Dill Green Bean Salad

Who doesn’t love pickled dill green beans? Whenever I have a garden abundance of green beans I make sure to can a few jars to enjoy in the winter. Dill seems to endear the flavor of green beans.

            Onward

So, when I want to replicate those delicious pickled green beans but don’t have the time, this salad not only satisfies that yearning but makes a lovely summer side salad. Good enough for dinner guests but quick and easy enough to make for dinner tonight. The beauty is that it can be made a day ahead of time and tossed just before serving.

4 side-salad servings

INGREDIENTS:

½ pound fresh green beans, stem end removed

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 ½ teaspoons minced shallots

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh dill leaves, chopped

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper to taste

1 small head of Bibb or butter lettuce, washed, dried and torn in bite-size pieces

2 Roma tomatoes, small diced

2 teaspoons fresh dill leaves, chopped (garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1.     Place the salad plates in the refrigerator.

2.     Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and simmer until the green beans are a bright green and are tender yet slightly crisp. Drain the hot water and shock the green beans in an ice water bath. Drain and keep chilled.

3.     Combine the mustard, shallots, vinegar, olive oil, one teaspoon dill, salt, and pepper in a small jar with a lid to make the dressing. Taste, Think, Transform with the salt and/or black pepper.

4.     On four chilled salad plates, distribute the torn lettuce.

5.     Shake the dressing in the jar and toss with the chilled green beans. Place on the lettuce.

6.     Top with the diced tomatoes and chopped fresh dill.