Green Bean & Pickled Pepper Salad
Serves 6
Prep time 30 minutes
Like so many original recipes, this recipe started with a need to use what I already had on hand. A beautiful bag of green beans I’d received in my farm box, and a bag of miniature bell peppers.
I’d recently had a dish with pickled peppers in it, and I was still thinking about it. And that is how the idea for this recipe was born.
Writing recipes is tricky business, because so much comes down to technique. In this case, cooking the green beans well (not too much or too little), and balancing the flavors of the dressing.
It’s hard to convey those techniques with words. Pay close attention to not overcook the green beans, keeping in mind they’ll continue cooking a bit in the vinegary dressing.
And don’t be afraid to adjust the seasonings—it usually takes me 3 or 4 iterations to get it right. This one should have a good hit of vinegar, balanced with honey. If it’s too tart, add more honey, if it’s too sweet, add a tiny splash more of vinegar.
1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
1 bag mini bell peppers, core removed, thinly sliced into little rings
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
In a large pot, bring water to a boil, add salt. Blanche green beans until al dente. Pull from the boiling water, strain and put the beans in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again.
In the meantime, macerate the onions and peppers with the salt, vinegars & honey. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Add the olive oil and green beans. Toss everything together, taste and adjust, adding more salt, oil, honey or vinegar as needed.
