out of season ones. I just don’t think the environmental cost of transporting them across the world, often by air, can be justified.
In any case, as with fresh British asparagus and corn on the cob, there’s a lot to be said for deferred gratification. Instead of eating poorer quality ones year-round (which are probably quite old by the time they reach the shops), why not wait until they’re in season where you live? That way, you can get your fill while they’re at their very best.
Most of the green beans I buy come in my delivery from local company Moorland Veg Box/Moorland Organics. I decided to use the first of this season in a salad salad (based on one in Lynda Brown’s excellent The Cook’s Garden from 1990) that shows off their quality and flavour. Along with the lightly cooked beans, I added veg box sweet cherry tomatoes and tasty boiled new potatoes.
Not to detract from those natural flavours, the vegetables are cloaked in a light garlic mayonnaise dressing. I make it based on my Cheat’s Saffron Aioli, minus the saffron. Using jarred mayo, it takes just a couple of minutes to create a punchy dressing. As it’s best a little more delicate for this salad, I thinned it with a little of the bean cooking water.
The result was a summery salad with both vegetable and carb in one. For a complete meal, I served the Green Bean, Tomato and Potato Salad with Aioli on a bed of veg box lettuce with a simply cooked chicken breast for protein.
But this lovely fresh salad would also work as one of several smaller dishes to share, as part of a buffet or barbecue spread.
You’ll find detailed instructions and suggested ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the end. But read on for an overview with images of each step.
GREEN BEAN, TOMATO AND POTATO SALAD WITH AIOLI
If your new potatoes are large, start by cutting them into even sized chunks. Don’t cut them too small though or they could become waterlogged during boiling. I wash but don’t bother to peel them. Put into plenty of cold salted water, bring to a boil and simmer until just tender. Drain them in a colander and leave them there, uncovered, to dry and cool.
While the potatoes are cooking and cooling, you can deal with the green beans. Cut off the stems, halve any longer ones, and simmer in lightly salted boiling water until they’re also just tender. If you remember (I sometimes don’t!), save a little of the bean cooking water to thin the dressing. So the beans don’t continue to cook, after draining I plunge them in a bowl of iced water and leave until completely cold. They should then be drained thoroughly again.
Making the aioli dressing
To make what I call cheat’s aioli you’ll need:
- garlic
- salt
- ready-made mayonnaise
- extra virgin olive oil
- lemon juice
- black pepper
Ideally, you’ll make it in a pestle and mortar. But if necessary you can use the end of a rolling pin as the pestle and a suitably robust bowl as the mortar.
Put into the mortar (or bowl) 2 garlic cloves and a tiny pinch of salt. For a milder garlic flavour, use just one clove. Use the pestle (or rolling pin) to work them together until creamy. You can now start adding the mayonnaise. I put in 2 tablespoons to begin with and get it well combined with the garlic.
Now stir in more mayonnaise to reach the right level of garlic flavour for you. You’ll find switching to a small silicone spatula helpful at this point: it’s much better for scraping down the sides of the bowl and getting everything well combined. To get that distinctive aioli flavour, we now add extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice plus a large pinch of black pepper.
If you remembered to save some of the bean cooking water, stir in a tablespoon or so to create thinnish, light dressing. If you didn’t save any bean water, a splash of plain water will do. Finally, taste and add more salt, lemon, oil, or pepper if needed. If the dressing tastes too strong or is too thin, stir in more mayonnaise.
SERVING GREEN BEAN, TOMATO AND POTATO SALAD WITH AIOLI
You put the salad together by simply gently tossing the potatoes, cool green beans, and tomatoes (cut into bite-sized pieces) with the aioli dressing. Try not to break up the potatoes or knock the tomatoes about too much, just mix until everything is combined and has a coating of dressing.
I like plenty of fresh, finely chopped parsley too, but chives or even mint would work.
Green Bean, Tomato and Potato Salad with Aioli can be eaten straight away. But I think it’s nicer left in the fridge for thirty minutes or more for the flavours to meld. If you do this, be sure to bring it back to near room temperature before eating. If you want to make it in advance, or have leftovers, then the salad can be stored in the fridge and eaten within 2 days.
The ingredients for this salad may be simple. But, eaten in season when they’re at their best, I think it’s a lovely, summery treat.
If you’ve made this recipe, leave a comment and rating to let me know what you thought.
Green Bean, Tomato and Potato Salad with Aioli
This salad contains simple ingredients but, eaten in season when beans, tomatoes and new potatoes are their best, it feels like a real treat. The light dressing is based on cheat's aioli or jarred mayonnaise flavoured with garlic, extra virgin olive oil and lemon. Which makes it incredibly easy too.
Ingredients
- 500 g new or salad potatoes
- salt
- 300 g green beans (topped and tailed)
- 300 g ripe tomatoes (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 cloves garlic (skinned)
- black pepper
- 4 - 6 rounded tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 - 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon (juice only)
- water (or saved cooking water from green beans)
- 2 rounded tbsp finely chopped parsley (chives or mint can be substituted)
Instructions
-
Boil the potatoes
Wash the potatoes, leaving the skin on. If large, cut in half or thirds.
Tip: don't cut them too small or they might become waterlogged.
Put in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and season generously with salt.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until only just tender.
Drain, then leave in the colander or sieve until cool.
If necessary, cut into bite-sized pieces.
-
Cook the beans (can be done while the potatoes are cooking)
Remove the stems from the beans, cut in half (or bite-sized pieces) and wash.
Put into a saucepan and cover with boiling water from a kettle. Season moderately with salt then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender.
Drain the beans BUT RETAIN A FEW TABLESPOONS OF THE WATER FOR THE DRESSING, refresh the beans in cold water, then leave in a bowl of iced water until completely cold.
Drain well.
-
Make the aioli garlic mayo dressing (make while the potatoes and beans are cooking)
Put the garlic in a mortar along with a small pinch of salt and pound with a pestle until you have creamy paste.
Tip: if you don't have a pestle and mortar, use the end of a rolling pin in a suitable bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise to the mortar and stir to combine.
Stir in more mayonnaise to reach the right level of garlic flavour for you. Tip: switching to a small silicone spatula at this point makes it easier to combine the ingredients. If you only have a small mortar then you may need to switch to a bowl too.
Stir in 2 tsp of the extra virgin olive oil and add a squeeze of lemon juice, plus a large pinch of black pepper.
Stir in a tablespoon of the bean cooking water (or plain water). If necessary, add more to get a thinnish, light dressing.
Taste and add more salt, lemon, or pepper if needed. If it tastes too strong or is too thin, stir in more mayonnaise.
-
Put the salad together.
Put the potatoes, green beans and tomatoes into a large bowl and add the dressing. Gently toss to coat the vegetables.
Add the parsley (or other herbs) and gently toss again until thoroughly combined.
-
Can be eaten straight away or left in the fridge for the flavours to meld.
Best brought back to around room temperature before eating.
The salad will be at its best if eaten within 2 days.
Recipe Notes
Based on a recipe in The Cook's Garden (1990) by Lynda Brown.
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